TOP TEN ‘Personalities’ in the Premier League

Over the last 20 years the Premier League has been blessed with players who just have that bit more about them than the average customer. From the hard tacklers to the quirky personalities, the Premier League has been blessed with entertainers, now let’s look at the top ten Premier League characters.

10. Craig Bellamy

Love him or loathe him, Craig Bellamy is undoubtedly one of the biggest characters in the Premier League. A tremendously talented football player, who certainly has not achieved what his ability allowed for, unfortunately Bellamy has too often fallen foul of disciplinary action or injury limiting his playing time. The late Sir Bobby Robson labelled him the ‘gobbiest’ player he had ever worked with. Bellamy’s most controversial incident perhaps came in 2007 when he allegedly confronted John Arne Riise with a golf club before an away game at Barcelona. Bellamy was fined £80,000 by the club but made amends as both the Welshman and Riise scored in a 2-1 victory.

9. Stuart Pearce

Positively nuts in his commitment to the cause, his nickname ‘Psycho’ tells half the story. Stuart Pearce gave everything for club and country throughout his career and was an outstanding left back. Perhaps best remembered for his penalty miss for England against Germany at Italia 90, and subsequent penalty he scored at Euro 1996 against Spain, Pearce embodied passion on the football pitch. Kevin Keegan once stated that Pearce ‘emerged, running out of the mist, wearing nothing but a pair of underpants and a towel wrapped round his head. That’s why they call him Psycho.’

8. David Luiz

For the Sideshow Bob hair alone, David Luiz deserves his place on this list. Yet, there is so much more to the Brazilian. Maybe it’s his recent habit of ‘giving luck’ to teammates in a pre match ritual by touching their foreheads, eyes closed in concentration. Maybe it’s that he is disturbingly attacking centre back, indeed Luiz is more likely to be found on a bamboozling run down the left wing than he is to be making a last ditch tackle. Or maybe it’s that he cannot seem to take life too seriously, indeed his post match interview with Fernando Torres and Frank Lampard is comedy gold. Luiz will need to cut the mistakes from his game if he is remain a cult hero to Chelsea fans, but currently for the neutral he is a joy to watch.

7. Paolo Di Canio

An enigma, Paolo Di Canio made headlines throughout his time in the Premier League. It was at Sheffield Wednesday that the Italian started his career in English football and it was not long before he courted controversy, with Di Canio fined and suspended for 11 games after he pushed referee Paul Alcock to the ground. Di Canio moved to West Ham and was consistently one of the Hammers best players in his time at the club, two moments in particular stand out. His scissor kick volley against Wimbledon in 2000 and his outstanding act of fair play against Everton in 2001. Against Everton Di Canio snubbed an open goal, catching the ball from a cross after Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard had went down injured. Di Canio was awarded a FIFA Fair Play Award for the incident.

6. Dennis Wise

At five foot 6 Dennis Wise was hardly one of the Premier League’s intimidating players, yet Wise was not one to shirk a battle in centre midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson once stated that Wise ‘could start a fight in an empty house’, he was probably right. Wise amassed 65 yellow and 5 red cards in the Premier League and was never far from trouble. Wise was convicted of assaulting a taxi driver in 1995 and was sacked by Leicester following breaking teammate Callum Davidson’s jaw. Despite his dirty side, Wise was extremely successful as captain in his time at Chelsea, winning two FA Cups, a League Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners Cup.