3. Patrick Vieira – France – Arsenal, Manchester City
Like Keane at United, the Frenchman was a born warrior and led the Gunners to their own dominant purple patch in the late ’90s and early ’00s.
He has a stung case for being billed as the best central midfielder the Premier League has ever seen and many were left scratching their heads when Arsene Wenger let him leave for Italy.
Topped of his career with a short stint at Manchester City, where he won the FA Cup and helped facilitate their transformation as one of the league’s powerhouses.