Some of the greatest players of all time have been one-club men. You immediately think of Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Carles Puyol and Francesco Totti. Jamie Carragher and Tony Adams represent the Premier League.
They are becoming a rare breed. Look at what happened with Mason Mount; he was meant to be Chels through and through. We all thought he bled blue. But no, he bleeds red. Which is a relief.

As we rank the ten best one-club men currently in the Premier League, there are some ground rules to go over…
If you have played senior football anywhere else, you are no longer a one-club man. You are, in fact, a traitor like Harry. That means no Reece James or Jacob Ramsey.
Someone like Tyrick Mitchell who moved to Crystal Palace from Brentford’s youth academy at the age of 16 gets a pass. Even Norway international Oscar Bobb counts having joined Manchester City the day he turned 16.
Anyway, here are the top ten one-club men in the Premier League, featuring two players from clubs outside the Big Six.
 
10) Lewis Miley (Newcastle United)
Discovering that Solly March has one senior appearance for Lewes after writing 150 words about him destroyed me a little bit, but it has given me the chance to write about Newcastle’s most promising youngster since God knows who. Probably Gazza in the mid-’80s, which is a bit mental. Sorry Shola.

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Miley was brought in to the first team to fill the gaps with Eddie Howe contending with an alarming number of injuries. He turns 18 in May but has shown the maturity of a 28-year-old in midfield, taking it to top clubs and world-class midfielders in the Premier League and Champions League.
When Joe Willock returns to full fitness, it will be very hard to drop young Miley.
 
9) Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
There are a few superb very, very young one-club players in the Premier League right now. Miley and Manchester City’s Oscar Bobb come to mind.
Eighteen-year-old Mainoo is slightly ahead of both, which might be reactionary given Miley’s performances this season. If you think this is the wrong decision, we will not bother ourselves arguing with you.
The way Mainoo has slotted into a mess of a Manchester United midfield should not be understated, keeping fellow one-club man Scott McTominay out of Erik ten Hag’s starting XI.

The England Under-19 international is clearly one for the future having already shown he has all the attributes required to play in centre midfield, boasting impressive statistics defensively and on the ball. For example, Mainoo records 2.74 clearances and 1.83 aerial duels won per game, which ranks pretty highly in comparison to other Premier League midfielders.
READ: Mainoo and Jones could challenge Gareth Southgate’s natural pragmatism
 
8) Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace)
It is fair to say that Mitchell has not quite reached the level we expected of him after he burst onto the scene in 2020. The 24-year-old – who has two England caps – still has plenty of time to become one of the Premier League’s best left-backs and we think that is a possibility. We just need to see a little bit more.
Regardless, Mitchell is still one of the best one-club men in Our League. Well, the eighth-best, specifically. He already has 129 appearances for Crystal Palace and is very rarely unavailable. He has not missed a game through injury since December 2020, which makes him some kind of freak.

 
7) Curtis Jones (Liverpool)
He might have been in the worst XI of the most recent Premier League weekend, but what a season Jones is having. And on the subject of success stories under current managers, there are not many players Jurgen Klopp has improved more than the Merseysider.
One goal and one assist in the Premier League this season does not paint a pretty picture, and to defend it by saying Jones’ game isn’t about goals would be a bit of a lie, wouldn’t it? Goal contributions aside, he is becoming the perfect Klopp midfielder, just in time for the legendary manager to leave.
We really like what Jones is doing this season and it is no coincidence that Liverpool are top of the Premier League with him regularly starting in midfield.
 
6) Rico Lewis (Manchester City)
Lewis is one of the finest players to come through the Manchester City youth academy and the fact he plays as often as he does in a team constantly welcoming new big-money signings speaks volumes about his ability.

Versatility is a valuable asset at City and it is something Lewis has in abundance. He is naturally a right-back but has only played there twice all season, playing the vast majority of his minutes in defensive midfield, which is absolutely not easy to do, even if Pep Guardiola’s side dominates possession.
His playing time in the Premier League has not been too promising this term, but City are really quite good so there will be plenty of opportunities between now and the end of 2023/24.
 
5) Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
We are not too convinced that Rashford will see out his career at Old Trafford after another one of his escapades, but he still remains one of their own and with that, there will always be affection from the fans, even if he has been a bit rubbish this season.
However, some fans are becoming very frustrated with Rashford’s inability to influence football matches in which he doesn’t muster up a goal. There is no doubting his ability and when things are going well for him, they seem to be going better than they are for most others, but it just feels like Rashford has never been on the same level as your Bukayo Sakas and Phil Fodens, who can influence games without getting a goal contribution.
The England winger will no doubt leave us with egg on our faces by bagging 30 goals next season.

