Author: scatty

Arsenal is one of the English Premier League clubs that has a history that extends back to the 19th century. In that time, Arsenal has a record number of FA Cup titles and more than a dozen league titles in England. Along the way, there have been more than two dozen men in charge of leading Arsenal as the club’s manager.

How do those managers stack up, though? We took a look at the records and honours that each manager had and ranked the top five in club history. The number one spot won’t come as a surprise, though the others might be debated. Before we start the list, some of the notable Arsenal managers who just missed the cut include Bertie Mee, Harry Bradshaw, Terry Neill, and Mikel Arteta.

George Allison

These days, you don’t see many football managers at the highest levels of the sport who didn’t have professional playing careers of their own. In the early 20th century, though, it was fairly common, and one of Arsenal’s greatest managers never played as a pro. George Allison joined Arsenal’s front office in the 1900s and eventually became a member of the board of directors. Following the death of Herbert Chapman, Allison took over as manager and held the position for 13 years.

Allison is the only manager on the list to not reach 300 matches, but he accomplished a lot in his time with Arsenal. In both 1935 and 1938, his squad won the First Division while he also added an FA Cup and pair of Charity Shield titles. For Allison, it was his first and only managerial job.

Tom Whittaker

Aldershot native Thom Whittaker was an Arsenal man through and through, starting his playing career with the club in 1919. Over six years, Whittaker had 64 appearances playing wing half, scoring a pair of goals. After his playing days, Whittaker became a trainer with Arsenal and worked the sidelines for more than two decades. In 1947, Whittaker finally got his chance to be the club’s manager.

Whittaker ranks fourth all-time in Arsenal matches managed with 430. Winning 47.21 percent of his matches, Whittaker was able to take home some impressive hardware. This includes winning the First Division twice (1948 and 1953), as well as the Charity Shield in those same years. In 1950, Whittaker’s squad won the FA Cup.

Herbert Chapman

While Whittaker spent pretty much his entire adult life with Arsenal, that wasn’t the case for Herbert Chapman. During his playing career, Chapman had 14 different stints, none of which were with Arsenal. In 1907, Chapman became a player-manager with Northampton Town, then retired from play in 1909. Chapman left the club and managed both Leeds City and Huddersfield Town before landing his final job with Arsenal from 1925 to 1934.

Chapman is just one of a handful of managers with over 400 Arsenal matches under his belt, and the club won 204 of them. Chapman’s squads won two First Division Championships, three Charity Shields, and the 1930 FA Cup. His winning percentage might not be the highest, but he was a true innovator of the game.

George Graham

Scottish star George Graham was one of the top players in England during the late 1960s and early 1970s, most notably with Arsenal. Though he had stints with the likes of Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Manchester United, a majority of his time was spent with the Gunners. After managing the Millwall following his retirement, Graham was named the Arsenal manager in 1986, holding the job for nearly a decade.

Graham’s 460 matches managed is third in club history, and Arsenal came away with 225 victories in those matches. Under Graham, Arsenal won the First Division twice in three years, while also winning the 1993 FA Cup and two Football League Cups. Perhaps his most notable achievement was winning the 1994 UEFA Winners’ Cup.

Arsene Wenger

Without a doubt, Frenchman Arsene Wenger is the greatest manager in Arsenal’s history and holds just about every one of the club’s managerial records. Wenger played professionally for a dozen years, then managed Nancy, Monaco, and Nogya Grampus Eight during the 1980s and 1990s, signing with Arsenal in 1996. Wenger would end up sticking around for more than two decades, retiring in 2018.

Wenger was the manager for 1,235 matches, winning 707 of those for a 57.25 winning percentage, ranking him first all-time for managers with at least 200 matches. He has nearly three times as many wins as any other manager, and Wenger’s teams won the Premier League thrice, while taking home seven FA Cups and seven Charity/Community Shields.

When you think of Spanish football, FC Barcelona is the first club that comes to mind for a lot of people. There have been some fantastic players who made their way through the club over the years, and also plenty of managers who have found success at the highest level. Though Barca tends to not stick to one manager for too long, there have still been some all-time greats.

