Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and even Peter Odemwingie have scooped the top flight's individual award several times. But none of these eight stars have. Ever...
Cristiano Ronaldo has picked up his fifth Premier League Player of the Month award on his return to Manchester United.
But while he's been hogging the individual trophy, plenty of other top-flight superstars have missed out.
Here's just a few we're flabbergasted to find have never picked it up...
8. David de Gea
Manchester United’s player of the season for a club-record three successive seasons. A Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield (hey, it's major trophy - when Jose wants it to be) and Europa League winner. Yet he's apparently never been the league's best player in a calendar month.
De Gea joined the Old Trafford club in 2011 and has long passed 300 appearances. In this time, he's won five of the six Match of the Day 'Save of the Season' competitions, and in December 2017 pulled off a Premier League record-equalling 14 saves in one match against Arsenal. Still not enough.
7. Patrick Vieira
The French midfield general and Arsenal legend didn’t ever pick up a POTM award, despite winning the Premier League Player of the Season accolade in 2000/01. Vieira became club captain in 2002 and led the ‘Invincibles’ to the 2003/04 crown, where he scored the winner on the final day against Leicester.
In the following season – Vieira’s last at the club, and which culminated in his winning penalty in the FA Cup final shoot-out – the Frenchman scored in the 5-4 win over rivals Tottenham in November, as well as in defeat at Liverpool later that month.
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6. Vincent Kompany
Another Premier League Player of the Season in a title-winning campaign: step forward, Vincent Kompany. The central defender was an absolute colossus for Roberto Mancini’s side as they won a first Premier League title in 2011/12. The Belgian made 31 league appearances that season and scored three goals.
The most crucial of these was the only goal of April's Manchester derby, as City took a major step towards an historic triumph. Kompany was plagued with injuries after that, and despite some mammoth performances, he was never back to his regular imperious best again.
5. Peter Schmeichel
Schmeichel won five Premier League winners' medals during his time at Manchester United and was an instrumental part of the 1998/99 treble-winning side. The Great Dane also won United's player-of-the-season prize in 1995/96 as Alex Ferguson's side pipped Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle to the title.
But oddly, it was during his one season at Aston Villa that the goalkeeper should probably have been awarded POTM – specifically, October 2001. In that month, Villa won three of their four matches, keeping two clean sheets. The 3-2 defeat to Everton really sticks out, though, as Schmeichel became the first goalkeeper to score in a Premier League game. But the then-Leeds defender Rio Ferdinand merked him to the prize.
4. Riyad Mahrez
The best £400,000 Leicester ever spent, you'd think. Mahrez’s scintillating performances in the Foxes' incredible 2015/16 season were a major factor behind their famed 5,000-1 title triumph.
In 37 league appearances the Algerian winger notched up 17 goals and 11 assists, and was named PFA Player of the Year ahead of team-mates N’Golo Kante (another never to win POTM) and Jamie Vardy.
Mahrez’s six goals in December 2015, including a hat-trick at Swansea and a delightful finish against Chelsea, still weren't enough to claim the gong as Watford’s Odion Ighalo nabbed it instead.
3. Alexis Sanchez
Sanchez was named PFA Fans’ Player of the Year at the end of his first Arsenal season – but apparently didn't do enough to warrant a POTM at any point.
The Chilean was also awarded the Premier League's goal-of-the-month prize in October 2015 for his superb strike in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Manchester United – probably his best performance for the north Londoners. Sanchez scored twice that day: first, that drive from outside the box followed by a neat backheel at the front post.
His form earned him a move to Old Trafford, where he didn't come particularly close to winning the monthly gong.
2. Yaya Toure
Pivotal in three of Manchester City’s Premier League title victories, Toure made the PFA Team of the Year in 2011/12 and 2013/14, but didn’t do enough to earn himself a POTM award.
The Ivorian netted two goals in a crucial win at Newcastle in May 2012 before that Aguero goal, and in 2013/14 scored 24 goals in all competitions. Five of those came in the month of March (including a hat-trick against Fulham), after four goals in each of September and December, but he was pipped in those months by Aaron Ramsey and Luis Suarez (twice).
1. Didier Drogba
The four-time Premier League winner at Chelsea somehow never won a player of the month award. Drogba helped Chelsea win back-to-back league titles in Jose Mourinho’s first stint at Stamford Bridge, then enjoyed two special individual seasons after the Portuguese left.
The Ivorian won the Premier League's Golden Boot in 2006/07 with 20 goals, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year, the FIFPro World XI, UEFA Team of the Year and came fourth in the Ballon d’Or voting. In 2009/10, he was the Premier League's top scorer for a second time with 29 goals in 32 games.
Despite all of that, his remarkable record in cup finals and performance in the 2012 Champions League Final, Drogba has never received a POTM gong. Staggering.
