The most underrated Premier League players of all time

The Premier League has created some of the biggest sporting superstars in the world. However, while living in a superstar's shadow, some players have not got the credit they deserve. 

Here are some of the most underrated players in Premier League history! 

Former England striker Jermain Defoe was an elite threat for all the Premier League teams he played for, scoring 162 goals in 496 appearances. 

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According to the Premier League website, Defoe is the ninth highest-scoring player in the league's history and is surrounding players like Thierry Henry and Robbie Fowler. However, because he never played for the biggest clubs, he never got the credit he deserved. 

Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United teams had some of the greatest players, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. However, his best players couldn't shine without Park Ji-Sung, who played a crucial role in United's success.

According to United in Focus, Sir Alex expressed his regret at not putting Park on Messi in the Champions League final against Barcelona because he never let him down in the big games. He won four Premier League titles in seven seasons.

Like Defoe, former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink never got the credit for how good of a goalscorer he was, winning two Premier League Golden Boots in the same era as Thierry Henry. 

The Dutch forward scored 127 goals in 288 Premier League games for Leeds, Chelsea, and Charlton. He had two successive campaigns for Chelsea, scoring 23 goals in 35 league games.

Former Manchester City, Aston Villa, Everton, and West Brom midfielder Gareth Barry is one of the most underrated Premier League players ever, recording the most Premier League appearances with 653 across 22 years. 

The defensive midfielder is a Premier League and FA Cup winner and gave every team he played for a 7/10 performance every week. Barry isn't recognized as one of England's best, but to be that good for so many years, he has to be underrated.

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French striker Olivier Giroud is one of the greatest targetmen the Premier League has ever seen. Yet, he has never been fully praised by Arsenal or Premier League fans for his goal-scoring ability. 

According to the Hive Blog website, Giroud scored 90 goals in 255 games for Arsenal and Chelsea. He was known for being able to pull something out of nothing, including his scorpion kick goal against Crystal Palace, which earned him the 2017 Puskas Award. 

Current England manager Gareth Southgate is more famed for his career as an England player and coach. Despite that, Southgate was one of the best Premier League defenders during his career. 

Southgate registered 136 clean sheets at centre-back in 426 Premier League appearances. He also became the first Middlesborough captain to lift a major trophy, winning the 2004 League Cup.

Signed for just £150,000 (€174,000 and $189,000) by Arsene Wenger in 2002 for Arsenal, Kolo Toure has played for Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool in his Premier League career, securing the title with the 'Gunners' and City.

Toure has always been surrounded by some of the best players in the world, putting him in the shadow of his team's success. He formed a formidable partnership with Sol Campbell in Arsenal's famous 'invincible' season in 2003/04.

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