Coming up with a list of the five best Barca managers isn’t easy as there have been more than 70 in the club’s history that dates back to the start of the 20th century. However, we feel that these five stand out above the rest. Before we start the list, some of the more notable managers who just missed the cut include Frank Rijkaard, Enrique Fernandez, Helenio Herrera, and Louis van Gaal.

Jack Greenwell

There are several managers on the list who had spent time playing for Barcelona in their younger years, and that includes Jack Greenwell. Greenwell made 88 appearances, and for his final three years, was serving as a player-manager. He retired from play in 1916 but continued to be the Barca manager for seven more years, giving him a total of a decade in charge.

Greenwell is the only manager on the list to never win La Liga, but that’s only because it was established after he had left. Greenwell won the equivalent that predated La Liga (Campionat de Catalunya) four times during his career, as well as the Copa del Rey twice. 

Ferdinand Daucik

Born in what was then Austria-Hungary, Ferdinand Daucik had a long playing career with KFC Komamo, 1. CsSK Bratislava, and Slavia Prague before retiring in 1942. He then began his managerial career which had a whopping 25 different stints. Among those stops was Barcelona, with Daucik serving as the manager from 1950-54 before heading to Athletic Bilbao, and after coaching the Hungarian national team.

Daucik led Barca to three Copa del Rey titles in addition to a pair of La Liga titles. His other honours include two Copa Eva Duarte wins and a Latin Cup. Daucik managed the club through 148 matches, winning 89 of them and losing just 40. He didn’t have the best exit from the club, but did produce results.

Luis Enrique

Spanish native Luis Enrique just missed being the youngest man on the list by four months thanks to the number one manager. Enrique was a fantastic player for both Real Madrid and Barcelona with his career lasting from 1988 to 2004. Once he retired, Enrique took some time away from football, then returned to manage the Barcelona B team. After stints leading Roma and Celta, Enrique was hired to manage the top Barca squad from 2014 to 2017.

Though he didn’t have as many matches as some of the others on the list, Enrique was a winner. In 181 Barcelona matches, Enrique won 138 of them, good for 76.24% Enrique’s squads also won the Copa del Rey three times and La Liga twice in addition to a UEFA Champions League title.

Johan Cruyff

Born in Amsterdam, Johan Cruyff began his professional career in his home country, playing for Ajax for nearly a decade before heading to Barcelona. He had 143 appearances and 48 goals with Barca and continued playing for six years after he left. Following his 1984 retirement, Cruyff managed Ajax for three years, then took on the managerial spot with Barcelona from 1988 to 1996.

Cruyff became the first manager in Barcelona’s history to win La Liga four times. On top of that, he took home the Spanish Super Cup three times while also adding one trophy each in the Copa del Rey, European Cup, and European Super Cup. In his 430 Barcelona matches, Cruyff’s squads won 250 of them.

Pep Guardiola

As a defensive midfielder, Pep Guardiola was a fantastic player with Barcelona throughout the entirety of the 1990s. He spent the beginning of the 21st century with short stints in Brescia, Roma, Al-Ahli, and Dorados. After retiring, Guardiola immediately got into management and took over the Barcelona B squad in 2007 and 2008. In that second year, he was promoted to the top squad’s managerial spot and held the position for four years.

Guardiola managed Barcelona for 247 matches and put up an impressive 72.47 winning percentage. Despite being a tenure on the shorter side, Guardiola has more honours than any other Barca manager with 14. This includes winning La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup three times, the UEFA Champions League and Super Cup twice, and even a pair of FIFA Club World Cup titles.

No team has spent more time as the best football club in England than Manchester United. Dating back to the early 20th century, Man U has been a premier club and has achieved unparalleled success in just about every decade save for the 1970s and 1980s. Because of its long history and varying success, there have been over 20 men to manage Manchester United, with many of them winning several honours.

Out of those men, though, which ones had the most success? Let’s take a look at Manchester United’s illustrious history and rank the top five managers of all time. Some of the managers who just missed the cut include Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and Tommy Docherty.

Ernest Mangnall

While the rest of the managers on the list had professional careers as players, that wasn’t the case for Ernest Mangnall, the third manager in Manchester United history. Prior to his time with Man U, Mangnall had managed Burnley for three years at the start of the century and became the only man to manage both Manchester clubs after he left for Man City in 1912, sticking there for a dozen years.

