As the decade draws to a close, I've been thinking about the best players of the last ten years. Initially I thought I would choose a 'World Team of the Noughties' but there are simply too many candidates to choose a satisfactory XI, so I've narrowed it down to just Premier League players. By no means am I saying these are the best eleven players of the last ten years, there are certain areas of the team where I was spoilt for choice, and others(particularly right-back) where candidates were thin on the ground. However, if I'm going for a 4-4-2, i think based on their consistent performances, these players would certainly take some beating.
GK: Brad Friedel
'Brad Friedel!? Are you crazy?' I hear you ask. Well no, over the last decade, Friedel has for me, had the safest pair of hands in the Premier League and surely deserves to have been playing in the Champions League. The current Villa stopper holds the record for most consecutive Premier League appearances, well over 200 and counting(at time of writing). After leaving Liverpool for second tier Blackburn Rovers in November of 2000, he helped guide the Ewood Park outfit back to the Premier League that very season and remained a fixture in their goal until Martin O'Neill came calling in Summer 2008. This decade Petr Cech had 2 outstanding seasons, Edwin Van Der Sar broke a record for consecutive clean sheets, Shay Given defies his own height with some of his performances, but for sheer consistency it has to be the big bald American for the number 1 shirt.
RB: Steve Finnan
A difficult position to decide with few obvious candidates. Lauren was impressive in Arsenal's invincibles team but has since disappeared into obscurity, Chelsea have gone through too many right-backs of late to present any real contenders and Gary Neville has become captain of Manchester United but hasn't been as consistent in recent years so I've decided to plump for Steve Finnan. The Irish international is remarkably the only player to have played at all 4 levels of English football, the Conference, the World Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Cup and La Liga. An FA Cup and Champions League winner with Liverpool in 2006 and 2005 respectively, Finnan had previously made the PFA team of the year in 2002 for his part in keeping Fulham in the Premier League after helping them to promotion the previous season. After a brief stint in Spain, Finnan goes into the new decade hoping to help new team Portsmouth maintain their Premier League status.
CB: John Terry(captain)
Chelsea's resurgence in the new millennium may largely be down to an influx of Russian cash courtesy of a certain Mr Abramovich, but at the heart of their success has been a home-grown centre-back by the name of John Terry. Leading Chelsea to their first league title in 50 years, then succesfully defending it as well as playing his part in 3 FA Cup and 2 League Cup victories are good enough reasons to warrant his presence as captain in this team, and retaining the England captaincy under the astute Fabio Capello would help his case further. In those title winning seasons, Terry lead a seemingly unbeatable defence, and he chips in with his fair share of goals too. The less said about that penalty in Moscow the better though...
CB: Rio Ferdinand
Football has almost forgotten the turmoil that the Manchester United defender went through back in 2004. Hung up to dry by the FA after the dubious 'missed drugs test' affair, Ferdinand was banned for 8 months, missing Euro 2004 and dashing United's 03/04 title challenge. The former Leeds and West Ham man has bounced back stronger than ever though, playing a major part in United's back-to-back-to-back titles, and 2008 Champions League victory. Added to the title he won in his first season at United way back in 2003, as well as 2 league cups, the 2008 Club World Cup and 76 England caps, Rio has certainly achieved a fair amount this decade. His partnership with Nemanja Vidic in the last 3 seasons has seen comparisons drawn with United's legendary Bruce-Pallister pairing of the early 90s. Out injured at the moment, Rio will be hoping to return to form and fitness soon and help England's World Cup challenge in South Africa next summer...
LB: Ashley Cole
The only man to play in two different European Cup finals with two different English clubs, albeit losing both, the speedy left-back has gone from strength to strength this decade. As a youngster at Arsenal he dazzled on the left flank, winning 2 Premier League titles including the season the Gunners went unbeaten, as well as 3 FA Cups. A further 2 FA Cups at Chelsea and a first League Cup triumph have added to the Londoner's CV and fantastic form in 2009 have led to him being labelled the best left-back in the world by some. Another one who will be looking to make his mark in South Africa 2010, but not before he has another shot at the Champions League and Premier League titles with Chelsea...
RM: Cristiano Ronaldo
Only a Premier League player for 6 seasons, but the only England-based player to win the FIFA World Player of the year award all decade. The portuguese winger arrived in England as a skinny 18 year old, and initially came across as just another inconsistent tricksy winger with no end product. After a couple of years that changed though, and the new beefed-up Ronaldo turned into a goal machine, netting an unbelievable 90 goals in all competitions in his last three seasons at Old Trafford. Not only quantity, but the quality of his goals also stood out, think the cheeky flick against Villa, the free-kick against Portsmouth, the 40 yard screamer at Porto and the counter-attacking masterpiece in the Champions League at Arsenal. Weighing in with plenty of assists too, the Madeira-born forward certainly warrants his tag as 'World's most expensive player'.
