It's the ultimate compliment for any player to have their talent recognised by their fellow professionals. So to settle the argument of which is the greatest Premier League XI since it started in 1992-93, Sportsmail has studied every PFA Premier League team of the year to find out which players are most highly-regarded by their peers.
The results are fascinating – and surprising in some cases too.
Legendary Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel was selected in only one PL all-star team (1993), as was Dennis Bergkamp (1998) and therefore are well short of being considered for the greatest XI.
Eric Cantona and Paul Scholes weren't voted for often enough either while Gianfranco Zola – regarded as one of the best players in Chelsea's history – was never picked in a PFA side.
Roy Keane and Frank Lampard were picked on fewer occasions than central midfield rivals Steven Gerrard and Patrick Vieira.
Likewise, stars like Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale performed too briefly on the Premier League stage to be chosen as often as other players.
Based on the number of times they were voted by their fellow professionals in the PFA Premier team of the season, here is the best Premier League XI over the last 23 years. And for Gerrard, heavily criticised after his red card against Manchester United on Sunday, there is some good news – nobody has been picked more often.
THE PREMIER LEAGUE ALL TIME XI
EDWIN VAN DER SAR (PFA Team 2007, 2009, 2011)
Played in Premier League for: Fulham, Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson compared the Dutchman's influence to Peter Schmeichel's after he helped Manchester United return to the top following a period of dominance by Jose Mourinho's Chelsea. Van der Sar was 34 when he joined United from Fulham but it proved to be a master signing, and one that Ferguson admitted he wished he'd made earlier. Van der Sar won three league titles in a row and was the hero of United's penalty shoot-out win against Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final, making the match-winning save from Nicolas Anelka.
GARY NEVILLE (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2007)
Played for: Manchester United
The heart of Manchester United's team that dominated English football for two decades and part of the 1999 treble-winning side. Neville was United's effective leader and club captain off the field well before he eventually wore the armband on it. The right-back for United and England was the most voiceferous member of the club's famed Class of 92 and since retirement has become a hugely influential figure both as a television pundit and England coach
RIO FERDINAND (2002, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013)
Played for: West Ham, Leeds, Manchester United, QPR
A skilful centre-half in the Continental mould, Ferdinand started at West Ham but was first voted into the Premier League team in 2002 after an excellent season at Leeds United. After impressing at that summer's World Cup, Manchester United paid a £29million transfer fee for Ferdinand, a British transfer record that stood for four years. He became an integral part of Manchester United's success in the 2000s culminating in their Premier League-Champions League double in 2008. Now plays for QPR but is expected to retire at the end of the season
NEMANJA VIDIC (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
Played for: Manchester United
United's hard-man captain who formed a formidable central defensive partnership with Ferdinand. The Serbian international endured a poor first six months at Old Trafford after arriving from Russian football but went on to become a huge fans favourite. One of the bravest players seen at Old Trafford, Vidic put his head and body in where others feared to, leading to a number of injuries. When Sir Alex Ferguson left, Vidic signed for Inter Milan, and the incoming manager David Moyes missed his presence.
ASHLEY COLE (2003, 2004, 2005, 2011)
Played for: Arsenal, Chelsea
Considered by many the greatest English left-back of all time with more than 100 caps, Cole won the Premier League title with both Arsenal and Chelsea with Gunners fans not forgiving him for moving to Stamford Bridge. Cole was quick, mobile and had the ability to defend and attack. The controversial decision by Roy Hodgson to leave him out of England's World Cup squad backfired and Cole decided to move abroad where he now plays in Serie A for Roma. One of the few defenders who could get the better of Cristiano Ronaldo in his prime.
CRISTIANO RONALDO (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Played for: Manchester United
Hard to believe he was only in the Premier League for six years such was the impact he made. He was voted into the PFA team for four seasons in a row before he signed for Real Madrid for a world record fee of £80million. There were eyebrows raised when Sir Alex Ferguson sold David Beckham and unveiled an unknown Portuguese teenager. Ronaldo treated Old Trafford to a series of stepovers on his debut and by 2008 was voted World Player of the Year, only time that honour has gone to someone in the Premier League after Michael Owen in 2001. He has subsequently gone on to scale even greater heights at Real Madrid.
STEVEN GERRARD (2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014)
Played for: Liverpool
Indisputably the best player of the Premier League era not to have won the championship, Gerrard is nonetheless regarded as the greatest player in Liverpool's history alongside Kenny Dalglish and was man-of-the-match when he led their comeback in Istanbul to win a fifth European Cup for the club in 2005. Gerrard in his prime was the ultimate box-to-box midfielder, stopping goals, creating goals and scoring goals, often spectacular ones. Will leave Liverpool this summer to join Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS.
PATRICK VIEIRA (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
Played for: Arsenal, Manchester City
Was voted into the PFA team for six consecutive years between 1999 and 2004, an unprecedented spell of dominance in the Premier League era. Vieira was Arsene Wenger's first signing – actually arriving at Highbury shortly before the manager who was tied up with contractual issues in Japan – and was the blueprint for a new Arsenal team who set new standards for the whole country. A tall, quick and powerful midfielder, Vieira helped Arsenal with the Double and then succeeded Tony Adams as captain, and led the 2004 Ivincibles side that went through an entire season unbeaten.
RYAN GIGGS (1993, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2009)
Played for: Manchester United
Statistically the greatest player in the Premier League, with a record number of titles (13) and appearances (632), Giggs was named six times in the PFA team spanning a period of 16 years. He was a flying 19-year-old winger who had led Manchester United to their first championship for 26 years when he was named in the 1993 all-star side, and a clever 35-year-old central midfield playmaker when he was chosen in 2009. Now assistant-manager to Louis van Gaal at United having been interim manager at the end of last season.
ALAN SHEARER (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2003)
Played for: Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United
The Premier League's record goalscorer with 260 – more than 70 goals ahead of anyone else, Shearer won the championship with Blackburn Rovers and became the only Premier League player to also be the world's most expensive player when he signed for hometown club Newcastle United for £15million having just finished as leading goalscorer at Euro 96 for England. Shearer could score all types of goals, rocket shots, tap-ins and headers, and following a brief spell as Newcastle's interim manager, is a respected TV pundit.
THIERRY HENRY (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
Played for: Arsenal
Added Va-Va-Voom to the English game after Arsene Wenger signed him from Juventus and turned an inconsistent winger into the most lethal centre-forward in Europe. Like Vieira, Henry was picked for six consecutive PFA teams and won the Golden Boot for being the leading goalscorer in the league on four occasions. Rivals Cristiano Ronaldo as being the best Premier League import ever seen and after spells with Barcelona and New York Red Bulls is back in this country, offering his views on the game with Sky Sports.
..and an unlikely all-star XI. These players all made the Premier League team of the season on one occasion:
Tim Flowers; David Bardsley, Ugo Ehiogu, Thomas Vermaelen, Stig Inge Bjornebye; Nani, Scott Parker, Tim Sherwood, Harry Kewell; Emmanuel Adebayor, Chris Sutton
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