Underrated Premier League players: part one, from Arsenal to Liverpool
Position Centre-forward Time at club 2012-2018 League apps/goals 180/73
Karim Benzema might take issue with the idea, but Giroud has always been more than a chugging go-kart. Perhaps his misfortune was that, for most of his time at Arsenal, there was someone else to take the limelight. Arriving in the wake of Robin van Persie’s departure made for unenviable timing, while he pitched up just as Theo Walcott produced his most spectacular season and, later on, was overshadowed by Alexis Sánchez and Alexandre Lacazette. But Giroud was far more than a bridesmaid: his goal tally hit the late-teens in five of six seasons, while moments such as the “scorpion” strike against Crystal Palace and the chip that set up Aaron Ramsey’s 2017 FA Cup final winner – one of three won on Giroud’s watch – were ample proof of his diverse gifts. Nick Ames
Aston Villa: Wilfred Bouma
Position Left-back Time at club 2005-2010 League apps/goals 83/1
The Dutchman is seldom recalled as a top Premier League import but for two seasons he was one of its most satisfying performers. It took him time to adapt after being signed by David O’Leary and he did not flourish until Martin O’Neill made him first choice. Then he bossed Villa’s left flank, powerfully shutting down opponents and joining in attacks. An ankle injury in a 2008 Intertoto match sabotaged his Villa career. The club have yet to find a left-back of the same calibre. Paul Doyle
Bournemouth: Yann Kermorgant
Position Striker Time at club 2014-2016 League apps/goals 61/24
The Frenchman was 32 when Eddie Howe signed him from Charlton but Kermorgant proved a big hit, providing a touch of class and the perfect foil for Lewis Grabban and then Callum Wilson en route to the Premier
League. Reaching the top was supposed to be impossible – at 14 he was told he would struggle to walk after being diagnosed with leukaemia – but Kermorgant carved out a career and his partnership with Wilson proved particularly fruitful, clever interplay allowing his strike-partner to flourish. Kermorgant’s stay was brief but, from the moment he scored a hat-trick on his full debut against Doncaster, he made a lasting impression. He retired this week. Ben Fisher
Brighton: Glenn Murray
Position Striker Time at club 2008-2011, 2016- League apps/goals 255/103
Two separate spells across three divisions, more than 100 goals and a mountain of memories, the evergreen Murray has excelled everywhere from Oldham to Old Trafford in the blue and white stripes since first joining from Carlisle for £300,000 in January 2008. Murray’s achievements are not to be sniffed at and, at 36, there is an argument he remains Brighton’s most lethal weapon. After signing a new contract in February, Murray is well placed to eclipse Tommy Cook’s 123-goal haul and become the club’s record scorer. BF
Burnley: Ashley Westwood
Position Midfield Time at club 2017League apps/goals 88/4
Lots of Burnley players have been underrated, clubs punching above their weight tend not to get the recognition they deserve. Beavering away inconspicuously in midfield of late has been Ashley Westwood, an unflashy yet effective performer who rarely hits the headlines but whose contribution is missed when he is absent. The former Crewe and Aston Villa player will tell you he likes to keep things simple and just retain possession before moving the ball on to a teammate, though he does more than that. His anticipation is excellent, some of his through balls are inspired, and his set piece delivery is so good he has even started scoring direct from corners. A £5m bargain buy, even by Burnley’s frugal standards. Paul Wilson
Chelsea: Mikel John Obi
Position Midfielder Time at club 2006-2017 League apps/goals 249/1
It was always hard to believe that the midfielder played in an advanced creative role for Nigeria. He rarely showed many incisive qualities in Chelsea’s colours – his only goal for the club was a close-range effort against Fulham in September 2013 – and there were times when he struggled to convince critics of his worth. However Mikel’s managers respected his positional intelligence and he was outstanding in Chelsea’s greatest triumph, the victory over Bayern in the 2012
Champions League final. Jacob Steinberg
Crystal Palace: James McArthur
Position Midfielder Time at club 2014- League apps/goals 188/17
Having helped Wigan win the FA Cup 12 months earlier, McArthur was initially meant to join Leicester in 2014 but ended up at Selhurst after Nigel Pearson opted to sign Esteban Cambiasso instead. The versatile Scot has since established himself as an integral part of the SE25 furniture, with only Wilfried Zaha having made more than his 188 Premier League appearances of the current squad. McArthur has been deployed in most midfield positions over the past six years and even stood in at left-back during one injury crisis. His reunification with his former Hamilton and Wigan teammate and near namesake James McCarthy also appears to have given the 32-year-old Glaswegian a new lease of life as he approaches 500 career league appearances. Ed Aarons
Everton: Leon Osman
Position Midfield Time at club 2003-2016 League apps/goals 352/43
His statistics and longevity reflect a fine career yet there is no question the academy graduate’s talent often went unrecognised outside, and sometimes inside, Goodison Park. The midfielder’s superb technical ability marked him out as potential first-team material when Everton won the FA Youth Cup in 1998 only for a serious knee injury to delay his development. Osman eventually established himself under David Moyes and, while his versatility came at the expense of a settled position, he produced many exquisite moments, not least a stunning goal against Larissa in the 2007-08 Uefa Cup. Recognition at senior England level finally arrived at 31. Andy Hunter
Leicester City: Marc Albrighton
Position Midfield Time at club 2014League apps/goals 164/10
Like Muzzy Izzet before him, Albrighton is loved by Leicester fans but not fully appreciated outside the club. His performances since joining on a free from Aston Villa put him close to Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kanté in the rankings of great Premier League bargains. He has also been one of the division’s best crossers, but that is merely the most eye-catching quality of a clever, dynamic and versatile player. He was key to the title-winning team, shone in the Champions League and, somehow, never got called up by England. PD
Liverpool: Steve Finnan
Position Right-back Time at club 2003-08 League apps/goals 145/1
There was only one Champions League winner who could not be tracked down for the 10-year anniversary celebration of Istanbul in 2015. It was no surprise, and highly appropriate, that it was Steve Finnan. Unfussy summed up his approach on and off the pitch, but for the bulk of his Anfield career the Republic of Ireland international was a highly effective solution to a right-back problem that preceded and followed him. In Istanbul he was injured and replaced at halftime by the game-changing Dietmar Hamann. When the 10-year anniversary arrived he was managing a property business in London. He retired only two years after leaving Liverpool, having fallen foul of Rafael Benítez’s fixation with changing right-backs, but his rise from non-league football was uncharacteristically spectacular. AH
• Part two to follow on Thursday
cause of the pandemic and postponed Tokyo 2020 Games. Bach warned there needed to be a “comprehensive debate” to shape sport in a post-coronavirus world – and proposed a wide-ranging consultation on the future challenges and possibilities including looking