Highlights

• Elite teams need an elite passer for success, with their impact crucial for the club's fortunes.
• Eric Cantona, Mesut Ozil, and Frank Lampard are among the best passers in Premier League history.
• Kevin De Bruyne is the top passer in the league, with his precision and impact making him stand out among a list of quality players.

Every elite team needs an elite passer within their side if they're to succeed. Just having someone in the squad who can pick out a teammate no matter where they are on the pitch is crucial and has a massive impact on the club's fortunes. The Premier League has been blessed in the sense that it's seen a large group of players over the years who were just incredible passers of the ball.

READ MORE: Most Premier League assists of all time (ranked)

Whether that was shown through unbelievable assists, or flew under the radar with their ability to switch play across the entire pitch with one quick ball, there have been some gems, and we've decided to look at the 15 very best to have ever played in the Premier League. It's a stacked list with some incredible names, but only one can come out on top.

15 Eric Cantona

Manchester United icon Eric Cantona produced some wonderful assists during his five years as a Premier League player. The Frenchman had the ability to both caress and blast the ball. He was an enigma and if he wasn't terrorising defenders with his dazzling runs, or scoring incredible goals, he was finding his teammates with the most delightful of passes.

He might not have spent quite as much time in England than we'd have liked, but the impact he had on the game here in such a short space of time cannot be ignored. A truly top player and a wonderful passer.

14 Mesut Ozil

A gifted but inconsistent playmaker, Mesut Ozil divided opinion during his seven seasons with Arsenal. But when the German hit top gear, he would invariably pull the strings thanks to his wonderful array of passes. It's easy to forget now just how incredible he was with the ball at his feet during his prime, but he was a force to be reckoned with when he first joined Arsenal.

His ability to find anyone on the pitch was a delight to watch and while his contributions to the Gunners may have been largely underrated now, he was a special player and one that deserves his flowers.

13 Frank Lampard

As the highest-scoring midfielder in Premier League history, Frank Lampard has become known for his incredible ability to find the back of the net from the middle of the park, but he was much more than just a goalscorer. The former Chelsea man was also incredible at picking out passes.

You don't become one of just five players to have over 100 assists in the Premier League for nothing, you know? It's time we acknowledge just how good he was at passing. He might have excelled in front of goal, but he was almost as good at picking out his teammates.

12 Santi Cazorla

A joy to watch, the permanently-smiling Santi Cazorla had the unusual ability to execute stunning passes with both his right and left feet. He was a nightmare for defenders to deal with and carved out opportunities for his teammates literally left, right and centre. There were few who could do what he could.

Injuries may have plagued his final years with Arsenal, but for a while, the Spaniard was one of the best midfielders in England and his incredible passing was a large reason for that. Still, it was nice to see his career bounce back in Spain following his departure from the Emirates.

11 Ryan Giggs

How can you have a list of the best passers in Premier League history and not include Ryan Giggs? No player in Premier League history has more assists than the Manchester United legend (162). He dominated English football for an insane amount of time, breaking numerous records along the way.

His success with the Red Devils left no doubt that he was one of the best players to ever play in England's top flight, but his passing ability still manages to go underrated in the eyes of some fans. He was a menace with the ball, though, and could spray passes to just about any one of his teammates no matter the location.

10 Cesc Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas is next on the list of most assists during the Premier League era. The Spaniard assisted a combined 111 league goals with Arsenal and Chelsea and you could make a highlight reel of some of the incredible passes that he made during his career in England. He earned a reputation as one of the very best playmakers on the planet, and it was for good reason.

No one could unlock a defence quite like Fabregas could with his splitting passes, and it was a joy to watch unfold every single time he took to the pitch for either the Gunners or the Blues.

9 Michael Carrick

Michael Carrick tended to keep things very simple in midfield, but picking the right option time and time again is much easier said than done. The Englishman undoubtedly deserves his place in this top 10. He might have been known for his tendency to do the nitty-gritty, but he was an incredible passer.

