One of Wales’ best-ever players, Aaron Ramsey, has recently retired from professional football, having announced his decision on social media.
This got us thinking. Who are the best Wales players of all time and where does Ramsey rank amongst them?
Today, we have put together a list of the best Wales players of all time. We’ll be looking at players from across all eras – this list isn’t just limited to the Premier League era.
Honourable Mentions
We had to leave out some fantastic players to complete the top ten – as such, we thought we’d give a quick shout-out to some honourable mentions.
John Hartson just missed out on a spot in the list – a durable journeyman striker, Hartson won 51 caps for the Red Dragons. Additionally, he also enjoyed fruitful spells at ArsenalWest Ham United and Celtic.
Billy Meredith was certainly in contention for a spot on the list. Wales’ first-ever superstar, he won 48 caps for his country between the years of 1895 and 1920.
Finally, we have to mention John Charleswho was a goalscoring wizard at Leeds United and Juventus – in particular, he won three Serie A titles during his time in Turin.
10. Dean Saunders
Dean Saunders had a rollercoaster of a career. He won the FA Cup with Liverpool and the League Cup with Aston Villa, as well as being an excellent natural goalscorer – however, he was also involved in no less than eight relegation seasons.
Nevertheless, Saunders was an excellent striker during his prime years – particularly at clubs such as Oxford United, Derby County and Galatasaray.
9. Aaron Ramsey
For us, Aaron Ramsey is the ninth-best Wales player of all time. His nine-year run at Arsenal is the main reason behind this, winning three FA Cups and two Community Shields with the Gunners.
As a midfielder, Ramsey was fantastic on the ball. An excellent passer with an acute eye for goal, his 86 caps for Wales were richly-deserved.
8. Craig Bellamy
A polarising character to say the least, Craig Bellamy’s outspoken antics off the field often lead people to forget how great of a footballer he was during his best years.
Perhaps his best season came in 2005/06, when he scored 13 Premier League goals from the heart of midfield for Blackburn Rovers – he also played for clubs such as Newcastle United, Manchester City and Liverpool.