Alejandro Garnacho is substituted for Marcus Rashford.
© Provided by Football365
 
4) Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
Perhaps controversial and probably knee-jerk, but we have ranked Garnacho above Rashford. This time last year, that obviously would not have been the case, but a lot can change in the space of a year and we can comfortably admit that the Argentine youngster has become a much more important player and someone who has stood up and been counted during Man Utd’s most difficult spells this season.

Signed from Atletico Madrid in October 2020, the 19-year-old never made a senior appearance for the La Liga giants so is officially a one-club man and the only player on this list who does not come from England.
This is a player with a massive future for both Man Utd and Argentina. He is only going to get better, which is daunting for Premier League full-backs.
 
3) Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
The top three are in a league of their own and inseparable if truth be told; Alexander-Arnold could easily have been first.
Rashford is a player with pretty telling downsides to his game, and the Liverpool right-back is no different. We all know what his biggest shortcoming is: defending. Luckily, his technical ability heavily outweighs his suspect ability defensively. In the same league as Kevin De Bruyne when it comes to whipping the ball into the box, the Belgian is the only player in world football superior to Trent in that regard.

Retiring at Liverpool feels like a sure thing for the 25-year-old, who currently has 301 appearances for the Reds and is on course to make over 700 in total. For context, Steven Gerrard – who is not a one-club man – played 710 times for the Reds.
Alexander-Arnold is already a Liverpool legend and will hope to be a crucial part of an England team that is crowned European champions in the summer. If he is, it will likely be as a midfielder, because, you know, defending and that.
 
2) Phil Foden (Manchester City)
It turns out Foden did not have a clause in his 2018 contract extension that ensured he would sit on the bench for six years, Mr Custis. He has, in fact, become a very important player under Pep Guardiola and just like Trent, could easily be first on this list. If you think the top three should be flipped, that is fine.
When discussing the best England XI, Foden and Alexander-Arnold are two key debates. Should the former be on the wing? Should he play as a No. 10? Should he come off the bench? With the latter, it feels like midfield or bust as he would simply have his pants pulled down by players like Kylian Mbappe or Leroy Sane if he plays right-back.

Foden’s best position is in the middle of the park. There are not many better at receiving the ball in between the lines and how he receives it can be mesmerising, taking it in his stride and picking a pass or shooting at goal. He is easy on the eye. Football-wise that is. Eyebrow slits are not my cup of tea.
 
1) Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Saka vs Foden will be a battle for the ages. Both are a similar age, will be in the England squad for the next decade, and are at top clubs in the Premier League. The debate will never cease but we know who we prefer out of the two.
The Arsenal winger broke into the Gunners’ first team under Unai Emery, starting off as a left-back before shifting to left-wing-back and then the left wing. He was pretty solid defensively for a teenage winger playing senior football. Emery might have given Saka his debut but it is under Mikel Arteta that he has become a world-class player.

The Spanish manager’s ability to make wide players the best version of themselves needs to be studied. Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Martinelli and Saka are four players to benefit from Arteta’s coaching and Arsenal’s two starting wingers are up there with the very best. Martinelli might be flashier and recently pulled Liverpool’s pants down, but Saka is a level above.
It’s almost like playing as a full-back was the perfect education for the Arsenal fan favourite. He knows what his opposing left-back hates, what makes them feel comfortable, pretty much what they are thinking. That is very, very dangerous, and has massively helped Saka become the player he is today.
On top of being a fantastic footballer, he is just lovely, isn’t he? We all want to be his best pal deep down.
READ NEXT: Bukayo Saka and the 2020 vision that now puts Arsenal man ahead of Mo Salah

Mainoo and Jones could challenge Gareth Southgate’s natural pragmatism

Gareth Southgate names his England squad for Euro 2024 in less than four months. Could a currently uncapped player or two yet force their way into his plans?
When putting together a rough draft of what an England squad could look like (the last England ladder is here), there are probably 13 players who are absolute certain to be there, which leaves 10 open spots and competition is as fierce as it’s ever been, such is the depth of talent at Southgate’s disposal.

Ivan Toney’s credentials have been discussed before, and he has returned to the game with relative ease, but Dominic Solanke (13) and Ollie Watkins (11) are two of the top scorers in the Premier League. At least one, and likely two, will miss out next summer in the battle to be Harry Kane’s understudy.
As could Jarrod Bowen, who has also scored 11 times in the league this season – three of the top six scorers are English – given the Three Lions are incredibly well stocked in wide positions.
Of the 13 certs to be in Germany next summer, three are wide players: Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Bukayo Saka. Marcus Rashford will also probably make it if he continues his recent upturn in goalscoring, if not overall form.
Talent on the flanks means Anthony Gordon, uncapped at senior level but a star in the Under 21s Euros success last summer and in brilliant form for Newcastle all season, will also need to arrange alternative plans for June.

