Cult Heroes. Every club has them – they are the player that tries his absolute hardest but definitely won’t be in the running for the Ballon D’or. Their on field antics can be just as crazy as their off field persona but the fans love them regardless. So why not sit back, relax, and join us as. to see who would make the All Time Premier League Cult Heroes Squad…
Goalkeepers
Steve Harper
Club(s): Newcastle / Hull
Years at club: 1993 – Present
Appearances: 230
Bio: Has there ever been a more loyal back-up keeper than Steve Harper at Newcastle? The fans loved him despite the fact that he hardly ever played.
Carlo Cudicini
Club(s): Chelsea / Tottenham
Years at club: 2000 – 2012
Appearances: 160
Bio: Once described as “the world’s most unambitious footballer” by the Daily Telegraph, Cudicini was certainly loved during his 12 years in the Premier League.
Marcus Hahnemann
Club(s): Reading
Years at club: 2001 – 2009
Appearances: 282
Bio: His off-field antics led to the cult hero status bestowed upon him by the Reading fans – Hahnemann apparently has a penchant for listening to death metal, feeding hens and fly aeroplanes!
Defenders
Emmanuel Eboue
Club(s): Arsenal
Years at club: 2005 – 2011
Appearances: 132
Goals: 5
Bio: Was famously subbed off after coming on as a substitute against Wigan in 2008 – the Ivorian tried his hardest but suffered from a roller-coaster relationship with the Arsenal fans.
Jonas Gutierrez
Club(s): Newcastle
Years at club: 2008 – 2015
Appearances: 205
Goals: 12
Bio: Used to celebrate his goals by donning a spider man mask – what more needs to be said.
Tony Hibbert
Club(s): Everton
Years at club: 2000 – Present
Appearances: 328
Goals: 0
Bio: A true one club legend – Hibbert has made over 300 appearances for Everton without ever scoring a goal, we hope he gets one before he retires just to see his celebration!
Paulo Ferreira
Club(s): Chelsea
Years at club: 2004 – 2013
Appearances: 214
Goals: 2
Bio: A solid defender without ever being world class – he suffered a few crisis of confidence while at Chelsea and lost his spot to midfielders like Michael Essien and Geremi.
Olof Melberg
Club(s): Aston Villa
Years at club: 2000 – 2007
Appearances: 260
Goals: 8
Bio: When you think of Olof Melberg you think of that glorious beard. In his final game for Villa he bought every fan in the stadium a shirt with his name and number on the back – what a guy!
Sami Hyypia
Club(s): Liverpool
Years at club: 1999 – 2009
Appearances: 464
Goals: 35
Bio: One of the best defenders Liverpool ever bought – the big Finn scored important goals and was ever presence during some of the greatest times at the club.
Arjan De-Zeeuw
Club(s): Barnsley / Wigan / Portsmouth
Years at club: 1995 – 2007
Appearances: 483
Goals: 18
Bio: De-Zeeuw was loved by fans of every club he played for and best of all upon his retirement he has become a forensic detect in Holland – pretty cool right?
Midfielders
Dennis Wise
Club(s): Chelsea
Years at club: 1990 – 2001
Appearances: 438
Goals: 74
Bio: With a bit of a ‘bad boy’ reputation, Wise was known as a player who took no nonsense and delivered plenty of bite in his tackles.
Ji-Sung Park
Club(s): Manchester United
Years at club: 2005 – 2012
Appearances: 205
Goals: 27
Bio: Nicknamed ‘Three Lungs Park’ for his work rate – a versatile midfielder who was never really able to hold down a prolonged first team place.
Jimmy Bullard
Club(s): Wigan / Fulham / Hull
Years at club: 2003 – 2011
Appearances: 207
Goals: 23
Bio: An unmistakable joker in the dressing room, Bullard endeared himself to the fans of whatever club he was at – will be remembered well for his impression of Phil Brown when celebrating a last minute equaliser against Man City.
Jay Jay Okocha
Club(s): Bolton
Years at club: 2002 – 2006
Appearances: 124
Goals: 14
Bio: So good they named him twice – Okocha was one of the best African players of his generation and is fondly remembered by Bolton fans for his goals and party tricks.
Tugay Kerimoglu
Club(s): Blackburn
Years at club: 2001 – 2009
Appearances: 251
Goals: 12
Bio: Classy, majestic and the fourth oldest goalscorer in Premier League history, Tugay played into his late 30s and who knows, he could have played into his 40s if he wasn’t a heavy smoker.
Abou Diaby
Club(s): Arsenal
Years at club: 2006 – 2015
Appearances: 180
Goals: 19
Bio: Spent more time in the Arsenal treatment room than on the pitch – Diaby could have been a great player if he wasn’t made of glass.
Igor Biscan
Club(s): Liverpool
Years at club: 2000 – 2005
Appearances: 117
Goals: 3
Bio: His career at Liverpool never really got going and he was often played out of position – does hold a Champions League winners medal though.
Steffan Freund
Club(s): Tottenham
Years at club: 1998 – 2003
Appearances: 102
Goals: 0
Bio: A hard working midfielder, but in 5 years at Spurs he didn’t score a single goal. Freund is now back at White Heart Lane as part of the coaching staff.
Strikers
Ricardo Fuller
Club(s): Stoke
Years at club: 2006 – 2012
Appearances: 182
Goals: 43
Bio: Has spent time at 12 different clubs although it is his six years at Stoke that he will be remembered most – not the most prolific striker but the fans certainly warmed to him.
Paolo Wanchope
Club(s): West Ham / Man City
Years at club: 1999 – 2004
Appearances: 99
Goals: 39
Bio: Injuries restricted his playing time during his career, but Wanchope was a firm fan favourite in the Premier League largely down to his reportedly extravagant lifestyle.
Peter Crouch
Club(s): Everywhere
Years at club: 1999 – Present
Appearances: 627
Goals: 186
Bio: At 6ft 7in Crouch is surely the ultimate target man, but there is so much more to his game than that. And he does a half decent robot dance.
Emile Heskey
Club(s): Leicester City / Liverpool
Years at club: 1994 – 2004
Appearances: 440
Goals: 106
Bio: Spent time at several Premier League clubs but it has been his hard work and goals and Leicester and Liverpool that meant Heskey has gone down as one of the biggest cult heroes of the modern era.
Adi Akinbiyi
Club(s): Leicester / Sheffield United
Years at club: 2000 – 2002 / 2005 – 2007
Appearances: 87
Goals: 17
Bio: Built like a tank, Akinbiyi was a bit of a journeyman striker, never spending more than three seasons at a club since he left Norwich.
