However, the Premier League's birth marked a watershed moment and next season will be the 20th since its inception, so I will now run down the top 50 players (in my opinion) to grace it.
The list is of course dominated mostly by players who have played for Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, but that is merely down to the success those clubs have had over the last two decades rather than any bias on my part.
Players have been selected based on what they achieved for their clubs and the respect still held for them at the clubs they starred for. One-season wonders will not be considered: players included will have to have achieved something concrete over a period of time.
There were some players I made every effort to include in the list, like Tim Flowers, Claude Makelele, Freddie Ljungberg, Nigel Winterburn, Kevin Phillips, Lucas Radebe, Petr Cech, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, Paul Ince, Chris Sutton, Paulo Di Canio and Shay Given, but it was simply impossible to include everybody.
Here are my top 50, in reverse order...
50. David James (Liverpool 1992-99, 214 apps; Aston Villa 1999-2001, 67 apps; West Ham 2001-03, 64 apps; Manchester City 2004-06, 93 apps; Portsmouth 2006-10, 134 apps; Premier League titles: 0)
The much-maligned goalkeeper often does not get the credit he deserves for his career, and he holds the record for the most Premier League clean sheets (173) and has just been overtaken for the record for the most Premier League appearances (James has 572).
James seemed to get better as he got older, pulling off some stunning saves and eradicating most of the errors which had blighted his career.
49. Carlos Tevez (West Ham 2006-07, 26 apps, 7 goals; Manchester United 2007-09, 63 apps, 19 goals; Manchester City 2009-present, 66 apps, 43 goals; Premier League titles: 2)
Tevez joined West Ham in controversial circumstances in 2006 and initially struggled to adapt, but he eventually fought his way into the side and almost single-handedly kept the Hammers in the Premier League.
He then moved on to Manchester United, where he became a real fans' favourite, but found his game time limited in his second season and moved to rivals Manchester City. Tevez has always been renowned for his work-rate but at City he has an astonishing strike rate of 43 goals in 66 games, so it would be a real blow if they were to lose him this summer. He captained City last season as they qualified for the Champions League and won the FA Cup, while he also jointly won the Premier League's Golden Boot with 20 goals.
48. Marcel Desailly (Chelsea 1998-2004, 158 apps, 6 goals; Premier League titles: 0)
French World Cup winner Desailly was a colossus at the back for Chelsea as he helped lead the club into the Roman Abramovich era.
He left the season before Chelsea's title-winning campaign of 2004/05 but if it wasn't for him, Abramovich may never have bought the club as they may not have been in the Champions League. He is widely recognised as a Chelsea legend and his goal against Liverpool on the last day of the 2002-03 season helped the club into the Champions League, something which attracted Abramovich to the club.
47. Sami Hyypia (Liverpool 1999-2009, 318 apps, 22 goals; Premier League titles: 0)
Hyypia may not have won the Premier League with Liverpool, but he did pretty much everything else, winning 10 trophies in his 10 years at Anfield.
The Finnish defender was signed for just £2.6million but went on to captain the side and he was a lynchpin of the team, an ever-present for much of his time at Liverpool, and he remains well-loved among the Liverpool fans.
46. Martin Keown (Everton 1992-93, 13 apps, 0 goals; Arsenal 1993-2004, 310 apps, 4 goals; Premier League titles: 3)
Keown is perhaps best remembered for his infamous spat with Ruud van Nistelrooy, but he was in fact a very accomplished defender who was crucial in Arsenal's early days in the Premier League and in Arsene Wenger's most successful years at the club.
Keown was a typical old-fashioned 'rough and tough' defender, whose style was perhaps not to everyone's taste, but Arsenal could do with a figure like him now. He made a few errors, particularly towards the end of his career, but will be remembered as one of the great Arsenal defenders.
45. Robert Pires (Arsenal 2000-06, 189 apps, 62 goals; Aston Villa 2010-11, 9 apps, 0 goals; Premier League titles: 2)
Pires was a sublime player for Arsenal and his greatness should not be overshadowed by his recent indiferrent spell at Aston Villa.
His performances in 2001-02 earned him the Football Writers' Player of the Year award while he was a crucial member of the 2003-04 'Invincibles' team, scoring 14 goals and setting up many for partner-in-crime Thierry Henry.
44. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United 1996-2007, 235 apps, 91 goals; Premier League titles: 6)
Norwegian hitman Solskjaer was one of the most natural goalscorers the Premier League has ever seen, and many of his goals came from the substitutes' bench. He scored many late goals and these were crucial in the six campaigns Solskjaer picked up a Premier League winners' medal. His four goals in 12 minutes as a substitute at Nottingham Forest in 1999 summed up his contribution over the years.