Mangnall is third all-time in matches managed with 373, and Manchester United won 202 of those. His 54.16% winning rate is among the best in club history, and he added a pair of Charity Shields and an FA Cup to go along with his two First Division Titles. 

Ron Atkinson

Ron Atkinson started his youth career with Aston Villa but played his entire senior career with Oxford United from 1959 to 1971. After retiring, Atkinson managed Kettering Town, Cambridge United, and West Bromwich Albion. He then joined Manchester United in 1981 and stayed with the club for five years.

Exactly half of Atkinson’s 292 matches with Manchester United ended in a victory, while only 67 of them ended in a defeat. Atkinson didn’t win the top league title with Man U, but he was able to propel the club to a pair of FA Cups and the Charity Shield. He then went on to manage seven more clubs during the 1980s and 1990s before retiring at the end of the century.

Jose Mourinho

Portuguese native Jose Mourinho has managed some of the biggest clubs in Europe, though he did have to start small. After a seven-year playing career as a professional, Mourinho managed Benfica for a year then moved on to Uniao de Leiria and Porto before signing on as Chelsea’s manager in 2004. Following stops with Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and another stint with Chelsea, Mourinho became Manchester United’s manager in 2016.

For managers that had at least 100 matches, Mourinho ranks second in Manchester United’s history in win percentage. In 144 matches, Mourinho won 84, good enough for 58.33 percent. Though his time was brief, Mourinho was able to win some significant trophies including the League Cup, UEFA Europa League, and Community Shield.

Matt Busby

You have to go back into the earlier days of Manchester United to find the second-best manager in club history. Sir Matt Busby played for Man City and Liverpool before retiring in 1945, heading right into his managerial career as he took the Manchester United job the same year. Busby led the Man U in the post-World War II days and all the way through the 1960s.

There are only two managers with at least 375 matches managed, and those two went well over 1,000. The first is Busby, who in his two stints managed 1,141 matches, 576 of which ended with a Manchester United victory. Busby’s trophy case includes five Charity Shields, a European Cup, two FA Cups, and five First Division titles (the top English trophy prior to the Premier League).

Alex Ferguson

For most clubs, there would be a debate as to who the top manager of all time is, but that’s not the case for Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson is far and away the top producer, though it took quite some time for him to land the job. After playing professionally for 17 years with six different clubs, Ferguson spent 14 years managing clubs like St Mirren and Aberdeen, landing the Man U gig in 1986.

Ferguson held the position all the way to 2013 and holds just about every managerial record imaginable. Ferguson managed 1,500 matches, winning just under 60 percent of them with 895 victories. Under his tutelage, the Red Devils won a pair of UEFA Champions League titles, four League Cups, five FA Cups, 10 Community Shields, and most importantly, 13 Premier League titles. No other manager comes close to having that trophy case.

In football, a lot of clubs have a short memory when it comes to the success of their managers. Despite winning a long list of honours, managers can get replaced in an instant if the squad starts to show any sign of weakness. There are a few prestigious clubs that have seemingly gone through managers like they don’t cost anything, and Chelsea is among them.

As one of the top clubs in the English Premier League, Chelsea has a high standard when it comes to its managers. If one isn’t living up to those expectations, the next man will come in. Out of the many leaders that Chelsea has had, who ranks at the top? Here are our picks for the five best managers in Chelsea history.

Claudio Ranieri

There are few people in the sport of football that have a resume that’s as long as Claudio Ranieri’s. The Roman played for four clubs during his professional career and has had around two dozen different stints as manager. Some of his more notable stops include Leicester City, Inter Milan, Roma, and, of course, Chelsea. Ranieri led the club from 2000 to 2004, nearly smack dab in the middle of his job history.

Ranieri was just one shy of managing 200 matches for Chelsea, but he still ranks eighth all-time in Chelsea history in terms of matches. He also boasted a solid winning percentage at 54 percent, claiming victory in 107 matches. However, Ranieri struggled to get Chelsea over the hump as the squad didn’t win any of the major honours, but did have consistency.

