Top Ten: Premier League Hard Men 2009
Harry Smith
Posted on: 23 July 2009 - 15:36
Football
Gone are the heady days when hard men ran rampant in England’s topflight, when Vinnie Jones was almost openly encouraged to grab opponents’ genitals, and when football was practised by men’s men. Sport.co.uk attempts to find some fossilised remnants of this long lost species in the modern game…
10. Lee Cattermole
A graduate of Middlesbrough’s youth system, Cattermole can now be found strutting his stuff at the JJB Stadium. He is a passionate player who isn’t afraid to give it his all and certainly wouldn’t shirk a tackle, or a brawl for that matter. The 21 year old has a long career ahead of him, plenty of time for him to rise through the hard man rankings.
9. John Terry
Crying in Moscow aside, JT, the rock at the heart of Chelsea’s icy heart, is renowned for his ability to stand firm and repel the most ferocious attacks. Never afraid to throw himself in where it hurts, even a size 12 Diaby boot to the face was unable to deter the England captain, and for this reason Terry makes the top ten.
8. Martin Skrtel
Having arrived in the Premier League in 2008, Skrtel shot up the Liverpool pecking order with his no nonsense defending. He quickly became notorious for his uncompromising tackling, aggressive temperament, and skeletal appearance. An air of caution surrounds the Slovak as an elbow in the face from him would definitely have your eye out.
7. Jamie Carragher
A well established Liverpool legend, Carra has long been the stuff of attacker’s nightmares, with his perfectly executed tackles and increasingly crimson face. Liverpool’s rearguard has been held together by a man who takes pride in felling opposition, even when it means teetering on the edge of legality.
6. Ryan Nelsen
Although somewhat underrated, the Blackburn and New Zealand captain looks like he is more suited on a rugby pitch rather than rubbing shoulders with dainty footballers. Weighing in at an impressive 90kg, Nelsen rarely comes out second best in altercations. Not a man to be messed with.
5. Richard Dunne
With the possibility of being joined by a certain other hardmen on the list, Man City could have a rock hard backline for next season. Earning a record equalling eight Premier League red cards puts Dunne on a par with two notorious hardmen of yesteryear, Duncan Ferguson and Patrick Vieira. The City captain relishes a good old-fashioned tussle which is why he finds himself in the top half of Premier League hard men.
4. Wilson Palacios
Palacios’ physicality in the centre of midfield is just one of the reasons Spurs splashed out in the region of £14m for his services. Relishing opportunities to clatter into players is all in a days work for the feisty Honduran. Harry Redknapp believes that “he will only get better” and with this in mind Palacios may become an even more frightening prospect in seasons to come.
3. Michael Essien
Boasting a vicious tackle in his repertoire, the gargantuan Ghanaian is widely tipped as one of the best all round midfielders in Europe, if not the world. At times his cutthroat style of play is not conducive to making friends, but when you’re a player of his stature, who needs friends?
2. Nemanja Vidic
There is no arguing with a man who indulges in a casual game of Russian roulette on a wet weekend. Fact. With his icy glare and impossibly strong jaw line this uncompromising defender can compete with the best of them. Vidic’s fearless nature and apparent relish of pain make him one of the toughest customers in England.
1. Kevin Davies
Maybe not as hard as the likes of Duncan Ferguson and Roy Keane, the hardest man in English football today is none other than the force of nature that is Kevin Davies. Throughout the years he has learnt to give as good as he gets, conceding the most fouls for and against in the Premier League, totalling a piercing 108 fouls last season and backbreaking 624 ever. With these stats it’s a miracle any other footballer is willing to grace the pitch while he’s on it.