His name is still sung on the terraces of Old Trafford and he is part of Red Devils folklore after scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final. The 'Baby-Faced Assassin''s last years at United were blighted by injuries, but he will go down as a legend of the club.
43. Fernando Torres (Liverpool 2007-11, 102 apps, 65 goals; Chelsea 2011-present, 14 apps, 1 goal; Premier League titles: 0)
Torres has had a troubled start to life at Chelsea but if he can reproduce anything like the form he showed at Liverpool for three-and-a-half years, he could become a legend at Stamford Bridge.
With 66 goals in 116 Premier League appearances, 'El Nino' has the fourth-best strike-rate of any Premier League player, scoring once every 1.76 games, and is the complete striker when at his devastating best.
42. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal 2004-present, 212 apps, 35 goals; Premier League titles: 0)
Fabregas broke into the team at Arsenal as a 17-year-old and has been a key member of the side ever since. He scores goals, sets up goals and has a great passing accuracy, while he is also Arsenal's captain, so he is an indispensable member of their side.
He is a world-class midfielder but has been dogged by injuries in recent years and continues to be heavily linked with a move to hometown club Barcelona, but if Arsenal are to end their trophy drought they must keep the Spaniard. Fabregas will be disappointed to have just one major trophy to show for his time at the Emirates (the FA Cup in 2005), as his performances have deserved much more.
41. Dwight Yorke (Aston Villa 1992-98, 179 apps, 60 goals; Manchester United 1998-2002, 96 apps, 48 goals; Blackburn 2002-04, 60 apps, 12 goals; Birmingham 2004-05, 13 apps, 2 goals; Sunderland 2007-09, 26 apps, 1 goal, Premier League titles: 3)
Trinidadian Yorke made plenty of headlines for off-the-pitch issues but what is often overlooked is that he was a cracking striker.
'The Smiling Assassin' scored 123 Premier League goals and was particularly prolific at Manchester United, winning the title in three of his four seasons there (although he only made eight appearances in the season they didn't win the league). Yorke was also a key member of United's Treble-winning team and had a formidable strike partnership with Andy Cole, and also had a great spell at Aston Villa, which persuaded Sir Alex Ferguson to part with £12.6million for him.
40. Teddy Sheringham (Nottingham Forest 1992, 3 apps, 1 goal; Tottenham 1992-97, 166 apps, 76 goals; Manchester United 1997-2001, 104 apps, 31 goals; Tottenham 2001-03, 70 apps, 22 goals; Portsmouth 2003-04, 32 apps, 9 goals; West Ham 2005-07, 43 apps, 8 goals; Premier League titles: 3)
Sheringham was the first Premier League Golden Boot winner in 1992/93 with Tottenham, and had a great first spell at Spurs where he was a prolific goalscorer. He may not have been blessed with raw pace, but he more than made up for that with his razor-sharp football brain and was rewarded with a transfer to Manchester United - with the unenviable task of replacing Eric Cantona - in the twilight of his career.
Despite a somewhat strained relationship with strike partner Andy Cole - the pair never spoke a word to each other but performed excellently together on the pitch - he performed well during his time at United and won the PFA Player of the Year award in 2000/01, as well as the Football Writers' award for the same season, despite being 35 at the time and in the face of fierce competition for a starting berth, with United boasting Sheringham, Cole, Yorke and Solskjaer. He scored the stoppage-time equaliser in the 1999 Champions League final - before Solskjaer scored the winner less than two minutes later - and won three Premier League titles during his time at Old Trafford, bringing the trophies his career up to then had deserved.
39. Lee Dixon (Arsenal 1992-2002, 305 apps, 9 goals; Premier League titles: 2)
Dixon is undoubtedly one of the best right-backs to have played in the Premier League and he was a real stalwart for Arsenal as they progressed from Premier League also-rans under George Graham and Bruce Rioch to champions under Arsene Wenger.
He was always reliable and never seemed to let anyone at Highbury down, while his forward runs were crucial as he possessed a great cross. His primary role was defending though, and he excelled at that.
38. Gary Speed (Leeds 1992-96, 143 apps, 22 goals; Everton 1996-98, 58 apps, 16 goals; Newcastle 1998-2004, 213 apps, 29 goals; Bolton 2004-08, 121 apps, 14 goals; Premier League titles: 0)
Welsh midfielder Speed is third on the list of all-time appearance makers in the Premier League having amassed 535 games, and was top of that list for a time.
Speed is best remembered for his six-year spell at Newcastle - during which he helped lead the club into the Champions League - and he made his reputation through sheer consistency, as well as having an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time, scoring many crucial headers due to his great heading ability. His performance level never seemed to drop and he saw his top flight career come to an end at Bolton, where he continued to produce excellent displays.
