3) Robert Pires
The Frenchman just seemed to be the player who was always in the right place at the right time. A parried save, Pires would tuck away the rebound. A lapse in a defender’s concentration, Pires would make them pay.
But that’s not to say that’s all he did. Pires was bought for a relatively small figure but more than replaced the outgoing Overmars with style, skill, pace and verve.
That he managed to win the Football Writer’s Association Player of the Year award despite a season ending injury says all you need to know.