Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992 we have seen some amazing players to have displayed their skill in the league. The likes of Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, and Cristiano Ronaldo have wowed audiences with their superb technique and ability.
Players of that calibre have gone on to achieve success in England lifting the Premier League trophy more than once. But there are those players who also earn a winners’ medal despite their minimal involvement or their obvious lack of contribution.
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These players should consider themselves lucky to have been part of a title winning side. So here are 10 players who did not deserve to win the Premier League.
10) Stevan Jovetic
Jovetic came with real promise after a great showing in Serie A. The Montenegrin striker spent five seasons with Fiorentina scoring 35 goals in 116 appearances. He was considered one of the best young forwards in Europe at that point with several clubs including Arsenal and Manchester City chasing his signature.
City won the race paying £22 million to the Italian club to secure his services. Jovetic won the title with the club in 2013/14 but did do much to aid them during that season. He made only 11 appearances scoring thrice as Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko Alvaro Negredo were above him in the pecking order.
It was a disappointment considering the reputation he had brought with him when he joined the club. He eventually left in the summer of 2015 joining Inter Milan.
9) Richard Wright
Richard Wright currently plays as the third choice goalkeeper for Manchester City. Although ‘play’ isn’t the right term considering he hasn't made a single appearance in four years for the club!
Wright was bought by Arsene Wenger in 2001 after seeing him as a long-term successor to David Seaman. With an injury keeping Seaman out of action for the initial part of the 2001-02 season Wright got his opportunity.
But his standard of goalkeeping was pretty terrible and he had a horrid season between the sticks. He never looked comfortable in goal and made several fumbles in his 12 appearances. Unsurprisingly he was shipped to Everton at the end of the campaign but not without a Premier League winners medal.
8) Anderson
How Anderson spent eight seasons at Old Trafford is puzzling. His Manchester United career consisted of long periods of average midfield play mixed with the occasional flash of brilliance. Despite coming in as a hot young prospect the Brazilian never fulfilled his potential.
He got several opportunities to prove his worth under Sir Alex Ferguson making over 100 appearances in the league. He won the title wth United four times but only scored five 5 goals.
After Ferguson stepped down his game time diminished even further under David Moyes. He was eventually loaned out in 2013/14 to Fiorentina but had an unsuccessful spell there as well. The player finally left the club in 2015 and currently plays for Internacional in Portugal.
7) Louis Saha
Manchester United may have the most Premier League titles but sometimes even Alex Ferguson got it wrong with some of his signings. Louis Saha was another that never quite made it in Premier League football.
He had a bright start to his career impressing during his time with Fulham. His 15 goals that season earned him a move to Manchester United in January of 2004 for a fee reported to be around £12.4 million.
Despite a great start to his Red Devil’s career injury problems and a lack of form meant he slowly started to fade away. Saha made 86 appearances scoring only 28 goals but still managed to win two Premier League titles with the Red Devils
6) Loic Remy
Loic Remy is a good striker but has never been considered in the league of a Sergio Aguero or Robert Lewandowski. The Frenchman came to the Premier League in January of 2013 joining Queens Park Rangers for a fee of €10 million from Marseille.
He scored 6 goals in his 16 appearances in the league impressing several fans and pundits but couldn’t help the club avoid relegation. Remy did not want to play in the Championship and hence was loaned out to Newcastle where he scored 14 times in 26 appearances,
Remy joined Chelsea in 2014 knowing that he would be second choice to Diego Costa. He was never able to nail down a regular starting spot, with Costa in fine scoring form. But he did make enough appearances to earn a Premier League winners medal.
5) Jack Rodwell
Jack Rodwell emerged as one of the Premier League's finest youngsters during his time with Everton. He made 85 appearances for the club scoring four times. His dominant midfield performances caught the eye of several big clubs including Manchester United but he chose to sign for Manchester City instead.
But like several others, he failed to establish adapt his game after making the move to a big club. Rodwell found it difficult to break into a team that had the likes of Yaya Toure, Javi Garcia and Gareth Barry.
He was isolated even more in the 2013/14 season when City won the league playing only 5 times four of them being late substitute appearances. But that qualified him for a Premier League medal since the minimum number of appearances was reduced the same season.
4) Remi Garde
Manchester United had a strong hold on the Premier League until Arsen Wenger’s Arsenal came along in the mid-1990s The Frenchman revolutionized the style of play at the club and broke the Red Devils’ monopoly in the process.
Wenger recruited three French central midfielders, Patrick Viera, Emanuel Petit and Remi Garde. Viera and Petit’s indomitable partnership helped Arsenal to the title in 1997/98. That left Remi Garde with limited opportunity and rightly so with his quality not matching the standards set by his French teammates.
Garde did earn a Premier League winners medal only because he played enough games to do so. He eventually hung up his boots in 1999 after three largely forgettable years at the club.
3) Juan Sebastian Veron
Veron is one the Premier League's biggest tragedies. The central midfielder was being chased by several big teams around the world after his impressive performances for Lazio.
The Argentine signed for United in 2001 for £28.1 million which was the most expensive transfer in British history at that time. But the big man never delivered on his earlier promise. He spent two uninspired seasons at OldTrafford
Veron was never able to adapt to the pace of the English game and looked lacklustre in possession. He did manage to win the title with United in 2003 but not a single United fan would really want to associate him with that achievement.
2) Diego Forlan
Forlan is considered one of the heroes of Uruguayan football. The striker earned a reputation as a natural goalscorer during his time with Argentina side Independiente. United snapped him up for £6.9 million beating Middlesborough to his signature luring him with a more lucrative salary package.
He was expected to be the next big thing in England but turned out to be a complete flop at Old Trafford . He made 63 appearances in the famous red shirt but only managed 10 goals in his four seasons.
During United’s title winning season of 2002-03 Forlan had his most productive year scoring 6 goals in 25 appearances. Ferguson tried to keep faith in him hoping the striker would turn a corner and fulfil his talent but it wasn’t to be as he ended up joining Villarreal in 2004.
1) Mateja Kezman
Several players have made a name for themselves in Dutch Football playing for the likes of PSV and Ajax and then earn a move to England to further their career. Mateja Kezman did the first part right but got the second part horribly wrong.
The forward was signed by Chelsea in 2004 for a fee of £5.3 million after scoring 105 goals in 123 appearances for PSV. But Kezman never really delivered on his potential during his time with the Blues.
He only managed 7 goals in 40 appearances in that 2004-05 season and will go down as one of the worst signings the club ever made. He only spent a single season and joined Atletico Madrid in 2005 but not without his Premier League winners medal.