Carlo Ancelotti

After spending a 16-year career as a player with Parma, Roma, and AC Milan, Carlo Ancelotti began his managerial career in 1995 with Reggiana. After a brief period, he went to Parma for a couple of years, then found his way to Juventus and AC Milan, spending nearly a decade with the latter. Finally, Ancelotti joined Chelsea in 2009, managing the club in three different years.

Ancelotti managed just 109 matches during his Chelsea career, but had plenty of success in that time. He won 61 percent of his matches over that two-year span, which puts him third all-time in club history for managers with at least 100 matches. Ancelotti won the FA Community Shield in 2009, then followed that up in 2010 with an FA Cup title while Chelsea finished at the top of the English Premier League.

Antonio Conte

Italian native Carlo Ancelotti was one of the finest players in Serie A throughout the 1990s, spending more than a dozen years with Juventus until his retirement in 2004. Conte then managed a slew of teams during the late 2000s and throughout the 2010s, including Arezzo, Bari, and a return to Juventus. After coaching the Italian national team, Conte was hired by Chelsea to become the club’s manager.

Conte is just ahead of Ancelotti on the list of winning percentage for managers with at least 100 matches, sitting at second with 65 percent of his matches won. Conte won 69 of his 106 matches, some of which were big-time matches. In 2017, Conte’s Chelsea squad won the Premier League, and in 2018 won the FA Cup.

Dave Sexton

While most of the managers on the list were only around for a couple of years before moving on from Chelsea, Dave Sexton had one of the longer runs as the leader. Sexton spent the 1950s as a professional player, and after managing Leyton Orient for one season, became the Chelsea manager starting in 1967, holding the job for seven years.

There were some managers that held the position for many years without a positive winning percentage, but Sexton was the best of the bunch. Sexton managed 371 matches, winning 164 of them and losing 100 on the dot. Sexton was able to win the 1970 FA Cup and 1971 European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Jose Mourinho

The only member of the list to hail from Portugal is also the top manager in Chelsea history: Jose Mourinho. Mourinho began his managerial career in 2000 with Benfica, then led Uniao de Leiria and Porto before getting hired by Chelsea. He had two stints as manager, with the first coming from 2004 to 2007 while the second was from 2013 to 2015.

Mourinho managed in over 320 matches and won over 200 of them. His first stint was good enough to place him at number one all-time for win percentage by a Chelsea manager while his second stint was still successful at a 59% win rate. Under Mourinho, Chelsea won the Premier League three times (2005, 2006, and 2015), three Football League Cups, the FA Community Shield, and the FA Cup in 2007.

There were times when Tottenham Hotspur FC was a rather middle-of-the-pack club in England, but times have changed in the 21st century. Now, Tottenham is one of the most prestigious clubs in terms of honours and revenue, allowing them to pull in some of the best players in the world. Because of this, there is now a good mix of recent and past players who would be considered all-time greats.

Of those players, who are the greatest of the great? Let’s take a look at Arsenal’s history and choose the five best players of all time. Before jumping into the list, there were some legendary players who just missed the cut, including Gareth Bale, Ledley King, Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker, and Robbie Keane.

Son Heung-min

Already considered the greatest player to ever come from South Korea, Son Heung-min has dazzled at every stop along the way. In the late 2000s, he made his way to Germany to begin his professional career, playing with Hamburger SV. In 2013, Son joined Bayer Leverkusen for two years, and in 2015 he took a big step forward in terms of global recognition when he joined Tottenham.

Son is one of the top goal scorers in Tottenham history with over 140 during his impressive career, many of those coming in clutch situations. Son has won an incredibly long list of individual awards, including three Player of the Season honours for Tottenham while scoring the Goal of the Decade in the 2010s. As for his Best Football in Asia honours, let’s just say he needs a larger trophy room.

Dave Mackay

In the early 1950s, Edinburgh native Dave Mackay began his professional career with Heart of Midlothian in his hometown, then made his way to Tottenham in 1959. He would spend just under a decade with the Spurs before wrapping up his career in the early 1970s with shorter stints at Derby County and Swindon Town, making over 100 appearances with three different clubs.

