The 10 best Irish players in Premier League history ranked: Keane, McGrath… | OneFootball

Legends from Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham are among the best Irish players in Premier League history.

While the Irish haven’t been regulars at international tournaments for a while now, their teams in the 1990s and early 2000s were packed with Premier League talent.

We’ve had to make some hard decisions to narrow this down to a top 10; Rory Delap’s long throws miss out, as does the reliability of John O’Shea and Kevin Kilbane. Here’s who made the cut.

10. Ian Harte

One of the best free-kick takers in Premier League history, Harte was a mainstay of David O’Leary’s Leeds team that flew too close to the sun.

The full-back had a left foot so lethal that it should’ve come with an arm’s license. The cumulative distance of his 28 Premier League goals was roughly the same as Elland Road to Bradford.

Harte also made the PFA Team of the Year in 1999-2000 and the Champions League semi-final a year later. A shoo-in.

9. Niall Quinn

After leaving Arsenal in 1990 due to a lack of minutes, Quinn revived his career at both Manchester City and Sunderland.

Blessed with a ‘good touch for a big man’, the striker’s aerial ability was second to none during the decade.

His 59 goals and 37 assists in the Premier League are a testament to Quinn’s all-round ability and his partnership with Kevin Phillips at Sunderland remains legendary.

8. Richard Dunne

Despite holding the Premier League own-goal record, Dunne was a wholehearted defender who regularly proved his critics wrong.

The centre-back was a mainstay of Manchester City’s backline in the 2000s, before being sold to make way for sexier names after the Abu Dhabi takeover.

Instead of sulking, Dunne brushed himself down at Aston Villa and was named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2009-10 for his sturdy performances.

Dunne’s total of 453 Premier League appearances is only beaten by Shay Given and O’Shea.

7. Seamus Coleman

During a fallow period for Irish football, Coleman has remained their one top-class operator throughout his 17 years at Everton.

The full-back was knocking out Man of the Match performances in his 30s, helping the Toffees avoid relegation on several occasions.

He plays a bit-part role now at Everton, but prime Coleman was the archetypal modern-day defender who contributed at both ends of the pitch.

6. Damien Duff

Fantastic at Blackburn and a double-Premier League winner at Chelsea, Duff is an instant inclusion for our list.

After a respectable first year at Stamford Bridge, the winger was elevated by Jose Mourinho and we still have fond memories of him and Arjen Robben tearing defences apart.

Duff’s time at Newcastle was less successful, but he enjoyed a successful time at Fulham and was part of the team that reached the 2010 Europa League final.

5. Paul McGrath

McGrath won Player of the Year in 1992-93 as Aston Villa went so close to winning the inaugural Premier League title.

Regarded as a legend by Irish fans, we’ve previously written that McGrath was ‘one of those footballing knowledge litmus tests. His silverware cabinet arguably didn’t match his ability.’

Despite the dodgy knees and alcohol problems, we stand by that. What a player.

4. Denis Irwin

“He was Mr Reliable, hardly ever missed games and scored goals,” Alan Shearer said about Irwin in 2025.

“The £600,000 Manchester United paid for him from Oldham, talk about value for money. He paid that back and a few million more.

“He was always the quiet one in that Manchester United team, but he was like the silent assassin.”

Irwin was so good for United he made Roy Keane break character and wax lyrical about his talent.

“My god, imagine if Denis Irwin was playing now,” Keane said.

“He could play left-back, right-back, get you a goal, knew how to defend, never injured, a brilliant guy in the dressing room.

“Denis would be world-class to me and he’s a Corkman!” Enough said.

3. Shay Given

Given enjoyed a successful spell at Manchester City, signed by Mark Hughes in 2009 to elevate the club from mid-table makeweights to top-four contenders.

But his real impact came at Newcastle, where he spent 12 of his 21 Premier League seasons and became an unquestionable club legend.

Twice named in the PFA Team of the Year, Given has more Premier League appearances than any other player. Not bad for a lad from Donegal.

2. Robbie Keane

Ireland’s record appearance holder and record goalscorer, Keane was the only outfield player from Ireland’s 2002 World Cup squad to make Euro 2016.

The striker scored over 100 times in the Premier League and played for a host of clubs, all of whom he supported as a boy.

Keane didn’t last long at Liverpool, but was immense for Tottenham alongside the likes of Jermain Defoe and Dimitar Berbatov.

1. Roy Keane

The best Irishman in Premier League history and arguably the best Irish footballer since Johnny Giles.

Keane was a one-man Tasmanian Devil in Manchester United’s midfield, winning seven league titles and becoming the most iconic captain in the competition’s history.

He was also a brilliant passer of the ball and the on-field driving force behind United’s success under Sir Alex Ferguson. Hard b*stard too.