Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have revealed their top ten Premier League players who burst onto the scene in the latest Match of the Day podcast, with fellow pundit Micah Richards sparking laughter by ranking himself first.
Shearer placed Erling Haaland at number one, followed by Andy Cole, Sergio Aguero, Kevin Phillips, Jaap Stam, N'Golo Kante, Mohamed Salah, Fernando Torres, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Micah Richards at ten. Lineker, a Leicester fan, praised Kante's debut season, calling him 'one of the best bargains ever' at £5.5 million.
Richards, however, argued he should be top, citing his early achievements: 'Name a player who was doing what I was doing at 17 or 18! Debut for Man City, scoring in the FA Cup, England debut at 18, nominated for player of the year.' He ranked Haaland second, noting the striker's supporting cast at Manchester City.
The pundits agreed Haaland's impact was remarkable, with 36 goals in 35 league games last season, though Richards maintained his own case for the top spot.