Mackay didn’t have the longest stint for a player on the list or the most goals, though he was consistently the top player on the squad each year. With Tottenham, Mackay helped the club win the First Division title as well as three FA Cups.

Danny Blanchflower

Born in Belfast, Danny Blanchflower had a long professional career by the time he got to Tottenham. Blanchflower started just after World War II with Glentoran before heading to Barnsley and Aston Villa. Finally, in 1954 (and with over 300 professional matches under his belt), Blanchflower joined Tottenham for a decade. Outside of his final three matches with Durban City in 1965, he would enjoy the rest of his career with the Spurs.

Blanchflower is the other player on the list that doesn’t appear in the top 10 list of highest scorers or most matches played, but his impact was certainly felt. A 2003 inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame, Blanchflower won two Footballer of the Year Awards and helped the Spurs win a First Division Title and two FA Cups.

Harry Kane

Harry Kane is a striker who came from Walthamstow and joined five different youth programs including Arsenal and Watford before he became part of Tottenham in 2004. Five years later he made his professional debut and never looked back. Kane has been sent away on loan to a handful of teams including Leicester City, but Tottenham is where his best years and heart have always been.

Kane is tied with our number-one player for the most goals scored in club history at 268. Kane did so in 420 matches, giving him an impressive 0.64 goals per match average. Kane has been given a long list of individual awards, including two England Player of the Year honours while helping Tottenham reach the finals of the UEFA Champions League and EFL Cup.

Jimmy Greaves

While other clubs have a clear-cut player at the top of their all-time greatest list, Tottenham’s is certainly up for debate. Our number one pick, however, is Jimmy Greaves, who came into professional football with Chelsea in the late 1950s. Following his departure, Greaves had a brief run with AC Milan before spending almost the entirety of the 1960s with Tottenham.

Greaves ranks close to the top 10 of all time in terms of match appearances with Tottenham at 381, and he was certainly efficient as a scorer. Kane and Greaves are tied for the most goals in club history, but Greaved needed 39 fewer matches to put up his 268 goals, giving him an insane 0.70 goals per match average. Greaves won two FA Cups with Tottenham, and in 1963 finished in the top three of the Ballon d’Or voting.

Manchester City is one of the top clubs in England and became the most successful starting in the early 2010s thanks to five titles in a decade. Man City had a long history before then, too, with some of the top players in the world finding a home with the club.

Of the many players that have worn the Manchester City kit, which ones helped to bolster the club’s prestige the most? Let’s take a look at the top five, with many of them unsurprisingly being more recent players. Before we start the list, some of the more notable players who just missed the cut include Joe Corrigan, Mike Doyle, Bert Trautmann, Kevin De Bruyne, Peter Doherty, and Mike Summerbee.

Alan Oakes

Alan Oakes was born in the midst of World War II and focused on playing football in the years that followed as a child. In 1958 he became part of Manchester City’s youth program and made his professional debut the following year. Oakes became a mainstay for Man City and was part of the roster for 17 years before spending the bulk of his remaining playing career with Chester into the 1980s.

From his midfield position, Oakes was able to net more than two dozen goals during his Manchester City career. In 1975 he was named the club’s player of the year and he won several team titles to boot. This includes the European Winners’ Cup, the First Division title, an FA Cup, and a pair of Charity Shields.

Vincent Kompany

The first of three non-English-born players on the list is Vincent Kompany, who was born in Uccle, Belgium, and spent his early career in his home country. Kompany played for both Anderlecht and Hamburger SV prior to 2008 when he joined Manchester City and would play for the club for more than a decade. He returned to Anderlecht for his final year between 2019-2020.

The center-back wasn’t a prolific goalscorer from his position, but was still able to net nearly 20 goals during his Man City career. Thanks to Kompany’s performance, Man City won four Premier League titles during his tenure, as well as two FA Cups, two Community Shields, and a whopping four EFL Cups. In 2022, Kompany was named to the Premier League Hall of Fame, a decade after winning the league’s Player of the Season.

David Silva

Spanish native David Silva was brought into the professional ranks by Valencia where he spent all of the 2000s. When the 2010s started, he joined Manchester City and stayed for the entire decade before heading to Real Sociedad. Silva sits just outside of the top 10 for all-time matches played with Manchester City with 390.

