The top five most underrated English football players

English football is famous for its passionate league, star-studded national team and endless media attention. From Charlton to Ringer, from Hiller to Beckham, from Rooney to Kane, these names carry the glory and expectations of the Three Lions.

Entering modern football, there are generally overestimated strength among well-known English players, but there are also a relatively small number of English players whose strength, contribution and tactical value are seriously underestimated. The criteria for "underrated" selection focus on the significant gap between the players' absolute abilities, their key role in the team system, their actual influence on the game and the public praise, media attention, and historical evaluations they have received. In this article, the author will sort out a little and take stock of the five most underrated English football players for reference.

5. Kevin Phillips - Forward

Reason for selection: Grassroots Golden Boot, a natural penalty area killer.

Underestimated Analysis: Phillips's story is legendary. Starting from the non-league, and finally won the European Golden Boot Award with 30 goals when playing for Sunderland in the 1999/00 season - a rare achievement for English players. His shooting skills are extremely superb, especially in the penalty area where he has a sensitive sense of smell and a strong ability to seize opportunities. He is a reliable scorer in Sunderland, Southampton, Aston Villa and West Bromwich. However, because he never played for the traditional top giants (he had passed his peak when he played for Villa for a short time), and his low figure and relatively single technical characteristics (a pure shooter), his amazing goal efficiency and Golden Boot Glory are often excluded from discussions about the top strikers in England. He proved that the instinct of a top shooter has nothing to do with his background, and his scoring ability at his peak is phenomenal.

4. Chris Smalling - Central defender

Reason for selection: Top air bully and defender who were covered up by "missing highlights".

Underestimated Analysis: Smalling's Manchester United career is full of ups and downs, with some famous mistakes (especially underfoot ball handling) being played repeatedly, labeling him as "hard-technical". However, this greatly conceals his core strength as a central defender: his top aerial top-ranking ability (one of the top air dominators in the Premier League history), strong physical confrontation, excellent speed of pursuit, and increasingly mature leadership. In Roma, he got rid of Manchester United's pressure and became the absolute core and captain of the defensive, showing stability and leadership temperament, helping the team win the UEFA Champions League and reach the Europa League final. His defensive data (rescue, interception, and top-scoring success rate) has always been at the forefront of the league. Despite his technical shortcomings, his ability at the purely defensive level (air defense, confrontation, coverage) is one of the best central defenders in the Premier League in the past decade, and his stable contribution and success after transformation are seriously underestimated.

3. James Milner - Midfielder/Winner/Fullback (universal patch)

Reasons for selection: Premier League living fossils, professional role models, tactical tycoons.

Underestimated Analysis: Milner is the second most players in the Premier League in history (still increasing), with amazing endurance, professional attitude and tactical adaptability. His career spans Leeds United, Newcastle, Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton, and has won almost all important club honors, including the Premier League and the Champions League. He initially acted as a fast horse on the wing, and later transformed into a diligent midfielder (especially the midfielder), and even played a guest appearance as a left and right full-back. His value lies in his unparalleled tactical execution, running across the court, high-intensity pressing, and the role of a locker room leader. He is an indispensable rotation core and spiritual pillar in the championship teams between Manchester City and Liverpool. However, due to his lack of fixed highlight positions, his data is not explosive (but has a lot of assists), and his always play the role of "green leaf", his stability, versatility, leadership and direct contribution to success throughout his career are seriously underestimated. He is the ultimate definition of the modern football "team player".

2. Jermain Defoe - Forward

Reason for selection: A natural shooter, an extremely efficient fox in the penalty area, a legend restricted by the platform.

Underestimated Analysis: Defoe is one of the best pure scorers in Premier League history, ranking among the top in the Premier League historical scorers list (162 goals). His characteristics are distinctive: ghostly running, superb shooting skills (balanced left and right feet), calmness and efficiency in handling the ball in a small space, and the ability to change the situation as a substitute surprise. He can maintain a steady goal percentage whether it is West Ham United, Portsmouth, Tottenham (two-time), Sunderland or Bournemouth. He was an important scoring point in the Bale and Modric eras during his time in Tottenham; he helped the team relegate many times with almost his own strength, and was a hero of the Stadium of Light. At the national team level (20 goals in 57 games), he also scored goals at critical moments many times (such as the 2010 World Cup). However, he spent most of his career playing in non-traditional top giants (the period of Tottenham was rising), and never served as the absolute mainstay in a super strong team that really competed for the championship (the short-term play in Toronto is not counted), he was short and his style did not rely on physical confrontation. This has led to his amazing goal efficiency, stable output for many years (until his age), and his top scorer instinct as a "Fox of the Boundary Zone" failing to obtain historical status and praise that exactly matches his abilities. He is the most underrated super scorer in English football and a model of "scoring goals anywhere".

1. Michael Carrick - Midfielder (middle midfielder/center forward)

Reason for selection: Manchester United dynasty's stealth engine, metronome shrouded in the shadow of double German.

Underestimated Analysis: In the era when England's "Golden Generation" had two offensive midfielders, Lampard and Gerrard, players like Carrick seemed out of place. His national team career (34 appearances) is far from reflecting his true level. However, at Manchester United, he was the absolute core and metronome of the midfielder in the late stages of Sir Ferguson and Moyes and Van Gaal. He has master-level passing vision and accuracy (especially medium and long distance scheduling), excellent game reading ability, simple and efficient ball control rhythm, and excellent defensive interceptions brought by a sense of position. He is a key figure in Manchester United's many honors such as five Premier League titles and one Champions League title, and is the hub connecting the defense and offense. His role is similar to "Pirlo in the Premier League", using passes to control the rhythm and using wisdom to make up for the body. However, his low-key and introverted personality, lack of forward goals, and the failure to play a central role in England due to tactical and staffing issues have left the Manchester United dynasty's stealth engine out of discussions at the top midfield for a long time. He is a textbook case that is “underrated”.