Cult heroes, legends and champions: welcome to the early years of the Premier League
By These Football Times
In spite of all the glory that has come City’s way recently, Kinkladze is still remembered as a hero of the 90s and one of their finest natural talents
Tony Yeboah was as loved as he was mercurial; the what-ifs and what could have been dreams still live on – and so will his goalscoring record
Stigma and unfair reputations about players from overseas still exist but pale in comparison to what it once was thanks to Jürgen Klinsmann
Whilst Nodlovu was salient on his African return, his impact on the Premier League as the cardinal African player of the era is as seminal as his finishing
Cantona has become an icon for France and England: a legend and a man whose genius, as both footballer and public philosopher, remains unquestioned
The great Paul McGrath was a colossus on the pitch for Aston Villa and Ireland but, like everyone watching on, a human all the same
Darren Anderton should be remembered for his professionalism and qualities on the pitch, not the unfortunate injuries that so agonisingly kept him off it
Andy Cole may not be the first name on every United’s fan’s lips when you say goalscorer, but, as the truth of his legacy shows, he more than deserves to be
A world-class goalkeeper only truly appreciated at Goodison Park, Neville Southall remains a an icon and role model for his football and his politics
Beckham, Scholes, Neville, Phil and Butt might never have been offered the same opportunities had Ryan Giggs not flourished before them
Paolo Di Canio was something special. The skill, passion and a face that was permanently of extreme emotion were features idolised by fans in England
What made Dennis Bergkampso special was the magical qualities he had with the ball at his feet, the kind that stopped time, time and again
It remains a massive shame that the wondrously gifted Tomas Brolin was used so poorly by a number of Premier League sides in the 1990s
At his peak, Neil Ruddock represented much of what was beloved in an English defender: commanding in defence and calmness and confident on the ball
Peter Schmeichel remains a legend in Manchester, believed by most to be the greatest goalkeeper ever to have protected the Old Trafford nets
On the pitch and off it, Arsenal legend Tony Adams remains a champion, a very human champion, and an inspiration to so many
Plenty know Dion Dublin for his exploits far from the pitch, but for many of a particular vintage, there’ll never be any forgetting his exploits on it
A rare breed of English player, Paul Scholes was a highly intelligent footballer who had a superlative ability to make the game look oh-so-easy
t his peak, Andrei Kanchelskis was irresistibly brilliant. He was a quintessential Manchester United winger, a player made in the club’s own image
Very few players could ever dream of hitting such big heights and of doing what Stan Collymore could do. And he did it all in his own way
Ginola was an enigmatic footballer who played with his heart on his sleeve – and his charisma and talent would see him become a true cult hero
To be a legend is something special; to have a connection with a city and its fans – Juninho had it all at Middlesbrough when he finally left for good
Ask Chelsea fans to recount their favourite Zola moment and you will get a variety of answers, such was the stardust sprinkled on his play in so many games
A midfield general so typical of his era, Paul Ince was a commanding footballer whose controversies shouldn;t overshadow his undoubted talent
A natural leader and calm presence, while Gareth Southgate may be unfairly remembered for Euro 96, he was, in fact, one of England’s finest defenders
Tim Sherwood was, at his peak, something we rarely see in the Premier League today: a larger-than-life, blood-and-thunder character, unable to be usurped
Gary Speed lives on. Whether his picture shows a shirt of white, blue or black, it doesn’t matter: the fans do not care, for he was and still is loved
Julian Dicks was undoubtedly a player who was hard as nails but he was also talented and blessed with the sweetest left foot you could wish for
Robbie Fowler was the Toxteth lad who rose up through the mire during a period of indifference at Liverpool – but remains celebrated as a deity
Beyond his talents, which remains absurdly questioned to this day, David Beckham broke ground in English football – a footballer who transcended society
He may never have won a major title with Manchester City but Uwe Rösler remains one of the great cult heroes in the history of the club
Troublemaker or misunderstood genius? The jury remains out. Either way, Pierre van Hooijdonk was anything but boring during his British odyssey
Had the cards fallen differently for Lee Sharpe at Manchester United, we may have been talking about him as a true club legends from the 90s
Barring a miracle, we will never see the likes of Duncan Ferguson again, the powerhouse who made watching Everton in the 1990s worthwhile
He rarely receives the credit his talent deserves but Dennis Wise helped changed the fortunes of Chelsea in 1990s, forging them back to relevance
Mark Bosnich may look back on his career and wish he’d not let it slip so easily – partly because, at his best, he was a goalkeeper of outstanding quality
Placing Les Ferdinand in the also-ran bracket is to do a disservice to someone who, on his day, was as good as any striker the Premier League has seen
While consistency was always a problem for Faustino Asprilla, he remains one of Newcastle’s great entertainers from the era of the Entertainers
Despite his injury problems, Patrick Berger was a true joy of a 1990s footballer. A man with a look that could kill, you could say
He may not have won the trophies that his talent deserved but Alan Shearer remains the most deadly and effective striker in Premier League history
Arriving at a time of great promise at Middlesbrough, Brazilian midfielder Emerson would become a cult hero in a single season at the Cellnet
Saša Ćurčić, a volatile personality and gifted footballer, remains one of the first true instances of the Premier League boom and bust future
Steve Stone was the generator of Forest’s mid-90s revival, helped power the rise of Portsmouth and was very nearly part of a winning England team at Euro 96
A lengthy YouTube session reminiscing over Vinnie Jones’ antics from the 90s deserves to be screened at Leicester Square as much as any of his movies
Daniel Amokachi was an Everton gamble who never quite hit the jackpot but was certainly well worth the punt for his FA Cup heroics alone
If somebody wrote a football version of the Art of War, the first page should show Pearce placing the ball on the spot before his penalty against Spain in ’96
That moutstache. That ponytail. David Seaman was truly iconic. And beyond that, he remains one of English football’s greatest goalkeepers
Le Tissier was an enigma, an instinctive talent who could defy the norm, and he will go down as one of the finest of the first decade of the Premier League
From the concrete estates of south London to the summit of the Premier League, Ian Wright is a man who may belong to the 90s but shall never be forgotten
Roy Keane began the 1990s as a semi-pro footballer in Ireland and ended it as Manchester United’s historic treble-winning captain
“Why do you want Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood.” Sir Jack Walker