The English Premier League, which started in the early 1990s, has seen its share of great players throughout the decades.
There have been stalwarts like Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer, who have made their mark in the league over the years.
The list of great playmakers to play in the Premier League is not too long, however. In this article, we will discuss five great playmakers who have played in the Premier League.
5. Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil spent seven seasons at Arsenal from 2013 to 2021 before moving to Fenerbahce.
The German playmaker was one of the most stylish and elegant midfielders of his generation.
He played in 254 matches for the Gunners and scored 44 goals. He also registered more than 50 assists for the North Londoners.
Ozil was primarily a left-footed player known for his great vision. His passing abilities helped him find his teammates inside the opposition’s penalty box easily.
Not to mention, he was easy on the eye.
It is a pity that he did not get the chance to play alongside great Arsenal forwards like Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp did so. Otherwise, his stats would have been even more impressive.
4. Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes has had the misfortune of playing for Manchester United when the club has been seeing its darkest days, havign signed with them in 2020.
United suffered the ignominy of finishing in 15th position in the league table in the 2024/25 season.
Despite that, the Portuguese playmaker has racked up 98 goals and around 70 assists for the Red Devils in 298 matches and won two trophies.
He is a great dead-ball expert and has great passing skills.
Fernandes has primarily played as the No. 10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation for United. However, the lack of great strikers up front has been a disadvantage for Manchester United and Fernandes.
3. Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas spent nine seasons at Arsenal from 2003 to 2012 under Arsene Wenger and emerged as a world-class midfielder while playing for them.
He played in more than 300 matches for the Gunners, scoring 57 goals and registering numerous assists.
Fabregas played as a central midfielder and operated deeper than playmakers usually do. However, his passing skills were sublime and he often found the likes of Henry with great through passes.
Fabregas then played successfully for Chelsea later and won the Premier League title with them, scoring 22 goals in 198 games for them.
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2. David Silva
David Silva is one of the most prominent of the greatest midfielders Manchester City have had over the past decade and a half.
Silva spent 10 seasons at Manchester City and registered 436 appearances for them. He also scored 77 goals and registered a lot of assists.
Silva had a lethal left-foot, was nimble-footed and had great passing skills as well.
He won four Premier League titles with the Cityzens and remains one of their greatest-ever players.
1. Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League.
He has the record of the second-highest tally of assists in the Premier League with 119 of them. He also scored 108 goals in 422 matches for the Cityzens, winning six Premier League and a UEFA Champions League title with them.
De Bruyne is a brilliant passer and crosser of the ball. He has formed great partnerships with the likes of Sergio Aguero and now Erling Haaland for City.
His legacy for Manchester City is quite unmatched.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / PA Images
Recording Date: 24.01.2021