37. Denis Irwin (Manchester United 1992-2002, 296 apps, 18 goals; Wolves 2003-04, 32 apps, 0 goals; Premier League titles: 7)
Denis Irwin was Mr Consistency at Old Trafford and did his business in an understated manner, giving everything to the cause.
The Irish international was a crucial member of Sir Alex Ferguson's hugely successful squad in the 90s - although he is rarely talked about and was extremely underrated - and was a fantastic full-back who attacked well, defended well and was very reliable with penalties and free-kicks, having a fierce shot on him. A richly deserving holder of seven Premier League winners' medals.
36. David Ginola (Newcastle 1995-97, 58 apps, 6 goals; Tottenham 1997-2000, 100 apps, 13 goals; Aston Villa 2000-02, 32 apps, 3 goals; Everton 2002, 5 apps, 0 goals; Premier League titles: 0)
Once called the best player in the world by Johan Cruyff, no less, Ginola lit up the Premier League during his time in England. Brought to Newcastle in 1995 by Kevin Keegan, the flamboyant French winger demonstrated his magnificent skills and mazy dribbles and was one of the iconic figures of the Geordies' 'Entertainers' side which came so close to winning the league.
Ginola joined Tottenham in 1997 and won both the PFA Player of the Year and Football Writers' Player of the Year awards in 1998/99. He was a player to truly capture the imagination and put the fear of life into defenders, who he embarrassed time and time again. It was a shame to see the maverick's career peter out with poor spells at Aston Villa and Everton.
35. Les Ferdinand (QPR 1992-95, 110 apps, 61 goals; Newcastle 1995-97, 68 apps, 41 goals; Tottenham 1997-2003, 118 apps, 33 goals; West Ham 2003, 14 apps, 2 goals; Leicester 2003-04, 29 apps, 12 goals; Bolton 2004-05, 12 apps, 1 goal; Premier League titles: 0)
'Sir Les' had excellent and prolific spells at QPR and Newcastle, scoring 25 league goals in the season the latter should have won the league, 1995-96, as well as winning the PFA Player of the Year award in the same campaign.
He formed a formidable partnership with Alan Shearer for a year at St James' Park but was then sold by Kenny Dalglish to Tottenham, where he struggled to find the same kind of goalscoring form due to injury. He is fondly remembered at White Hart Lane after helping them win the League Cup and stay in the Premier League, while he still has hero status at Newcastle as one of the club's iconic number nine figures. Ferdinand is fifth on the all-time Premier League top scorers' list.
34. David Seaman (Arsenal 1992-2003, 325 apps; Manchester City 2003-04, 19 apps; Premier League titles: 2)
Arsenal goalkeeping legend David Seaman is often remembered for a few high-profile mistakes, but he was in fact a tremendously consistent 'keeper who was the bedrock of Arsenal for more than a decade.
The pony-tailed Yorkshireman earned the nickname 'Safe Hands' due to his excellent ball-handling skills, and he also made some stunning saves which were crucial in two Arsenal Premier League title wins. He had already won the league with the club before the inception of the Premier League, while he is also the second-most capped English goalkeeper, behind only Peter Shilton.
33. Jamie Carragher (Liverpool 1996-present, 463 apps, 3 goals; Premier League titles: 0)
Carragher is simply 'Mr Liverpool' now after 15 years of fantastic service, and the defender seems to have plenty left in him yet. Liverpool fans often salute him with a rendition of "We all dream of a team of Carraghers", and it is easy to see why they sing that as no-one puts more effort in or has as much passion as him.
He started as a versatile player capable of playing anywhere across the back four but Rafael Benitez switched him to a permanent centre-back in 2004 and he hasn't looked back from there. He was arguably the most consistent defender in England for a few years after that and he is still there, putting his body on the line, at 33. Carragher was possibly the most important player in Liverpool's run in the 2004-05 Champions League, which they won.
32. Michael Owen (Liverpool 1996-2004, 216 apps, 118 goals; Newcastle 2005-09, 71 apps, 26 goals; Manchester United 2009-present, 30 apps, 5 goals; Premier League titles: 1)
Owen burst onto the scene at Liverpool as a 17-year-old and was tipped to become one of the club's great goalscorers. He was key in the club's Treble-winning season of 2000/01 but left just before their Champions League triumph of 2004/05.
He had a fantastic eight-year spell at Anfield - twice jointly winning the Golden Boot - where he scored at a rate of more than a goal every other game but a mixture of injury and a lack of form blighted his spells at Real Madrid and Newcastle. Now a bit-part player at Manchester United, he picked up his first Premier League winners' medal last season despite making just 11 appearances, 10 of those as a substitute. He will be best remembered for his time at Liverpool but it is a great shame his career did not hit the heights it could have done.
31. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United 2001-06, 150 apps, 95 goals; Premier League titles: 1)
van Nistelrooy was the ultimate goal-hungry striker and scored 95 times in just 150 Premier League appearances for Manchester United, with just one of those coming from outside the penalty area. He was on target to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer before he fell out of favour and was sold in 2006.
The Dutchman's goals-to-games ratio is the second best in Premier League history, scoring at a rate of a goal every 1.58 games, and he was rewarded with the PFA Player of the Year award in 2001/02 and the Golden Boot in 2002/03. He broke the 20-goal barrier in four of his five Premier League seasons and became the club's record European goalscorer, while he was unlucky to be at United during one of their rare lean spells, winning just one championship during his five years there.
30. Ashley Cole (Arsenal 2000-06, 156 apps, 8 goals; Chelsea 2006-present, 149 apps, 6 goals; Premier League titles: 3)
Cole is much-maligned for his activities off the pitch but on it, no-one can argue with his quality. He is arguably the best left-back of the Premier League era and is one of only three players to have won the Premier League with two different clubs.
He left Arsenal under a cloud after claims Chelsea tapped him up, but the marauding left-back played a crucial role in the Gunners' 2003/04 'Invincibles' season and remains one of the first names on Chelsea's teamsheet. He is England's most-capped left-back and, at 30, is well on course to become England's all-time leading appearance maker. Cole is excellent both defensively and going forward and it is only his scrapes off the field that can be criticised.
29. Edwin van der Sar (Fulham 2001-05, 127 apps; Manchester United 2005-11, 186 apps; Premier League titles: 4)
The Dutch goalkeeper had a solid spell at Fulham after a glittering career abroad before Sir Alex Ferguson brought him to Manchester United when he was almost 35. He will now be remembered as one of the best goalkeepers to play for the club.
The Red Devils struggled to replace Peter Schmeichel after he left in 1999 and it is now clear they should have replaced him with van der Sar back then. He pulled off great saves and had the fantastic ability to start attacks from the back - just like Schmeichel - and his presence was a key factor behind United's four recent league triumphs. He also won the Champions League and set a new record for the longest time without conceding a goal, not conceding in 1311 minutes in the 2008/09 season, which broke not only the Premier League record but also the world record for a single season.
28. Steve Bruce (Manchester United 1992-96, 148 apps, 11 goals; Premier League titles: 3)
Defender Bruce may have only played in the Premier League for four seasons, but he played a crucial role in establishing Manchester United at the top of English football with consistent displays as the Red Devils dominated the early part of the 90s.
He also had a knack of scoring vital goals - such as two late goals to defeat Sheffield Wednesday in the Premier League's first season, a result which was pivotal in securing the league title - and led United as captain, so his influence in their eventual Premier League dominance cannot be overestimated. Sir Alex Ferguson often commented on Bruce's "determination and heart", which was a vital part of the Geordie's game, while he was also very comfortable on the ball and helped start attacks from the back.
27. Gary Pallister (Manchester United 1992-98, 206 apps, 8 goals; Middlesbrough 1998-2001, 55 apps, 1 goal; Premier League titles: 4)
It is extremely difficult to separate Pallister and Bruce as they were a great partnership, once described by Gary Neville as the best central defensive pairing Manchester United have ever had. Pallister just gets the nod here because he played for longer than Bruce and won one more title.
Pallister was an excellent defender who rarely made errors and, similarly to Bruce, scored some vital goals for the club. One of the most prominent examples of this was in an April 1997 'title decider' against Liverpool, where Pallister scored twice in a 3-1 victory, with United going on to win the league. Pallister finished his career with Middlesbrough and although he struggled with injuries, he again underlined his class.
26. Sol Campbell (Tottenham 1992-2001, 255 apps, 10 goals; Arsenal 2001-06, 135 apps, 8 goals; Portsmouth 2006-09, 95 apps, 2 goals; Arsenal 2010, 11 apps, 0 goals; Newcastle 2010-11, 7 apps, 0 goals; Premier League titles: 2)
Campbell is still referred to as 'Judas' among Tottenham fans due to his high-profile defection to arch rivals Arsenal in 2001, but from a purely footballing point of view he enhanced his career immensely by making the switch, becoming one of the best defenders the Premier League has seen.
Campbell is one of just four players to have broken the 500 appearance barrier in the Premier League and all this came after being switched from a striker to a defender in his late-teens. Campbell was extremely athletic and a rock at the back for two of Arsenal's league triumphs. His form stuttered towards the end of his time at Arsenal but he performed magnificently for Portsmouth and in a short comeback for the Gunners, sandwiched between two less successful spells at Notts County and Newcastle.
Source for appearances and goal statistics: premierleague.com
*Stats for Premier League only
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