The Premier League has seen some of the best players of the last 30 years showcase their talents in England’s top flight including several of the world’s very best wingers.
The Premier League has been flush with attacking talent since its inception back in 1992.
Although that year seems like an arbitrary cut-off point for the best talent to grace England’s top flight, some of the stars of the last 30 years deserve special recognition.
Every team will have their own favourite wide attackers that have graced the Premier League.
The list below highlights some of the players who have gone a level beyond.
Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United 2003-2009, 2021-2022 – 236 appearances, 103 goals, 37 assists
It’s hard to look past a player with five Ballon d’Or wins and over 200 international caps to his name.
Cristiano Ronaldo was brought in from Sporting CP as a youngster by Sir Alex Ferguson and went on to dominate the Premier League as one of the best wingers of his generation.
He slowly started to move into a more central role as he headed off to Real Madrid where he went on to win multiple Champions Leagues.
His time at Manchester United saw him win three league titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups and the Champions League in 2008.
In his best season, he scored 31 goals and provided six assists and was such a success that he was brought back to the club in his twilight and managed another 18 goals at the age of 36 during the 2021/22 campaign.
Mohamed Salah – Chelsea 2014-2016, Liverpool 2017-Present – 248 appearances, 150 goals, 66 assists
Mohamed Salah is one of the best players in the Premier League right now but many wouldn’t have predicted that when the winger first arrived in the Premier League.
His time at Chelsea was far from spectacular, scoring two league goals during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Salah’s brief spell at Roma was enough to convince Jurgen Klopp to bring him to Anfield and he’s been a phenomenon ever since.
His worst season at the club saw him still make 27 goal contributions and he’s already on course to deliver more than a goal or assist a game this year.
He’s a Liverpool hero and amongst rumours he could end up in Saudi Arabia sooner rather than later, Reds fans will be hoping to enjoy every appearance he makes from now on.
Eden Hazard – Chelsea 2012-2019 – 245 appearances, 85 goals, 54 assists
There’s a generation of Chelsea fans who if you asked them for their greatest-ever Premier League player, they might well answer with Eden Hazard.
The Belgian was tasked with leading from the front as the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba entered the twilight of their Blues careers.
Hazard played a key role in Chelsea winning the Premier League in 2015 and 2017 as well as an FA Cup, League Cup and two Europa Leagues.
In his final season for Chelsea, Hazard scored 16 goals and provided 15 assists before heading to Real Madrid in a move that ultimately ended his career.
When Chelsea were successful during that period, it was largely down to Hazard’s contributions and it’s no wonder he was named the club’s Player of the Year on four separate occasions.
Gareth Bale – Tottenham 2007-2013, 2020-2021 – 166 appearances, 54 goals, 22 assists
There are very few footballers who could argue to have had as prolific back-to-back seasons as Gareth Bale’s 2011-2013.
In those two years, Bale scored 31 league goals and provided 14 assists, as well as helping Spurs during their Europa League campaign.
Bale established himself as one of the best wingers in the Premier League during that period and it was no surprise that he too was pinched by Real Madrid.
Although he was in and out of the side in Spain, he played a vital role in the Galacticos winning several Champions Leagues.
He made an emotional return to Spurs on loan during the 2020/21 season and although injuries still hampered his performances, he still managed to score 11 goals in less than 1000 minutes of action.
Ryan Giggs – Manchester United 1992-2014 – 632 appearances, 109 goals, 162 assists
When talking about Premier League legends, it’s hard to look past Ryan Giggs and his mammoth spell at Manchester United.
The Welshman had already played 40 times in the First Division, scoring five goals before the league had even started.
A mainstay throughout the success Manchester United enjoyed under Sir Alex Ferguson, Giggs’s longevity was just as impressive as his performance on the pitch.
The only winger on the list who provided more assists than goals, Giggs’s performances at Old Trafford highlighted the difference in the role of the winger in the 90s and 2000s compared to the past 10 years.
Giggs was tasked with providing chances for some of the best forwards in Premier League history and was an example to wingers at the time of how to do it.
Robert Pires – Arsenal 2000-2006, Aston Villa 2010-2011 – 198 appearances, 62 goals, 41 assists
One of the most iconic teams of the Premier League era is Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles which won the title in 2003/04.
Thierry Henry led the side from the front with the likes of Jens Lehmann, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole keeping plenty of precious clean sheets.
However, the creative force that was Robert Pires on the left wing was hugely important to their success.
Pires scored 14 league goals in three seasons on the bounce and provided a further eight assists the year Arsenal went unbeaten.
The French international was consistently brilliant for the Gunners throughout his time at Highbury before joining Villarreal.
He made a brief return to the Premier League with Aston Villa, playing nine games at Villa Park before finishing his career in India
Sadio Mane – Southampton 2014-2016, Liverpool 2016-2022 – 263 appearances, 111 goals, 38 assists
The final player on this list, Sadio Mane departed the Premier League as one of the best wingers in the competition’s history having won it all with Liverpool.
His goalscoring record for a wide player is extraordinary and his partnership with Salah and Roberto Firmino will be fondly remembered by Reds fans for a long time to come.
Frustrating at times, when Mane was on form he was unstoppable and during his time at Southampton, he scored the fastest-ever Premier League hat-trick.
When Liverpool finally ended their wait to win a Premier League title, Mane provided 25 goal contributions that year.
He was also instrumental in Jurgen Klopp’s winning the Champions League in 2019 and was given Liverpool fans’ blessing when he departed for Bayern Munich in 2022.
All statistics are accurate as of 20 December 2023
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