Some of the best 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 occurred with Mason Mount; he was meant to be Chels through and through. We all assumed he bled blue. But no, he bleeds red. Which is a relief.

As we rate the ten finest 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 came to Crystal Palace from Brentford’s junior academy at the age of 16, gets a pass. Even Norway international Oscar Bobb counts as having joined Manchester City the day he turned 16.

Anyway, here are the top ten one-club men in the Premier League, containing two players from teams 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 killed me a little bit, but it has given me the chance to write about Newcastle’s most promising prospect since God knows who. Probably Gazza in the mid-’80s, which is a bit mental. Sorry Shola.

Miley was brought in to the first team to cover the gaps, with Eddie Howe struggling with an alarming number of injuries. He is 18 in May but has demonstrated the maturity of a 28-year-old in midfield, taking it to elite 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 outstanding, very young, one-club players in the Premier League right now. Miley and Manchester City’s Oscar Bobb spring to mind.

Eighteen-year-old Mainoo is marginally ahead of both, which might be reactive considering Miley’s performances this season. If you think this is the wrong decision, we will not trouble ourselves by debating with you.

The manner in which Mainoo has slotted into the shambles of a Manchester United midfielder should not be underestimated, keeping fellow one-club man Scott McTominay out of Erik ten Hag’s starting XI.

The England Under-19 international is obviously one for the future, having already demonstrated he has all the attributes required to play in centre midfield, with great numbers defensively and on the ball. For example, Mainoo records 2.74 clearances and 1.83 aerial duels won per game, which ranks very significantly compared to other Premier League midfielders.

8) Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace)
It is fair to say that Mitchell has not yet reached the level we expected of him once he broke 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 top 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 top 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 via injury since December 2020, which makes him some type of freak.

7) Curtis Jones (Liverpool)
He might have been in the poorest 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 for whom Jurgen Klopp has improved more than the Merseysider.

One goal and one assist in the Premier League this season does not create a beautiful picture, and to justify it by stating Jones’ game isn’t about goals would be a bit of a lie, wouldn’t it? Goal contributions aside, he is becoming the ultimate Klopp midfielder, just in time for the famous boss to leave.

We really appreciate what Jones is doing this season, and it is no surprise that Liverpool are at the top of the Premier League with him usually 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 regularly as he does in a club continuously receiving new big-money acquisitions tells volumes about his quality.

Versatility is a crucial asset at City, and it is something Lewis has in abundance. He is naturally a right-back but has only played there twice this season, playing the great majority of his minutes in defensive midfield, which is absolutely not simple to accomplish, even if Pep Guardiola’s side dominates possession.

His playing time in the Premier League has not been too encouraging this term, but City are really quite good, so there will be plenty of possibilities between now and the conclusion of 2023/24.

5) Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
We are not too certain that Rashford will see out his career at Old Trafford following another one of his antics, 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 terrible this season.

However, some fans are becoming increasingly unhappy with Rashford’s failure to affect football contests in which he doesn’t muster up a goal. There is no doubting his skill, and when things are going well for him, they seem to be going better than they are for most others, but it simply feels like Rashford has never been on the same level as your Bukayo Sakas and Phil Fodens, who can affect games without getting a goal contribution.

The England winger will no doubt leave us with an egg on our faces by bagging 30 goals next season.

4) Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
Perhaps contentious and definitely knee-jerk, but we have rated 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 he is officially a one-club guy and the only player on this list who does not come from England.

This is a player with a tremendous future for both Manchester United and Argentina. He is just going to get better, which is terrifying 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 guy with some telling disadvantages to his game, and the Liverpool right-back is no different. We all know what his main flaw is: defending. Luckily, his technical ability substantially surpasses his doubtful abilities defensively. In the same category as Kevin De Bruyne when it comes to blasting 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 likely certainty for the 25-year-old, who now 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 want to be a major part of an England squad 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 condition in his 2018 contract extension that promised he would sit on the bench for six years, Mr. Custis. He has, in reality, become a very significant player under Pep Guardiola, and much like Trent, he could easily be first on our 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 significant topics. 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 just have his pants pulled down by players like Kylian Mbappe or Leroy Sane if he plays right-back.

Foden’s finest location 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 mesmerizing—taking it in his stride, picking a pass, or firing 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 have a comparable age, will be in the England squad for the next decade, and are at elite clubs in the Premier League. The discussion will never cease, but we know who we favor out of the two.

The Arsenal winger got into the Gunners’ first squad under Unai Emery, beginning off as a left-back before transferring to left-wing-back and eventually the left wing. He was pretty solid defensively for a teenage winger playing adult 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 versions 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, and pretty much what they are thinking. That is very, very dangerous, and it has greatly helped Saka become the player he is today.

On top of being a brilliant footballer, he is absolutely lovely, isn’t he? We all want to be his best friend, deep down.