Best XI - A Different Take

These "Best XI" teams pop up all the time, usually they contain the same players who are proclaimed to be the "best" players in the world. I thought I'd create one, and have challenged Herby to do the same, made entirely of our favourite English Premier League players from the past 10 years, so from the 2002/03 season onwards. This is going to be quite difficult.

The Team

I'm setting my team out in a simple 4-4-2 formation; I may be using some sort of loophole for some of my picks, but as I said, it's a team made of my favourite players. So it'll pass, right?


GK - Kelvin Davis
Sunderland (2005/06), Southampton (2012/13)

I haven't picked Davis on his merits playing for Sunderland and Southampton in the EPL, but for the 2 years he had in Ipswich. He was brilliant for us, easily our best keeper since a young Richard Wright picked up his ears and left for the bright lights of cup games for Arsenal.

He joined us in 2003 and won the 'Championship Goalkeeper of the Year' award while helping us achieve the play-offs where we would lose to West Ham. Things went downhill for us from there, and he left after one more season and has struggled to be replaced ever since. Thanks for the good times, Kelvin. Good luck in avoiding relegation this year with Southampton, you're a class keeper.


RB - Danny Mills
Leeds United (1999-2003), Middlesbrough (2003/04), Manchester City (2004-07)

This may be a strange selection to some, but "Sir" Danny Mills has a special place in my heart thanks to a certain videogame.

Spending hours playing 'Pro Evolution Soccer' on the PS2 after school with my mate, we always had the problem of having Gary Neville being the first choice right back for England. One day we decided to risk it and go with Mills instead, what a brilliant decision that turned out to be. He was there making tackles, winning the ball, causing trouble for everyone. After such a Man of the Match performance he was first choice in every team I ever played with on PES. Only right that he's first choice in this team.

CB - Sol Campbell
Tottenham Hotspur (1992-2001), Arsenal (2001-06, 2009-10), Portsmouth (2006-09), Newcastle (2010-11)

He was a class defender for England for years, robbed of his first goal for his country on a couple of occasions. His reaction everytime he thought he had scored wreaked of passion, something that current England players seem to lack.

He was class for Tottenham and for Arsenal. He had the ability to back up his passion, determination and leadership. One of the best English centre-backs of all time, probably one of my favourite defenders of all-time.

CB - Hermann Hreidarsson
Ipswich Town (2000-02), Charlton Athletic (2003-07), Portsmouth (2007-10)

Your typical Scandinavian defender.

Large, stronger, awesome.

He was great for Ipswich, he was loved by everyone. It was a shame to see him move on after our relegation and subsequent failure to get back to the big league. Whenever he scores for my team he can jump in the crowd, I'll even cover the fine he'll get for it.



LB - John Arne Riise
Liverpool (2001-08), Fulham (2011-13)

Left back was a difficult position to fill, as there haven't been many ones that I've liked over the years.

Ashley Cole was an option to start, despite him being a censored, his performances for England over the years have been great.

Riise, though. Another Scandinavian being awesome. Amazing left foot, runs all day, amazing left foot, pretty competent defender, amazing left foot. That just about sums it up. He'll form a great partnership with Hermann, I shall call them the "Awesome left-footed Scandinavians", or something a bit more catchier.

RM - David Beckham
Manchester United (1994-2003)

This was one of the easier selections I had to make.

Whenever I played football with friends when I was growing up, we always pretended we were a player. Something I'm sure a lot of you done. Beckham was close to top of the list for me. Sure he messed up a lot and played for Manchester United, but I don't hold that against him. Easily one of the best players I've had the luck of seeing play, on TV and in real life. He had to be first choice to fill this right midfield role, no doubt about that.

CM - Xabi Alonso
Liverpool (2004-09)

He is so damn sexy.

Also, he's a great footballer.

But... look at him.




CM - Jimmy Bullard
Wigan Athletic (2004-06), Fulham (2006-09), Hull City (2009-10)

A quick YouTube search will give you the real reason I've put Bullard in this team. It's always a great sight to see a player out there on the pitch enjoying themselves and having a laugh.

A side reason for his addition would be the loan spell he had at Ipswich at the end of the 2011 season. He was so great that he won the Player of the Year award for us, his subsequent permanent move didn't work out so well, but those 6 months were great. Shame injury plighted such a good footballer's career.

LM - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Arsenal (2011-13)

This might be a strange choice to many of you, given how little time "The Ox" has spent in the EPL. Let me explain myself.

When he broke into the Arsenal team in the middle of last season, I was more than impressed. He possess all the attributes a great footballer needs. He's strong, quick, has a great touch and great technique; he's also at probably the best place to be developed into a top quality footballer. I'm going to enjoy watching him progress for Arsenal and England, there's a lot more to come from him.

ST - Dennis Bergkamp
Arsenal (1995-2006)

He may have only scored 131 goals in his 11 years spent in England, but every single one of them was awesome.

I dreamed of being a player like he was, that touch, that technique, that being afraid of flying.

His goal against Newcastle would be my favourite goal of all-time if it wasn't for his goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup.

The best foreign player to grace the Premier League? For me, no doubt about it. Not even my final choice surpasses him.

ST - Thierry Henry
Arsenal (1999-2007, 2012)

I once found out that somebody had uploaded every single of Henry's Arsenal goals up to YouTube. Needless to say I spent 40 minutes watching them all. There were some special goals amongst them.

Thierry Henry only ever scored special goals.

In his prime there was not a better goal scorer on the planet. Despite being French, one of my favourite players ever.

Substitutes

GK - Brad Friedel 
Liverpool (1997-2000), Blackburn (2001-08), Aston Villa (2008-11), Tottenham Hotspur (2011-13)

There is a law that states to be an American goalkeeper you have to be bald. Brad Friedel does this very well. He also does the goalkeeping stuff very well too. He also does the not missing a league game thing very, very well too. If I was to create a team in 10 years time, I'm sure Friedel would still be playing every game and still be hopeful of selection.

D  - Thomas Vermaelen
Arsenal (2009-13)

He may not be the best defender in the world, but I enjoy watching him play. The way he bombs forward, he 's a useful force attacking as well. Hope to see him lead Arsenal for many more years.

D  - Ashley Cole
Arsenal (1999-2006), Chelsea (2006-13)

As I said, him being a censored ruled him out of starting, but he still makes the bench for his performances for both club and country. Shame about the personality.

M  - Jack Wilshere
Arsenal (2008-13)

Another young English player in amongst my favourites? Wilshere is going to be a class act though, you could see it in his first full season at Arsenal. High hopes for him.

M  - Juninho Paulista
Middlesbrough (1999-2000, 2002-05)

He just sneaks into the guidelines, but he's worthy of a place. The Teeside Twinkle Toes was a joy to watch in his brief spell in the North-East.

ST -  Gianfranco Zola
Chelsea (1996-2003)

Sticking with the short players who just make it past the guidelines, we have this man. Zola was such a pleasure to watch, and so was that goal against Norwich.

ST - Marcus Stewart
Ipswich Town (2000-02), Sunderland (2002-03)

This is another homer pick, and it's for the 2001-02 season, which falls outside our guidelines but he makes them because he played for a couple more years afterwards. In the 01-02 season, Stewart ended the year being the highest English goalscorer in the league. Ipswich finished 5th thanks to his efforts. He deserves this place based on that alone.



So there we have it. A team made up of my favourite players who have played in the Premier League in the past 10 years.