Top 5 English midfielders of the Premier League era

England are involved in a number of international fixtures ahead of the World Cup in Russia in June. The current squad has plenty of depth but lacks experience, and if we may be so bold, lacks quality as well.

Considering England's dismal record in cup competitions despite the wealth of talent in their side over the years, we're lead to wonder if their chances are any better this time around.

In light of unfortunate selection decisions by Gareth Southgate for the friendly against the Netherlands - opponents the Three Lions managed to overcome in the end to get the victory - and an even more unfortunate group of players to select from, we look back at some of the finest English midfielders to have graced the Premier League.

#5 "It's only Ray Parlour!"

The Englishman was a constant in the brilliant Arsenal sides around the turn of the millennium.

Ray Parlour was as English in his approach towards football as you can get. Gritty in tackling and winning the ball back, not the most pleasing to the eye on the ball but effective, and not afraid to let fly from distance.

A true Gunner, Parlour was a favourite with the fans and acquired cult status while at his time at Highbury. He was also known to be quite the prankster and was often involved in practical jokes on his teammates who adored him.

He was a part of the historic invincible side of '03/04 after winning the double with Arsenal in '01/02. The England international, who was unfortunate with the number of chances he got with the national team, was a sturdy presence in the middle of the park and could pick a pass with ease.

It comes as a surprise then that he didn't get picked that often for England considering he'd get picked even now. And he hasn't played for ages!

#4 Paul "Gazza" Gascoigne

Paul Gascoigne was often under-fire for his inability to control his vices.

Gascoigne is one of the most talked about English personalities in world football. A brilliant footballer and personality, too bad he became a victim of his own success.

Ironically, he missed the ushering-in of the Premier League era in '92 as he moved to Lazio from Tottenham where the messianic aura which surrounds him led a high-court federal judge to question if the Englishman was more famous than the Duke of Wellington after the Battle of Waterloo.

The antics of Gazza - who the National Football Museum dubbed the "the most naturally gifted English midfielder of his generation" - often overshadowed his ridiculous talents as a footballer.

But some of his best work still came on the football pitch. Often, with English footballers, you pray they get rid of the ball quickly, but with Gascoigne you wished he never let go of it. Except to shoot, which led him to score 10 goals in 50 appearances for his national side.

He had a 110 in his club career including his humdinger for Tottenham, against bitter bitter rivals Arsenal, in the FA Cup semi-final in '91.

#3 "Steven Gerrard! OH! YOU BEAUTY!"

The stunner from Gerrard, against Olympiakos, to keep Liverpool alive in the 2005 Champions League campaign, is imprinted deep into the fabric of Champions League's glorious history. Had Gerrard not come up with that one, we would never have gone on to witness the "Miracle of Istanbul".

The most iconic number 8 shirt in the Premier League is undoubtedly the one in the red of Liverpool with the English international's name on it.

The near super-human feats of Stevie G can be recalled for days on end. One of the most loved and respected players in English football, he was an anchor in midfield for both Liverpool and England and had the honour of captaining both sides.

We could go on and on and on..

But we'll just encourage you to watch this instead.

#2 Frankie Lampard

The West Ham youth product went on to conquer English football and is one of the most successful midfielders in the game. If you think Steven Gerrard scored goals, this Englishman scored truckloads of them!

A loyal Chelsea servant, the dynamic attacking midfielder always made those trademark runs into the box and made a career out of finding himself at the end of crosses.

He is still the all-time leading goal-scorer of the London side. Staggering if you consider the players who've played for the club, like Didier Drogba, for instance.

We thought hard and long about who would get the second spot between the Liverpool great and the Chelsea legend, and owing to his better goal-scoring record, successes in the league and Europe compared to just the UEFA Champions League for Gerrard, and the consistency in results when Lampard is involved sees him take the spot above his English compatriot.

A career total 257 goals and 864 appearances in club competition to add to 29 goals in 106 appearances for the Three Lions is something few can even dream to achieve. Yet, it is a reality for Frank Lampard.

Here is some of his best...

#1 Paul Scholes

For all his brilliance, Scholes couldn't tackle even if his life depended on it.

No doubt in our mind who is the greatest midfielder to come out of English football. It is undoubtedly the Manchester United legend Paul Scholes.

If you're still wondering what parameters this decision was based on, we'd like to tell you that things like goals and stats, matches played and victories, competitions won and all that kind of stuff matters very little when you're talking about a player of the calibre of the Englishman.

Don't get me wrong, some of the best numbers in the game belong to Scholes with 705 appearances resulting in 149 goals. He's won the Premier League uncountable times with United and also has also won the UEFA Champions League.

But that's not how you describe Paul Scholes. We don't actually know how to describe the true brilliance of the man except to say this. He was so darn good, you hated him for it! You hated it every time he got on the ball against your team because you knew you were in trouble.

You couldn't contemplate how someone could be that good at football despite being horrible at tackling and tracking-back, his inability to run and his hatred towards getting into the opposition penalty area. But the little he did do was the stuff of legends.

He's not the quickest, he doesn't run the most, he never wins a header, he can't tackle but he's the best player.

- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

I remember reading something about Paul Scholes, a joke someone made on the internet. It went something like this...

"Scholes is so good, he could find my dad with a pass. And I haven't seen him since third grade."

We couldn't come up with a better way of describing the genius that is Paul Scholes.

Edited by Aakanksh Sanketh