Silva, even as a midfielder, scored more than five dozen goals for Manchester City in his career. Man City won the Premier League four times with David Silva, as well as the EFL Cup five times. He was named the 2016-17 Manchester City Player of the Season and the one-time EPL Player of the Month also helped the club win the FA Cup twice.

Colin Bell

Born in Hesleden, England, Colin Bell made his professional debut with Bury and was with the club for three years. He then joined Manchester City in 1966 and remained on the roster for 13 years before playing five matches at the end of his career with the San Jose Earthquakes in the United States. Bell ranks fifth in Man City history with 493 matches in total.

Bell is also in the top five for all-time goals scored with 153, putting him at number four on the list. With Bell, Manchester City won the First Division once, the UEFA Winners’ Cup once, and the FA Cup once. He was the club’s top scorer in four different years, and Bell was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

Sergio Aguero

The top player on the list is Sergio Aguero, the Argentinian who began his European career playing for Atletico Madrid from 2006 to 2011. He then joined Manchester City, playing with the club for a decade before wrapping up his career in 2021 with Barcelona. While Aguero may not have had as many matches as some of the players on the list, he certainly had a massive impact.

Aguero ranks first all-time in goals with 260, putting him more than 80 ahead of anybody else. Aguero helped propel Man City to five Premier League titles and the 2019 FA Cup. During that time, Aguero won the Premier League Golden Boot and was the player of the month several times. In 2022, Aguero was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Arsenal has a rich history as one of the most prestigious clubs in English football. No other club has won as many FA Cups, and they also have a long list of league titles that put them in the top three in the country for major trophies won. Of course, you can’t find that type of success without having a lot of great talent.

With that said, there are a lot of players in Arsenal’s history to pick from when narrowing it down to the best of the best. Still, we were able to cut it down to just the top five players. Before we begin the list, some of the players who just missed the cut (but are still great) include Patrick Vieira, Liam Brady, David Seaman, Pat Jennings, Charlie George, and David O’Leary.

Robert Pires

The first player on the list hails from France as Robert Pires was born in Reims where he started his youth career. After joining the Metz program in 1992, he made his professional debut with the team the following year and remained there for another five. After a two-year stint in Marseille, Pires made his way to Arsenal, where he made over 190 appearances between 2000 and 2006.

Pires was able to help Arsenal win the Premier League twice in three seasons during the early 2000s, as well as the FA Cup in 2003 and 2005. Pires was the FWA Footballer of the Year in 2001-02, as well, and part of the 100 greatest footballs ever by none other than Pele.

Ian Wright

Though better known these days as a television analyst, Ian Wright enjoyed a fine career as a player from 1985 to 2000. Wright got his start with Greenwich Borough before making his way to Crystal Palace for six years, scoring 90 goals in the process. Wright then joined Arsenal in 1991, sticking around for the majority of the decade before wrapping up his career with four short stints around the United Kingdom.

Wright helped propel Arsenal to the Premier League title in 1998, and the club also won the FA Cup twice during his tenure to go along with the 1993 Football League Cup and 1994 European Cup Winners’ Cup. Wright is second all-time in scoring for Arsenal with 185 goals, putting him seven ahead of Cliff Bastin.

Tony Adams

It can be quite rare for a big-time footballer to spend their entire career with one club, but that’s just what Tony Adams did. At the start of the 1980s, Adams joined Arsenal’s youth program, and three years later he was called up to the senior squad. Adams was just one year shy of two decades of service with Arsenal, making over 500 appearances in the process. After retiring in 2002, Adams became a manager for the likes of Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth.

Arsenal won four top league titles with Adams, two of which were in the First Division while the other two came in the Premier League. Adams’s squads also won the FA Cup three times and the Football League Cup twice. Adams had 672 appearances, which is second all-time in club history behind only David O’Leary.

Dennis Bergkamp

The only Dutchman on the list is Dennis Bergkamp, who our number one star said was the best footballer that he’s ever played with. Bergkamp made his professional debut in 1986 with Ajax where he became a legend with the club, then spent more than 50 matches with Inter Milan in the mid-1990s. In 1995, Bergkamp had a second legendary run, this time with Arsenal for over a decade.

