Highlights

• Wide players in the Premier League are now expected to score more goals every season, signalling a shift in the role of wingers in modern football.
• Ryan Giggs has more assists in the division than any other player, but that doesn't mean he is the best.
• Other elite wingers in Premier League history include Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah, who have both scored goals for fun at Manchester United and Liverpool.

The role of a winger has changed quite drastically since the inception of the Premier League back in 1992. In its embryonic years, a winger in the English top flight was instructed to hug the touchline in the traditional, old-school 4-4-2 formation and told to whip in pinpoint crosses for a big centre-forward to attack.

These days, wide players are essentially unorthodox strikers and the very best in the position are now expected to grab at least 15 goals a season. But where do the icons of the past rank compared to some of the current greats? Selecting the Premier League's greatest-ever winger is a pretty tough job, especially because of the changes to the role. But GIVEMESPORT has narrowed an extensive list down to the top 10 wingers that have graced the division over the years.

Ranking factors:

• Games played
• Wins and losses
• Goals and assists
• Titles won
• Individual honours
• General legacy

10 David Ginola

Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa & Everton

Incredibly, the Frenchman pipped the entirety of Manchester United’s treble-winning squad to the PFA Player of the Year award in 1999 – he was that influential (although Dwight Yorke did win the Premier League Player of the Season that year). Mainly at Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, and then later and less so at Aston Villa and Everton, David Ginola exuded confidence and class, exhibiting skill in abundance which left opposing defenders bamboozled. It's a shame that he didn't win more trophies during his time in England, with the 1999 League Cup his sole bit of silverware with Tottenham. Ginola is actually underrated by many in the present day, though those who had the pleasure of watching him will understand exactly why he cracks this top 10.

9 Freddie Ljungberg

Arsenal & West Ham

Many Premier League fans will have a vivid memory of a red-haired Swede – going by the name of Freddie Ljungberg – flying down the wing and terrorising full-backs like it was going out of fashion. Pivotal in Arsenal’s success following the turn of the millennium, Ljungberg plundered 17 goals in his 39-game 2002 season as his side picked up the double. That wasn't the only silverware he collected either, and he ended up getting his hands on two league titles (including one as part of the Invincibles) and three FA Cups during his nine-year stay in north London before he moved on to West Ham. The combination play between the Arsenal front line – in which he played a pivotal part – was a joy to behold.

8 Sadio Mane

Liverpool & Southampton

There’s no disputing what a fantastic footballer the Senegal international was in Merseyside, and at Southampton before. Often overshadowed by then-teammate Mohamed Salah, the telepathy Sadio Mane shared with the Egyptian and their supporting act Roberto Firmino was quite something – even if the two African wingers weren't exactly best friends. Scoring more than ten goals in all eight of his campaigns in the Premier League, Mane was named in the PFA Team of the Year on four occasions and won the Golden Boot in 2019 with a more-than-impressive 22 goals to his name. By the time he left Anfield with a Champions League and Premier League winners medal to his name, he was widely regarded as one of the best wide men to play in the division in modern times, and he earns a spot among the great wingers here too.

7 David Beckham

Manchester United

In the midst of the fanfare and stardom, the Essex-born ace was a superb footballer. David Beckham, now owner of Inter Miami, opted for a move to Real Madrid as he edged into the peak of his powers, but his legacy in the Premier League will continue to live on. The man scored free kicks for fun, played outrageous passes with ease to create numerous goals for his teammates, and helped his side win a multitude of silverware, including six league titles. Consistently excellent over his number of years in a Manchester United strip, the former England captain’s halfway-line goal against Wimbledon epitomises his DNA: Audacity. Fearlessness. Talent. He is a true icon of English football.

