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Ultimate Premier League #One2Eleven: The Soccer Saturday panel pick their all-time favourites

Fails of the week

Fenners took the Soccer Saturday boys to the pub to answer one of the biggest debates in football – what is the best XI in Premier League history?

With over 3,500 players to choose from, the guys found it pretty tough going but here's their line-up…

GOALKEEPER: Peter Schmeichel

Matt Le Tissier: He’s the best goalkeeper the Premier League has ever seen because of what he did at Manchester United, the amount of points he saved them. He – and Eric Cantona – were a massive part of what they did when they first won the Premier League and in the years after.

Phil Thompson: I thought Schmeichel was absolutely incredible. His ego, his presence in the box and the way he had people play in front of him – he was a proper goalkeeper. He went on for years doing the right thing. He had a hunger for the game.

RIGHT-BACK: Gary Neville

Thommo: A great defender, but he brought an art of attacking with him. Always with a defensive mind, but when he got there the delivery was fantastic. His attitude was spot on every week.

Paul Merson: It’s a no-brainer. He was a real defender – he did what you had to do. You watch in this day and age, looking at every full-back in the country, there are not many you would say that are better at defending than going forward. He kept it simple.

Tony Adams

CENTRE-BACK: Tony Adams

Thommo: I was always a great admirer of him. Every time you looked he was always in the right place – he put his body on the line all the time and demanded the same from the rest of his team-mates.

Merse: I was lucky enough to play with him for a long time. A real leader. I’d say world class – he bumped into (Marco) Van Basten one day and I think he’d say that was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him. He ripped him to shreds and Tony realised, ‘I have to pick my game up a bit’, and he did that.

John Terry: Similarly, the Chelsea captain didn't make any mistakes in particular and was solid. 6.5/10

CENTRE-BACK: John Terry

Thommo: If you had him in there with Adams they would hardly lose anything.  Equally not great pace, but great leaders, great captains. They got the best out of players who were around them. He’s had some serious injuries and he’s still going.

Merse: I don’t think there are too many defenders who can defend as well as pass and play football. I’d have gone with Rio Ferdinand instead of John Terry, but this is a hard one.

LEFT-BACK: Ashley Cole

Merse: World class. He could get forward and do things but still defend.

Le Tiss: Who else is there? He’s on his own.

Thommo: Quite similar to the way Gary Neville was – they were out-and-out defenders, knew their role, defended and got in to cover. It didn’t matter whether you had a quick winger against him, he knew his limitations but he knew he was quicker than anybody.

RIGHT MIDFIELD: Cristiano Ronaldo

Merse: I’m just going with Ronaldo in front of David Beckham. Beckham was one of those players who did things on the pitch that would just make you laugh.

Le Tiss: But Ronaldo was something else. In those last two or three seasons at United he was just out of this world.

Charlie Nicholas: With Beckham, his work-rate and his partnership with Gary Neville were brilliant. But Ronaldo could do things that took the game to a different level. He could produce a five-second piece of genius that would create something out of nothing.

CENTRE MIDFIELD: Steven Gerrard

Merse: This was the hardest one of all. Gerrard’s in there all day long. He’s my favourite player – he’s the one player I’d pay to watch play.

Thommo: I would go with Gerrard. Dynamic, scored goals, great leadership. Over the years he’s excited us, he’s been brave. He’s got so much in his locker.

Le Tiss: I’m a massive fan of Steven Gerrard, and I’ve gone for Paul Scholes. He just played the game so effectively and he had a massive effect on that Manchester United team for a long period of time.

Charlie: When Zidane retired, for two years I thought Steven Gerrard was the best player in world football. His drive, his energy, he could play long passes, short passes.

Patrick Vieira

CENTRE MIDFIELD: Patrick Vieira

Thommo: You could have picked Lampard. To win titles you need goals from midfield and that’s what he did. But there’s not much balance in there – you’ve got to have a central midfielder player, got to have a general. Vieira was athletic; he dominated that area and then brought goals into his game. Roy Keane was a born winner but if I had to pick one it would be Vieira.

Merse: I was lucky enough to play with Vieira and he was top draw. Very tall and gangly but very skilful at the same time – he’d see a pass, could tackle, scored goals. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do, and he was hard as nails as well. Off the pitch, one of the nicest blokes you could meet, too.

26 Dec 1998:  Ryan Giggs of Manchester United celebrates his goal against Nottingham Forest

LEFT MIDFIELD: Ryan Giggs

Merse: This is a no-brainer, isn’t it? We can skip through this in two minutes flat!

Charlie: It’s not all about trophies, I know that, but the guy’s won more trophies than anybody else. He’s one of those type of players that – me being an Arsenal fan – when he got the ball and had a go, wow. Breathtaking.

Thierry Henry:

STRIKER: Thierry Henry

Merse: There have been some great centre forwards – not just good, but great – but I have to go with Henry. He’s the only player I’ve ever seen in the history of Premier League football who looks like a 20-year-old playing in an under-12s football match.

Charlie: He could do things that were absolutely incredible, and it wasn’t just his pace – he was an intelligent footballer. He adapted to the scenario and the physical side of the English league. He came in and could do everything, and everyone was just wowed.

STRIKER: Dennis Bergkamp

Charlie: It’s so hard to pick – Alan Shearer was an absolutely dynamic goalscorer. Robbie Fowler was a great finisher. Michael Owen, Eric Cantona... I always loved the No 10 position to balance the pace and the cleverness in midfield and Dennis Bergkamp, when he signed, changed the concept of how Arsenal played.

Thommo: I can’t go anywhere other than the Premier League’s top goalscorer. He went on for so many years. You look at him and go, 'Alan Shearer is an absolute rock', and he could play throughout any era whatsoever.

Merse: Bergkamp without a doubt. He was the best player I ever played with by a million miles. I honestly didn’t think a professional footballer could be that good. I can understand what you’re saying about Alan Shearer though.

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