With Bergkamp, Arsenal won the Premier League three times between 1998 and 2004 while adding another four FA Cup titles. Bergkamp finished in the top three of Ballon d’Or voting twice and scored 87 times during his Arsenal career. In 2021, he was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

Thierry Henry

It should come as no surprise that the number one player in Arsenal’s history is Thierry Henry, who at one point was considered among the best players in the world. Henry’s professional career began with Monaco, and he then spent a brief stint with Juventus before spending eight years with Arsenal, his longest tenure as a player.

Surprisingly, Arsenal never won the UEFA Champions League with Henry, but they came very close. They did still win the Premier League and FA Cup twice while Henry set several club records. No other player has come close to scoring as many goals as Henry, as his 228 is more than 40 ahead of second place. What makes it more impressive is that Henry still finished more than 100 matches short of appearing in the top 10 of most appearances.

While Real Madrid may have the most La Liga titles in history, FC Barcelona is right at the top in terms of prestige. Barca has fans all over the world thanks to the many elite players who have been part of the club’s rosters over the years. Out of those roughly 1,000 men who have suited up for Barca, which ones are the best?

Though it’s not easy to pick just five, we felt that these men were truly the best in Barcelona’s prestigious history. Before we start the list, some of the men who just missed the cut include Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Ronaldinho, Johan Cruyff, and Cesar Rodriguez.

Sergio Busquets

The first player on the list spent his youth career with several different organizations, but in 2005 he joined Barcelona as a teenager. Two years later, Sergio Busquets made his professional debut and would remain part of the club for many, many years to come. Busquets crossed over 700 appearances in 2022 and moved into third on the all-time list for Barcelona.

Busquets was part of more than a dozen La Liga and Copa del Rey title winners, and he helped Barcelona win the UEFA Champions League three times. Busquets has won the Bravo Award, La Liga’s Breakthrough Player Award, and several other honours throughout his long and illustrious career. Playing mainly defense, Busquets hasn’t netted many goals but does have over 10 total.

Luis Suarez

One of just two non-Spaniards on the list, Luis Suarez hails from Uruguay and played for several professional teams before making his way to Barcelona. Suarez made 110 appearances each for Ajax and Liverpool, joining Barca in 2014 where he would remain for six years. During that time, Suarez became one of the club’s most prominent all-time scorers.

Suarez needed just 283 matches to score 198 goals, the third-most in club history. Suarez won four La Liga and Copa del Rey titles during his tenure with Barcelona, as well as to Spanish Super Cups and a UEFA Champions League title. The four-time La Liga Player of the Month left in 2020 to join Atletico Madrid before heading to Nacional and Gremio.

Andres Iniesta

At just 13 years old, Andres Iniesta joined the Barcelona youth program and made his professional debut in 2001. The following year, he joined the top Barca squad, and he would be part of the club for 16 more years. Iniesta played in more matches for Barcelona than all but three men, making 679 total appearances. As a midfielder, he wasn’t a perennial goal-scorer but made a huge difference on the pitch.

Iniesta, during the peak of his career, was one of the top players in the world as he finished in the top three of the Ballon d’Or voting twice. Barcelona won La Liga nine times with Iniesta on the roster, as well as four UEFA Champions League titles. He was named La Liga’s Best Midfielder five times in addition to his many other individual accomplishments.

Xavi

Born Xavier Hernandez Creus in Terrassa, Spain, those around the world came to know him simply as Xavi. Like Iniesta, Xavi was one of the greatest midfielders in European history and spent most of his career playing for Barcelona. After more than a decade with the youth program, Xavi was part of the B-squad in the late 1990s before making his top squad debut in 1998.

Xavi is second in Barcelona’s history in matches played with 779, and he helped Barca lift the La Liga title eight times. Xavi also won the Copa del Rey three times and took home four EUFA Champions League titles. As an individual, he was named the La Liga Midfielder of the Year three times and was the Spanish Player of the Year overall in 2005.

