Manchester United icon snubbed as greatest ever Premier League left-winger with top five ranked

Ryan Giggs is one of the greatest left-wingers in Premier League history, but Gabby Agbonlahor thinks two other stars were superior.

The talkSPORT host has listed his top five players in the position amid Heung-min Son’s pending departure from Tottenham.

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Spurs and Los Angeles FC are finalising a move that will see the South Korean legend move to the MLS after a decade in north London.

Son shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah in the 2021/22 campaign by scoring 23 goals.

The 33-year-old leaves Spurs after Europa League glory in May and as one of the best left-wingers to play in the English top flight.

And it’s Son who kickstarts Agbonlahor’s top five, one that could be set to spark debate as 13-time league winner Giggs misses top spot.

The former Welsh international is also one of the most decorated players in English football, but that’s not enough to take the crown.

5 – Heung-min Son

“Five, I have gone for Son. To get 127 goals, 77 assists in the Premier League in 333 games…

“To even be in the 100 Club, playing the majority of his time at Spurs off that left-hand side, the partnership with Harry Kane.

“When I used to watch Son at his peak, probably four or five years ago, he was dangerous. The speed, he could score from outside the box, left or right foot, top corners as well.

“When he went through one vs one, hard, low finishes, you always backed Son when he went through one vs one.

“[Put] fear in defenders, come short, spin, long ball over the top, he could also get assists. I just think he’s going to be very missed in the Premier League and for Spurs.”

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4 – Sadio Mane

“Number four, I’m going to go Mane. I think Mane, probably underrated. At his peak at Liverpool, outstanding player.

“111 goals, in the 100 Club as well, 43 assists in 263 games. Put the stats to the side, when you watched Mane, and you watched Mo Salah, and you watched [Roberto] Firmino, that team, they were electric.

“Mane didn’t want to get the ball and do loads of tricks and showboat, he was direct. Runs in behind, scores goals. He and Salah used to have so many arguments, didn’t they, on the pitch?

“Because they were both so hungry to be that main man, that main goalscorer. It didn’t work out for him at Bayern Munich but at Liverpool, an outstanding player.”

3 – Ryan Giggs

“Number three, I know people are going to say he should be higher, I’m going to go Ryan Giggs. Outstanding player, lucky enough to play against him in the Premier League…

“You do realise you’re going to annoy Manchester United fans even further,” said Natalie Sawyer but Agbonlahor replied: “I’m used to that anyway.”

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He added: “One of the best wingers you will see, the way he could take his player on, delivery, everything.

“But when I watched him, did he get me off my seat compared to the two players ahead of him in one and two?

“Not to the level of that. Outstanding player for Manchester United, to play the amount of games that he did in the Premier League, he’s got the record after Gareth Barry. So, he’s going to go in at number three for me.”

2 – Gareth Bale

“Number two, this guy is close to being number one and when I played against him, and especially when I watched him as well, Gareth Bale.

“Some of the stuff that he did in that season [2010/11], when they got into the Champions League, what he did to Inter Milan in those two games for Spurs, and just some of the goals he was scoring.

“I remember playing against him and three of our players tried to take him out, and he just skipped past them with pace, with speed. I remember the goal against Norwich where he did similar, no one could stop him.

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“Pace, left footed shots, free-kicks, dribbling skills, running at speed, counter-attacks, everything. That’s why he got that move to Real Madrid and did fantastically.

“But, 166 games and 53 goals, 27 assists as a winger, they’re striker numbers. You had Jermain Defoe in the team, you had [Luka] Modric, but he was like, ‘Pass me the ball, I’m going to shoot, I’m going to score.'”

“Like you said, it’s that ability to breeze past people,” Sawyer added as Agbonlahor explained: “How exciting is that to watch as well?

“As a fan, you’re watching, ‘Woah.’ Do you remember that season? It was like every time he got the ball, cut in, left foot, top corner, bottom corner.”

1 – Eden Hazard

“This player, I had the privilege of playing against him. He once said to me on the pitch, ‘Gabby, just have fun. I just want to have the ball and have fun.’ Eden Hazard.

“I remember playing against him and he spoke to me on the pitch, he was like, ‘I just want to have fun.’ I remember Christian Benteke saying to us at Aston Villa that he doesn’t care about scoring, he just wants to assist, wants to take players on, have fun and assist.

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“He was that player, that everyone can agree, got you off your seat. That goal against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, where he just took the mick out of the Arsenal midfield and back line.

“245 games, 85 goals, 54 assists. Some games, he probably just wanted to turn up and enjoy himself. A street footballer, one of the players that you talk about now and you’re like, ‘Yeah, he got you off your seat every game he played.’

“So I think Eden Hazard deserves that number one spot… He was strong, wasn’t he? He had that Mo Salah strength where you couldn’t knock him off the ball.”