Premier League Cult Icons

The Premier League has been inundated with cult icons through the years and we've compiled a list of the greatest 'Barclaysmen' to have graced the division.

Tugay Kerimoğlu

Tugay Kerimoğlu was the Turkish delight who endeared himself to Blackburn Rovers supporters with his wizardry, spectacular goals and admirable dedication to the Lancashire club.

At the ripe old age of 38, Tugay was still dictating football matches. There was a tinge of sadness that we were never able to witness his craft in the Premier League at an earlier stage of his career, although Mark Hughes argued he would be "playing in a Barcelona shirt" if he was.

Even Sir Alex Ferguson said Tugay would have been an ideal fit at Manchester United if he were 10 years younger.

Jay-Jay Okocha

Jay-Jay Okocha - so good they named him twice.

Arriving at Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer from PSG in 2002, Nigerian Okocha would go on to enjoy four unforgettable years in the Premier League, with his technical brilliance making him not only a firm favourite with supporters of the Trotters but football fans across the country.

Geovanni

Scorer of one of the Premier League's all-time greatest goals, Geovanni won the hearts of Hull City supporters with his outrageous talent.

Also an instant fan favourite at Manchester City, his popularity at the club soared to new heights when he scored the match-winning goal in the derby against Manchester United.

Kevin Davies

Hailed by Rio Ferdinand as one of his toughest opponents and labelled a bully by Sir Alex Ferguson, Kevin Davies wreaked havoc on Premier League defenders during a glittering decade with Bolton Wanderers.

Davies was a pivotal figure in Bolton's glory years of the early 2000s. In the days of Jay-Jay Okocha and Stelios Giannakopoulos, the Trotters recorded four consecutive top-half finishes and ventured into Europe with Davies spearing the attack.

Michu

The childhood hero of Erling Haaland, Michu will be remembered as one of the Premier League's greatest one-season wonders.

Signed for £2m from Rayo Vallecano in 2012, Michu was instrumental in Swansea City's League Cup triumph and their 9th-placed finish in the Premier League.

Yakubu

Plucked from obscurity by the renowned 'wheeler and dealer' Harry Redknapp in 2003, Yakubu would go on to intimidate Premier League defences for the best part of a decade.

"Feed the Yak and he will score!"

And score he did. Across four clubs in the Premier League, Yakubu scored over 100 goals in all competitions and carved his cult icon status through his ferocious physicality.

Juninho Paulista

Juninho and Middlesbrough will forever remain synonymous; it was the most unlikely match, made in heaven!

In every sense of the word, he was a true genius with outstanding vision, a clear eye for goal and an abundance of tricks up his sleeve that justified the entrance fee into any game that he was involved in alone.

As Middlesbrough fans quickly found out, there was far more to Juninho’s game than his myriad of skills. He was uncompromising in the tackle, remarkably robust and as tough as they come. For many, especially those of a Boro persuasion, he simply possessed the lot.

Morten Gamst Pedersen

Boasting a wand of a left foot and unrelenting stamina, Norwegian Morten Gamst Pedersen became an iconic figure at Blackburn Rovers across nine years at the club.

Signing for Blackburn from Norwegian outfit Tromso in 2004, Pedersen quickly became admired as one of the top players in the Premier League outside of the traditionally acknowledged top clubs, as a cultured midfielder capable of regularly providing goals and assists for Rovers.

Dubbed the 'Norwegian David Beckham', Pedersen had highlighted blond hair which, alongside his skills, made him stand out on the pitch.

Dimitri Payet

Dimitri Payet's career at West Ham was a brief love-affair but nothing could detract from the Frenchman's inescapable brilliance during his time in east London.

With a box of tricks and faultless precision, he would conjure extraordinary moments of magic to put the opposition to the sword.

Even after his unceremonious departure from West Ham, Payet's genius will be celebrated in the Premier League's archives for many years to come.

Elano

A major coup at the start of Thaksin Shinawatra's bold but brief tenure as owner of Manchester City, Elano established himself as a cult icon during his two years in M11.

Elano's samba flair, incisive passing and audacious long-range efforts endeared himself to the Man City faithful.

Even when the Shinawatra era proved to be a false dawn and the infinite resource of Sheikh Mansour began to filter through, Elano would still exhibit glimpses of his magic during a watershed period for the club.

Gianfranco Zola

The signing of Gianfranco Zola elevated Chelsea from the depths of obscurity and set the foundations for their unprecedented success in the years that followed.

In his first season he was instrumental in the Blues’ second-ever FA Cup success and in the following year he added the League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup to his impressive collection.

The Premier League captivated by the divine skill of this diminutive genius, Zola would collect another FA Cup winners’ medal before departing Chelsea as a legend in 2003.