Lionel Messi

Of course, the top spot on the list goes to the second non-Spaniard on the list, and that’s Argentina native Lionel Messi. Considered perhaps the greatest football player of all time, it only makes sense that he’s the top player in Barcelona’s history. In 2000, Messi joined Barca’s youth program and was promoted to the top squad in 2004. He spent 17 years on the roster until joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

Messi holds just about every Barcelona record, including match appearances and goals. Messi netted 672 goals during his Barca career, putting him 440 ahead of anybody else. With Messi, Barcelona won La Liga 10 times while he won the Ballon d’Or for the world’s top player a whopping seven times. In fact, there are many more accomplishments for Messi, but it would take a long time to mention them all.

When you’re talking about the most prestigious clubs in English football, Manchester United has to be the first one that comes to mind. No club has won as many league titles in England, FA Cups, or Community Shields as Man U, and they have also won several honours throughout all of Europe. Along the way, Man U has also had some of the best players in the world.

The list of players to make at least one appearance for Manchester United is incredibly long, but we were able to narrow it down to the five men who were truly the best in club history. Before we start the list, some of the Red Devils who just missed the cut include David Beckham, Roy Keane, Peter Schmeichel, Gary Neville, Bryan Robson, and Eric Cantona.

Wayne Rooney

Those who are on the younger side may think that Wayne Rooney started his career with Manchester United, but he actually came through the Everton youth program. He then made his professional debut with the club in 2002, making 67 appearances between then and 2004. Sir Alex Ferguson saw the 18-year-old’s potential and convinced Man U to sign him to a massive contract.

The deal ended up paying massive dividends for Man U as Rooney became a club legend. In total, Rooney had 559 appearances, the sixth-most in club history. Rooney also netted 253 goals, which is the most ever for a Manchester United player. With Rooney, Man U won the English Premier League five times and he won a long list of individual titles before heading back to Everton in 2017, and ultimately the United States.

George Best

From 1974 until 1983, Belfast native George Best played for 10 different professional teams, but never made more than 60 appearances. However, in the 11 years leading up to that, he was one of the best players in Manchester United’s history. Best made his senior club debut in 1963 and during the height of his career won the Ballon d’Or as the world’s top football player.

Best netted 179 goals with Manchester United, putting him in a tie for fifth all-time in club history. He was able to accomplish that in just 470 matches, giving him a better goals-per-game average than many of the others who are in the top 10. Best helped Man U win the First Division twice, as well as the 1968 European Cup, leading to his English Football Hall of Fame induction in 2002.

Bobby Charlton

For the entirety of George Best’s career with Manchester United, he was teammates with Bobby Charlton. Charlton had started his career many years before, coming up through the Man U youth program in the mid-1950s and making his senior club debut in 1956. Charlton spent 17 years with Manchester United, and his 758 appearances are second all-time.

Charlton is also second in goals, just four behind Wayne Rooney with 249. Charlton’s Man U clubs won the First Division three times, as well as an FA Cup and two Charity Shields. As for his individual accomplishments, Charlton won the Ballon d’Or in 1966, finishing as the runner-up the following two years, including second to George Best. In 1966, Charlton led England to a World Cup victory.

Paul Scholes

Everyone on the list to this point had spent several years playing for clubs outside of Manchester United, but that’s not the case for our top two. The first is midfielder Paul Scholes, who came up through the youth program and played with Manchester United from 1993 to 2013. During his 20 years, Scholes made 718 appearances, putting him third all-time.

Scholes, despite his position, is in the top 10 of all-time goal scorers for Man U with 155. Thanks to Scholes, Manchester United was able to win the Premier League title 11 times, as well as two UEFA Champions League titles and a FIFA Club World Cup. In 2022, Scholes was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, 14 years after being inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

Ryan Giggs

The top player on the list started his youth career with Manchester City, but joined the crosstown rivals in 1987, then made his senior debut in 1990. Ryan Giggs remained part of the roster until 2014. Giggs holds the record for most appearances in Manchester United history with 963, putting him more than 200 ahead of anybody else.

Giggs scored 168 goals during that time, and his Manchester United squads won the Premier League a whopping 13 times. Giggs also won the FA Cup four times, a pair of UEFA Champions League titles and he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame with nearly a decade still left in his career.