He wouldn't have held down a spot in the Red Devils lineup under Sir Alex Ferguson for so long if he didn't have the ability to change a game with his passing ability. An underrated midfielder all things considered, but one well deserving of his spot here.

8 Luka Modric

Luka Modric has obviously enjoyed the best years of his career at Real Madrid, but let’s not forget that the Croatian midfielder was also a sublime player for Tottenham Hotspur. His world-class passing ability was clear for all to see between 2008-2012 during his time in the Premier League, but he's not lost a step over the years.

There's a reason he's still competing at an elite level late into his 30s, and it's down to his unbelievable passing ability. Even now he's prone to playing a staggering ball and picking out in teammates no matter the circumstances.

7 Steven Gerrard

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard was accused of looking for the ‘Hollywood pass’ too often during his 17 seasons in the Premier League. However, there were many, many times when he’d nail those 50-yard diagonals. A true leader, he dragged the Reds to heights they never would have touched without him.

He could do it all in the middle of the park, whether it was defensively or offensively, but his playmaking ability was one of his strongest points, and he earned his spot in the top 10 here. Just a sublime footballer.

6 Dennis Bergkamp

One of the most gifted footballers of the Premier League era, Arsenal hero Dennis Bergkamp had the ability to spot passes nobody else could see. He was capable of magic with the ball at his feet and he demonstrated that time and time again over the years. The Dutchman scored some seriously spectacular goals over the years, but his passing was just as good, if not better.

Bergkamp's influence on the Gunners during his time with the side was unmistakable and there was no one doing what he was during his time in England. Just an absolute all-timer

5 David Silva

One of Manchester City’s greatest ever players - if not *the* greatest - David Silva was a master of creating space in between the lines and then threading perfectly weighted passes through to Sergio Aguero and co. upfront. There was no pass that he couldn't make and City were a much stronger side with him in the lineup.

Even in the toughest of games, the Cityzens could always rely on Silva to produce something special whenever it mattered most and he regularly unlocked defences with his elite passing ability.

4 David Beckham

His recent documentary may have brought some attention back to David Beckham and it's time for an entirely new generation to appreciate just how great a playmaker he was. Arguably the best crosser and free-kick taker of the Premier League era, he was also a world-class passer of the ball.

Some of his passes were just on another level, and it was almost impossible for defenders to predict where he'd take the ball. He had the ability to find anyone, and it played a major role in United's success during Beckham's time in the Premier League.

3 Xabi Alonso

Xabi Alonso, who played for Liverpool between 2004-2009, takes third place on our list of the Premier League’s greatest-ever passers. Whether it was a simple short pass or a raking 40-yard ball, Alonso could do it all. He made the most difficult of passes look simple and did so on a regular basis.

It certainly wasn't all he was capable of, but his playmaking and passing ability where what helped him stand out among the rest of the midfielders in England during his time at Anfield.

2 Paul Scholes

A genius with the ball at his feet, many football fans will argue that Paul Scholes should be number one on this list - and that’s a perfectly fair opinion to hold. The Man Utd legend would dictate the tempo of Premier League matches thanks to his sumptuous range of passing.

Still criminally underrated in certain circles, Scholes was a maestro at picking the right pass to make and did so for two decades at Old Trafford. It's a skill that stuck with him until the very end of his career and ensured he was an elite Premier League talent until he decided to hang his boots up.

1 Kevin De Bruyne

While there are some truly legendary names on this list, there's only one real winner. Kevin De Bruyne is the best passer we’ve seen during the Premier League era. Everything the Belgian does on the pitch is executed with such precision. The 32-year-old isn’t miles ahead of Scholes and Alonso, but he has done enough over the past nine seasons to take the top spot.

City are a lesser side when he's not in the team and his impact when he's healthy is clear for all to see. It takes a special talent to stand out among this entire list of quality players, but that's just how good De Bruyne is.

Check out the table below to see the entire list of the 15 best passers in Premier League history and some of their stats in the top flight.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.