List of Premier League's hardest workers so far this season

James Milner and Aaron Ramsey rank highly on the list

There are few things that football fans appreciate more than a footballer working his socks off till the final whistle. It’s difficult to criticise a player if he keeps running all over the pitch for the good of the team.

That being said, it is also infuriating to watch a team member when he refuses to put in a shift and run that extra mile. All the talent in the world count for little if he fails to show the desire and determination to help the team when called upon to do so.

We all know the Premier League demands a lot of physical strength and fitness to last through the whole of ninety minutes. It is undoubtedly one of the most competitive leagues in Europe.

So far this season, Tottenham outran each of their eight previous opponents in the league, until Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool paid a visit to White Hart Lane last weekend and gave them a dose of their own medicine by beating Mauricio Pochettino’s men for distance covered.

The least surprising revelation this season is the Reds’ stand-in captain James Milner, who has been named the hardest-working player in the Premier League. EA Sports have worked out a list of the season’s hardest workers in England's top flight and players like Milner, Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Barry, Cesc Fabregas have all made the cut.

Milner has already become a key player at Anfield ever since he made the switch from Manchester City this summer. The 29-year-old has earned the praise from his teammates for his immense work rate on the pitch and why not? Milner’s continuous running, relentlessness, a strength of will are all top notch and with such attitude, it’s no surprise he has been named as the vice-captain of the club in his first season at Anfield.

EA Sports have revealed that Milner has already run 4km more than any other Premier League player, covering a total distance of 113km. Two of Bournemouth’s players trail Milner on the list – Andrew Surman and Matt Ritchie, who occupy the second and third position respectively.

Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey, as we’ve all seen in the past, is often used as a utility player at the club. The 24-year-old usually, prefers a central role in the middle of the park but recently club manager Arsene Wenger has been deploying the Welshman in a wider role, where he often finds himself in the middle of both offensive and defensive responsibilities.

A former Gunner also made the list, but the inclusion of Fabregas may have raised some eyebrows as he is generally valued for his passing. But the Chelsea man has found himself in the league’s top eight for distance covered so far.

The former Arsenal skipper has come under criticism this term for a below-par campaign. However, the stats show Fabregas has so far covered a total of 100km this season. It’s unfair how Milner’s work rate is given praise while Fabregas is underrated in this attribute of his game.

The other players featuring in the list includes the likes of Gareth Barry, Etienne Capoue and Darren Fletcher, who are all deployed as defensive midfielders for their respective clubs. This goes a long way in asserting the importance of a sitting midfielder in the modern game, and how their grass coverage is key to their teams’ fortunes, both defensively and offensively.

Here’s the list of top 8 players covering the most distance in the Premier League:

Player	Team	Distance (km)
James Milner	Liverpool	113
Andrew Surman	Bournemouth	108.62
Matt Ritchie	Bournemouth	106.78
Aaron Ramsey	Arsenal	105.39
Gareth Barry	Everton	103.75
Etienne Capoue	Watford	102.99
Cesc Fabregas	Chelsea	101.75
Darren Fletcher	West Bromwich Albion	101.05

Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League