CM:Steven Gerrard
The Liverpool talisman certainly deserves a place in this team, as for the last decade he has been the heartbeat of the merseyside outfit, leading them to European glory and maintaining their position as one of the Premier League's big four. Always willing to put in maximum effort, and chipping in with important goals almost whenever Liverpool are in need, Stevie G has been incredible. His role has changed through the decade from playing all across the midfield to becoming a sort of second striker to Fernando Torres, where his attacking prowess has prospered. If England are to win the World Cup next summer, they're going to need this man firing on all cylinders.
CM: Frank Lampard
Signed from West Ham in 2001, the attacking midfielder has made himself a legend at Chelsea, finishing second in the polls for FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon D'or in 2005 and becoming the Premier League's highest ever scoring midfielder with 112 and counting. Playing a major role in Chelsea's Premier League and domestic cup success, Lamps even found himself on the scoresheet in the Champions League final back in 2008, only to lose out to Manchester United on penalties. Rarely missing games, Lampard has arguably been the most consistent outfield player of the decade and has also scored 20 goals in 76 England matches. For England, it's considered that Frank and Steven Gerrard can't both play in central midfield together, but for this team of the decade, they are both irreplaceable.
LM: Ryan Giggs
Giggsy has won more trophies in his career than most clubs do in their entire history. 11 Premier League titles, including 6 this decade, as well as 2 European cups, multiple domestic cups, and numerous individual accolades have all found their way onto the Welshman's CV over the years. He also holds about a million different records, including being the only player to score in every Premier League season, the first player to win consecutive PFA young player of the year awards and the most appearances for Manchester United. As effective as ever at the age of 36, Giggs has been United's best player this season according to the Actim index, and recently scoring his 100th league goal and winning the BBC Sports personality of the year award, the winger-cum-playmaker just keeps on going. A model professional and a true inspiration to everyone in the game, it's a crying shame that he never had the chance to show his skills in an international tournament..
CF: Thierry Henry
The frenchman certainly brought plenty of va-va-voom to the Premier League and was Arsenal's most important player in their 'invincibles' team of 2004. Becoming the gunners all-time top scorer with 226 goals was no mean feat, and only Alan Shearer and Andy Cole have scored more Premier League goals than him in history. He finished as the league's top scorer in 4 different campaigns including netting 30 in that unbeaten season. It is seen by many as a crime that he never won the World Player of the year during his time at Highbury, and perhaps European glory was what he missed under Arsene Wenger, losing in his only Champions League final to Barcelona in 2006, a club he would join a year later and with whom he would finally achieve European success earlier this year. The quality of Henry's goals were usually sublime, and the sight of him cutting in from the left wing and punishing goalkeeper after goalkeeper became a common sight. A true modern legend of the game, regardless of his antics in the World Cup play-offs last month...
CF: Ruud Van Nistelrooy
Goals, goals, goals. That's what Van Nistelrooy lives for, and his 5 years at Manchester United were full of them, netting 44 goals in all competitions in his only title-winning season of 2002/03. The dutchman was prolific, bagging 95 Premier League goals in his time in England and would surely have made 100 if his fourth season hadn't been heavily disrupted by injury. The ultimate goal poacher, Ruud has since gone on to play for Real Madrid, and is the second highest Champions League goal-scorer of all time, behind current team mate Raul. This is largely down to his prolific European performances while at United, scoring a whopping 38 goals in 47 Champions League matches. There have been some great strikers in the Premier League this decade, but for pure goal-scoring ability, none have matched Ruud Van Nistelrooy..
Bench:
Edwin Van Der Sar: 4 solid years at Fulham, before becoming United's best keeper since Peter Schmeichel. Broke record for consecutive clean sheets earlier this year.
Jamie Carragher: Liverpool stalwart who became one of the most solid centre-backs in the Premier League. Premature international retirement may prove costly to England who are thin on the ground when it comes to top quality defenders heading into 2010...
Patrick Vieira: Captain of Arsenal's invincibles and an incredible leader and defensive midfielder, his clashes with Manchester United's Roy Keane were highlights of the early part of the decade.
Robert Pires: Another member of Arsenal's invincibles, the winger scored and set up plenty of goals and linked up fantastically with fellow frenchman Thierry Henry. Now with Villarreal in Spain.
Claude Makelele: Chelsea's gain was Real Madrid's loss as the Blues turned into a title winning outfit and the galacticos fell apart. Made the holding midfield role his own.
Didier Drogba:
Took a couple of years to settle into England but the big Ivorian striker has been phenomenal towards the end of the decade and seems unstoppable going into the new decade.
Wayne Rooney: Burst onto the scene as a 16 year old in an Everton kit who scored a screamer past David Seaman at Goodison Park back in 2002. The forward then moved to Manchester United where he is fast developing into one of the world's most feared strikers. Surely will make the first XI for the next decade...
