It recently came to our attention that both N’Golo Kante and Kevin De Bruyne are still waiting on their first Player of the Month award.
Because we are sad and lonely people, it got us thinking – who is the best Premier League player to have never been named Player of the Month?
Before we get into the list, bear in mind that Johan Elmander, Mikael Forssell and Tim Krul have all won one…
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1 Xabi Alonso
It’s difficult for a player like Alonso to win Player of the Month.
He never grabbed games by the scruff of the neck (a la Steven Gerrard), he preferred to dictate proceedings in a more subtle manner, like a puppeteer.
The Spaniard put in a 7/10 every single week — those who determine Player of the Month look for audacity over consistency.
2 Peter Schmeichel
You may think Schmeichel’s position worked against him but plenty of keepers have won Player of the Month down the years — Petr Cech, Fraser Forster, Tim Flowers…
The great Dane is arguably the most dominant keeper in Premier League history but he was the one of very few late 90s Man United stars to miss out on the monthly gong.
Hang on, we’ve just had a look and apparently David De Gea hasn’t won one either, madness!
3 Sol Campbell
Campbell is the most recognisable of the seminal Prem centre-backs to have been overlooked.
John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic all have a Player of the Month award on their mantelpiece — okay, probably not mantelpiece, the loft maybe?
In 2002, Arsenal won four consecutive Player of the Months awards (Bergkamp, Ljungberg, Wiltord, Henry).
And in 2004, the Gunners won five out of six (Henry x 2, Bergkamp, Edu, Reyes), but nothing for poor Sol.
4 Claude Makelele
If ever there was evidence that defensive midfielders were underappreciated, this is it.
The Frenchman is as synonymous with his position as any other player in history, not that the Premier League overlords cared for his selfless industry.
5 Didier Drogba
Okay, this is getting ridiculous now.
We can explicitly remember a four-month stretch when Drogba was by far and away the Prem’s most in-form matchwinner.
In 2009/10, he scored 29 goals in 32 league games — how did he not win at least one Player of the Month award?
Florent Malouda, Mark Schwarzer and JIMMY BULLARD all pipped the Ivorian forward that season… bloody hell.
6 Ashley Cole
Sorry Dennis Irwin, Cole is the best left-back in Premier League history.
In fact, he was the best in the world in his position for two or three years.
Thing is, left-backs go under the radar, no matter how well they play.
A goalscoring left-back like Marcos Alonso has a shot of winning one at some point, but that’s no consolation to Cole now, is it?
7 Gary Neville
Similar to Cole really.
Left-back, right-back, tomayto, tomato.
8 Patrick Vieira
The fact Roy Keane won it twice will make this snub a hundred-times worse.
Vieira was Arsenal’s midfield general for nine seasons, providing the steel that allowed the artists to flourish.
We refuse to believe he was not the best player in the league for at least one month of his Premier League career.
9 Jamie Carragher
No Player of the Month for Carra?
What a spit in the face from the Premier League… poor choice of words.
16 and a bit seasons the Liverpool stalwart plugged away at the back, and for what?
Well, two FA Cups, three League cups, a UEFA Cup and a Champions League for a start… but no Player of the Month.
Thinking about it, we reckon none of these players care one iota about not winning Player of the Month.
As you were.
NEXT: Neymar’s hopes of a Barcelona redemption are desperate and tragically futile