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#7 Steven Gerrard
Stevie G could have had even more stellar a career had he found himself in a more star-studded setup. However, Gerrard chose to stay loyal to Liverpool and fought the hard fight and is now widely regarded as one of the finest midfielders of the 21st century.
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Gerrard was a marauding box-to-box midfielder with an insatiable appetite for the game in his heyday and evolved from a ball winner to a deep-lying playmaker during his early years at Liverpool.
Gerrard is also widely hailed for his propensity for scoring absolute scorchers and he has scored more than his fair share of worldies in his playing career.
One of the most distinct memories associated with the Englishman is his rallying Liverpool to the UEFA Champions League title on that fated night in Istanbul after the Merseysiders were 3-0 down at half-time to AC Milan.
For all his efforts though, Gerrard never won the Premier League. He has, however, won the UEFA Champions League once in addition to two FA Cups and three League Cups.
#6 Kaka
There was a period of time in the later stages of the first decade of the 21st century when this Brazilian midfielder was virtually unstoppable. The last footballer to win the Ballon d'Or before Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi decided to make it a two-horse race, Kaka was a beast at AC Milan.
Though you could say that his big money move to Real Madrid did not exactly work out as well as anyone would have wanted, the Brazilian was one heck of a player for the Rossoneri.
Between 2006 and 2009, the years when he peaked, Kaka was named in the FIFA World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year three times. The Brazilian was a unique proposition to oppositions because despite being over 6 ft tall, his swift turns and ability to accelerate over short distances were similar to that of diminutive players.
Kaka has scored a bucketload of solo goals, just motoring into the final third and through defences like knife through hot butter. Like most of his elite contemporaries, Kaka was also versatile and also packed an unreal shot from range.
He has won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan in the 2006-07 season. He has also won the Serie A and La Liga and though his injury-riddled time in Spain led to a rapid decline in ability, Kaka did enough in the first decade of the 21st century to leave behind an enviable legacy.
#5 Paul Scholes
"He is good enough to play for Brazil. I love to watch Scholes, to see him pass, the boy with the red hair and the red shirt." - Socrates (The Doctor)
"Without any doubt the best player in the Premiership has to be Scholes ... He knows how to do everything." - Thierry Henry
"A role model. For me, and I really mean this, he's the best central midfielder I've seen in the last 15, 20 years. He's spectacular, he has it all, the last pass, goals, he's strong, he doesn't lose the ball, vision. If he'd been Spanish he might have been rated more highly. Players love him." - Xavi
Need I say more? Paul Scholes was the glue that held together the machine that Alex Ferguson built at Old Trafford. Manchester United's dominance faded with Fergie's retirement but what many fail to acknowledge is that they struggled also because they could never replace their little magician at the centre of the pitch.
Paul Scholes is one of the most decorated English players and has won a whopping 11 Premier League titles in addition to two UEFA Champions League titles, four FA Cups and two League cups.
Scholes' vision and passing range were astounding. He was a calm and composed campaigner who has also scored some incredible goals from midfield. Some of his volleys from outside the box are a treat to watch to this day.
#4 Andrea Pirlo
The coolest of them all, Andrea Pirlo needs no introduction. The man who feels no pressure, Pirlo was one of the finest technicians on the ball and an absolute artist beavering away from a deep midfield position.
Pirlo's vision, passing range and technical ability were all astounding. One of the distinguished players who have been fortunate enough to have played for Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus, Pirlo also tasted World Cup success with Italy in 2006.
Also one of the greatest free-kick takers in modern day football, Andrea Pirlo understood the game in a way that's seldom done. His composure and technical ability helped him carve out spaces where there would initially be none and convert cul-de-sacs into open highways.
He has won the Serie A six times- twice with AC Milan and on four occasions with Juventus. He also won the UEFA Champions League twice with the Rossoneri. Pirlo was also the man of the match in the 2006 World Cup final that Italy won.
