Ranking the 5 greatest right-wingers of the Premier League era

In the Premier League, wingers are often hard to contain and always exciting to watch. Wide men bring great value to the team in terms of skill and goal-scoring.

Several talented wingers have played in the Premier League that have gone on to become club icons.

Given the changing nature of football over the past decade, it is gratifying to know that the directness and deftness of the traditional winger will never die.

Premier League right-wingers have produced a couple of historic campaigns

Wingers are essential to building the club's attacking moves. They either cut in and have a go at goal themselves or send in crosses for team-mates. Over the years, right wingers like Riyad Mahrez and Arjen Robben have lit up the Premier League.

The Premier League has had its fair share of world-class right-wingers and there will never be a dearth of them, given the incredible talent present. Here we take a look at the top five right-wingers that have played during the Premier League era.

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#5 Freddie Ljungberg

Freddie Ljungberg arrived at Arsenal from Swedish side Halmstads BK in 1998 without much excitement from the fans. However, after a while, the Swede found his feet and became a key player for Arsene Wenger’s side.

Sporting eccentric hairstyles, the winger possessed tremendous skill and footballing intelligence and soon became a fan favorite. During the 2001-02 Premier League season, Ljungberg made crucial contributions and helped Arsenal complete a domestic double. He netted 17 goals and was also named the Premier League Player of the Season.

Ljungberg made a total of 327 appearances for the club, scoring 72 goals and assisting 37. He has won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and the Community Shield with the Gunners.

Ljungberg was also part of the first-team coaching staff at Arsenal and served as interim coach after the departure of Unai Emery. He has now left to pursue a role in management.

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#4 Raheem Sterling

Although there have been times where his performances have been underwhelming, there is no doubt about the quality that Raheem Sterling possesses. A constant threat on the wing, Sterling has elevated his status at Manchester City despite recently falling down the pecking order.

Sterling performed brilliantly for the Liverpool youth side and was soon promoted to the senior squad for the 2012-13 season. The following season, he was part of the attacking trio with Sturridge and Suarez and soon made a name for himself with his goal contributions and tenacity.

Having joined the Manchester outfit after leaving Liverpool, the Englishman has an impressive record of 118 goals and 88 assists for City in 310 appearances. Always amongst the goals, and at just 26, Sterling has tremendous potential to become one of the best. Sterling has already won three Premier League titles, five League Cups and two FA Cups.

#3 David Beckham

One of the most famous faces in the footballing world, David Beckham, was a joy to watch during his time in the Premier League. A highly skilled winger with a knack for the spectacular, Beckham has scored and assisted some of the best goals you’ll ever see.

Having spent a decade at Manchester United, Beckham scored 85 goals and assisted 102 times in 388 appearances. The winger went on to win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, the Champions League, four Community Shields and the Intercontinental Trophy with Manchester United.

Beckham was also vital to the success of Manchester United’s treble-winning team. After a triumphant career with the Red Devils that only a few can rival, the charismatic Englishman then went on to play for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy and AC Milan. Notably, Beckham ended his career at Paris Saint-Germain. He is now into philanthropy and handles his club venture at Inter Miami in the MLS.

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#2 Cristiano Ronaldo

Undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, has achieved almost everything there is to accomplish in the world of football. Ronaldo takes the #2 spot on this list because he later shifted to a more central role and played in that position for the majority of his career.

After impressing Sir Alex Ferguson while playing for Sporting, Ronaldo soon showed the footballing phenomenon he was. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner mesmerized crowds with his silky skills and lethal finishing, which included some outrageous free kicks.

Ronaldo has won three Premier Leagues, the Champions League trophy, the FA Cup, two League Cups, and the Club World Cup with the Red Devils. He was named Premier League Player of the Season in 2007 and 2008.

The Portuguese has scored 128 goals in 307 games and given 71 assists. He also won the Premier League Golden Boot in 2007 for scoring an astounding 31 goals. Although the record-breaking Portuguese has had his best footballing days with Real Madrid, he is one of the greatest to have worn the Manchester United shirt.

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#1 Mohamed Salah

It is safe to say that based on his current red-hot form, Mohamed Salah is one of the best players in the world. His consistency over the years and goal-scoring prowess from the wing highlights his outstanding footballing ability.

The Egyptian has been the most influential player in the squad over recent years and has helped Liverpool win the Premier League and the Champions League and led by example.

The ‘Egyptian King’ recently became the fifth-fastest player to reach a century of goals in the Premier League, achieving the feat in just 162 games.

Salah has won the Premier League Golden Boot for two consecutive seasons, having scored an astonishing 32 goals in one of them. He was also named Premier League Player of the Season in 2018.

The 2018 Puskas award winner already has 11 goals and seven assists in the ongoing Premier League season and looks set to break more records.