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As will Raheem Sterling, who seems to be the exception to the rule when it comes to Southgate’s unwavering loyalty.
Harry Maguire has been a beneficiary of that and is now even more guaranteed of his spot next summer due to increased gametime for Manchester United. Lisandro Martinez’s knee injury should ensure plenty more minutes over the coming months too.
John Stones is certain to partner Maguire once again at the back if he’s fit, while Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw also have little to worry about regarding selection.
Presuming Marc Guehi retains his position as third-choice centre-back, that probably leaves one open spot at the heart of defence, assuming Trippier is covering left-back.
It appears to be a battle between Fikayo Tomori, whose on-off England career has earned him just five caps, Ezri Konsa, who was selected in November but remains uncapped, and Brighton’s reliable Lewis Dunk.

Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite is an outsider worth keeping an eye on, but a post-Euros debut seems a safer bet.
That leaves midfield as the primary area of contention, and it’s a position where there are two uncapped players making serious cases for inclusion: Curtis Jones and Kobbie Mainoo.
Jones has been on the scene far longer, having made his Liverpool debut in 2019, but it is only this season that he has truly become an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s side and squad.
He can play across midfield, more than capable of sitting deep or surging from box to box, with an eye for a goal.
On the other hand, Mainoo is the new kid on the block, barely 10 games into his senior career. But he has not just come into the Manchester United first team and belonged; he has arguably been their best player in the last two-and-a-half months.
READ: Kobbie Mainoo eighth in ranking of Man Utd academy graduates post Class of ’92

It might sound slightly hyperbolic, but it isn’t a surprise to anyone at Old Trafford. This was entirely predicted. His ceiling is not visible from the ground.
The 18-year-old would have been in United’s team long before late November but for a serious ankle injury suffered in pre-season, but he is more than making up for lost time now.
Standing in Mainoo and Jones’ way are two of the most-maligned English players and the easiest sticks to use on Southgate: Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips.
The loyalty shown to both is admirable if not entirely bizarre, given the former’s disgraceful Saudi sojourn and the latter’s 18-month semi-retirement at Manchester City.
Both made transfers last month – Henderson moving to Ajax to solve the ills of Amsterdam society, and Phillips to West Ham, where he has made a less-than-impressive start, which must be in part due to rustiness.

His 89 minutes for the Irons in his two games to date are two more than he managed for City across the first half of the season. He isn’t even certain to start for David Moyes’s side, with Edson Alvarez first choice in his preferred position.
Much to the apathy of Rio Ferdinand and others, Southgate went to the Dutch capital to watch Henderson make his debut for his new club instead of having a further look at Mainoo, Jones or the countless other England hopefuls in Premier League action last weekend.
What was he hoping to see? Henderson is pushing 34 and has been part of the England squad since Southgate took over, and long before. He is what he is, if not progressively getting worse. Was it worth an in-person watching brief?
It does tell you where the England manager’s current thoughts are in truth, and there is some basis to those thoughts even if it could and should be debunked.

This is likely Southgate’s last tournament and last chance at winning a trophy with England. He is unlikely to be thinking of either post-tournament or his successor when picking a squad.
Experience is valuable, and Henderson and Phillips have that in spades, while both have played in defensive midfield roles – where there is a lack of natural cover for Declan Rice – for England before.
All valid points but all that can be countered.
Come on Gareth, it’s your last tournament and last chance at winning a trophy. Pick your best players. Jones is at Liverpool ahead of Henderson in a sense, while nobody sane could currently debate Phillips over Mainoo.
You need experience? England could not have more. Champions League winners, Premier League winners, Euro 2020 finalists, World Cup veterans. You name it, they have it.
Mainoo and Jones are playing for the two biggest and most followed clubs in the country, where the pressure could not be currently greater due to constant crises and a multi-pronged title charge in Jurgen Klopp’s last season. England duty is unlikely to faze either.

Henderson is considered an important leader, but his stock has immeasurably fallen of late (albeit other players likely do not care) and he has been surpassed by Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham both in midfield and in the captaincy ranks.
As for specialist defensive midfield back-ups, would any England fan feel more secure with Henderson and Phillips sitting at the base of a midfield? Maybe three years ago but not now.
Pragmatism has worked for Southgate before, and does in general in international football, but it has also cost him, notably in that Euros final.
With squads being reduced back to 23 from 26, there is less room for experimentation, but England have nothing to fear, and Southgate should be bold this summer, and give both a chance in next month’s friendlies with Brazil and Belgium in place of two has-beens.
READ: Jordan Henderson out, Ross Barkley in for England as boos make way for guy who just ‘loves footy’