Five surprising stars who would have won the Premier League Playmaker award | OneFootball

Only one player has finished the season with the most assists in the league while his team was being relegated. Him and four others should have a Playmaker award…

The Premier League Playmaker award has only been A Thing for the last nine seasons. But don’t forget, football was invented long before that, all the way back in 1992.

If we look at the list of players who would have won the Playmaker award, there are some surprising names. Five of them, which is handy for lists like this.

Want a list of the best 10 Premier League playmakers ever? You’re in luck…

Andy Cole (Newcastle United, 1993/94)

The then-Newcastle striker is generally remembered as something of a goal-poacher but he laid on his fair share too. Even when Dwight Yorke wasn’t around…

Indeed, in 1993/94, Newcastle’s first season back in the top flight, he finished with the joint-highest number of assists (13) along with Eric Cantona, who would have won this award three times in the first five years of the Premier League.

Back to Cole, though, because what he did that season for Kevin Keegan was extraordinary. He won the Golden Boot with 34 goals and no player has been directly involved in more goals in a single Premier League campaign. He also scored in 26 games, which is a record he shares with Harry Kane.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (Leeds United, 1998/99)

Similar to Cole, we remember JFH being a goal-getter, not so much a provider. But in 1998/99, the then-Leeds United striker tied with Dennis Bergkamp for assists.

Also like Cole, he finished the season with the Premier League Golden Boot. Or one of them. Liverpool’s Michael Owen and Man Utd’s Dwight Yorke – two assists behind Hasselbaink – also bagged 18 goals to claim a share of the honour.

It all went to his agent’s head, with Leeds preferring to sell him to Atletico Madrid than pay him what he wanted to sign a new contract.

Nobby Solano (Newcastle United, 1999/2000)

David Beckham would have won three of these awards, his best season coming in 1999/2000 – just bettered by Bruno Fernandes – when he finished with 15 assists.

But matching him all the way was another right winger who could cross a ball: Nolberto Solano.

The Prem’s first Peruvian almost matched Beckham a year later too, falling two short of the Manchester United star’s dozen assists. Beckham couldn’t play the trumpet, though, could he?

Muzzy Izzet (Leicester City, 2003/04)

The Turkish Fox was a better player than many remember and his status as 2003/04’s best creator is evidence of that.

Even more impressive is that Izzet achieved his 14 assists in a Leicester team that was relegated while winning only six games all season. He laid on 30% of his team’s goals.

It was a curious top three for assists in 2003/04. The Arsenal Invincibles shared them around, with Charlton’s Paolo Di Canio second and Blackburn’s Brett Emerton third.

Nani (Manchester United, 2010/11)

Likewise, perhaps Nani doesn’t pass the memory test in the way he should. We remember him as a flaky winger who was brilliant in bursts and cried at Anfield.

But when United won their record-breaking 19th title in 2010/11, Nani was outstanding. He won United’s Players’ Player of the Year award and was named in the PFA Team of the Year after making 14 assists.

If he maintained that form, we could give him a pass on the statue of himself in his house. Alas, no.