6 Gareth Bale

Tottenham Hotspur

Signed as a promising left-back from Southampton – although he never played a Premier League game with Saints – the golf-crazy Welshman became a scintillating wide man in north London, known for his devastating left foot. During his six-year stay at White Hart Lane, across all competitions, Gareth Bale scored 71 goals in 236 games, and he assisted his teammates 58 times too. Aside from his PFA Player of the Year awards and other individual honours, when Real Madrid broke the bank for a then world-record fee of £85m, he left Tottenham empty-handed in terms of trophies. But he went on to build a trophy-laden cabinet in Madrid. Maybe he has Harry Redknapp – his inaugural manager at Spurs – to thank for his glittering career for putting him on the left flank, it certainly seemed to change his fortunes. 11 goals in 20 league games back on loan in the 2020/21 season served as a fine reminder of his quality towards the close of his career too.

5 Eden Hazard

Chelsea

One of the greatest wide players we have seen in the modern era was certainly Eden Hazard, who made the English top flight-his playground during his many years at Chelsea. An absolute nuisance with the ball at his feet – for the opposition, at least – the pint-sized Belgian has now hung the boots up on an illustrious career and will be well remembered for the smiles he put on faces during his west London stint. He won the Premier League twice, an FA Cup, a League Cup and the Europa League twice. Many pundits and fans alike often run out of superlatives to describe the lovable wide man. But more than anything, he’s the type of player that ‘you just had to be there’ for.

4 Robert Pires

Arsenal & Aston Villa

Robert Pires was a slightly more traditional winger – operating mainly in a 4-4-2 – but he knew when to chip in with a goal or two. And he's one of the best dribblers to grace the Premier League, a truly unique player. When Thierry Henry would – uncharacteristically, we should add – go missing, Pires would often carry the burden of sprucing the Gunners into winning ways and was most notably an integral figure in the iconic Invincibles season. That year, he bagged 14 league goals and nine assists en route to Arsenal lifting the famous gold trophy, which proved to be the second of his six-year stay at Highbury.

3 Ryan Giggs

Manchester United

Ryan Giggs won trophies for fun at Manchester United. 13 Premier League titles, a mammoth 632 appearances and 109 goals – need we say more? The one-club wonder rose to prominence through the Carrington ranks and to this day tops the Premier League’s rankings for most assists. A key part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s treble-winning side in 1999, the Welshman was barely dislodged from his spot until he pulled the curtains on his playing career in 2014. Considering his longevity and everything that he won, it's fair to say he's up there with the very best wingers to have ever played the spot on English shores.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Ryan Giggs has the most assists (162) of any Premier League player in history

2 Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United

Considered one of the greatest players in the history of the spot, let alone the Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo takes the top spot. A perennial goalscorer everywhere he plies his trade, he redefined the role of a winger at Man United, scoring a ridiculous number of goals and scooping the Ballon d'Or in 2008. He remains – to this day – the last footballer to win the award while playing for an English team. A bonafide Premier League legend, the Portuguese's Ballon d'Or-winning season in 2007/08 was perhaps the finest individual campaign from a Premier League player ever. In that time, he bagged 39 goals and eight assists, and won both the Premier League and the Champions League. What a player. The only reason he doesn't top this list is simply because his best years would then come at Real Madrid.

1 Mohamed Salah

Liverpool & Chelsea

Mohamed Salah is the only player still active on this list, and yet he's already done enough to secure his status as the Premier League's greatest-ever winger. No Liverpool player has ever scored more in the competition, and he will no doubt go down as one of the club's best players – if not the very best. Since touching down on Merseyside soil, Salah has been nothing but an ever-reliable figure for Jurgen Klopp and his entourage. The Egyptian has scored at least 19 league goals every season at Anfield, and his efforts have resulted in the Reds' most successful period in many years. Oddly enough, he was a complete flop at Chelsea. Indeed, many eyebrows were raised as he returned to England after a failed stint at Stamford Bridge. Since then, time after time, he has proven to the west Londoners why they made such a poor decision to let him go.

All stats taken from the official Premier League website (as of 28/02/24)