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Top Ten Spaniards In The BPL

10 - David de Gea

He's only at number ten now, but in a few years he will probably be much further up a list such as this. The stories last season suggesting that Sir Alex Ferguson had lost patience with his young goalie last season were utterly baffling - why would you spend so much money on a youthful stopper, knowing that he is still learning, knowing that he will make some mistakes, then cut him loose after he made these mistakes? 

We're quite certain Ferguson had no such intention of selling De Gea, because there are things the Spaniard can do that simply can't be coached - his weaknesses are all things that can be worked on, while saves like the ones he made against Real Madrid last season come from natural talent. It will be interesting to see how De Gea adapts to working with Chris Woods, rather than Eric Steele, the goalkeeping coach with whom he had apparently developed a fine understanding over the past couple of seasons.


9 - Luis Garcia
 

Here's a thing - in the '100 Players Who Shook The Kop' online poll from the Liverpool website, of the players at Anfield when the poll was taken, only Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard finished higher than Garcia. Signed fairly quietly by Rafa Benitez shortly after his arrival at Anfield, Garcia was a talented if sometimes frustrating presence on Liverpool's flanks, but perhaps that was part of the reason he was loved. Because who wants perfection? As long as someone isn't a bad person, and providing they're not 'all flaw', flaws are good. If a footballer has the capacity to occasionally make you gasp by doing something few others are capable of, then the odd shank into the crowd when a more sensible option was on isn't really a problem.


8 - Fernando Hierro and Michel Salgado
 

These two have been chucked together because only the most optimistic of Spaniards could claim they were anything other than past their best when they came to England. Still, it was simply a pleasure to have players like Salgado (Steve McManaman famously said that the first words he learned in Spanish after arriving at Real Madrid were 'cover me') and Hierro in this country. Perhaps this doesn't say great things about the mentality in the English game - would a Spanish observer have thought it was quite such a pleasure to have an ageing Rio Ferdinand play for, say, Sevilla? Maybe, maybe not.


7 - David Silva
 

I could write at length about what a special, nimble wee player Silva is, but sometimes it's better to just present a simple example of his skill. Yep, it's the pass to Edin Dzeko in the 2011 Manchester derby.


6 - Pepe Reina
 

Bit of a Liverpool-heavy list this, but at his peak Reina was a terrific keeper, and one that was actually entertaining as well. Probably the finest 'distributor' in English football since Peter Schmeichel, Reina's enthusiasm was often infectious and endeared him to fans across the country, not just on the Kop. While that letter he wrote to Liverpool fans upon his departure was mawkish and a bit silly, one bit was rather sweet, and summed Reina up nicely: 'I have been asked what my favourite Liverpool moment was and if I had to pick one it wouldn't be a save or winning a trophy. It would be my celebration against Manchester United when David Ngog scored a late goal. That is probably the quickest I have ever run in my life!'


5 - Mikel Arteta
 

There seems to be a theme with Spanish midfielders who make their way in England - they all seem like thoroughly good eggs. And so too does Arteta, with his mysteriously motionless hair. What's impressive about Arteta is that he has succeeded in a number of different positions in the middle of the park, from the initial 'pivot' position that he played at Everton, to the 'number ten' and attacking left midfielder role he often filled on Merseyside, then back to the screening, deep-lying ticker-over that makes him so valuable for Arsenal.


4 - Fernando Torres
 

Forget the humungous transfer fee, forget his stumbling performances in a Chelsea shirt, and forget his increasing descent into 'spoilt brat' territory - for a couple of years after arriving in England, Torres was sensational. The interesting thing about Torres was what set him apart for those couple of years. His main quality wasn't something that traditionally stands out with strikers - he was pretty quick without being Theo Walcott, strongish without being Duncan Ferguson and an excellent finisher without being Robbie Fowler. These things do not a great striker make, but what Torres did better than just about anyone else was find space - often just half a yard, creating it for himself with a shift or a shimmy, which when he was confident was enough to make him deadly. Maybe he won't have that combination back again, but it was there for a while, and that's enough.


3 - Cesc Fabregas
 

While there's a real possibility of Cesc falling down our favourites list for being involved in not one, but two long-running and tedious transfer sagas, he manages to retain a place in our list due to his delicate touch and slide-rule passing. What's interesting about Fabregas is how he was basically forced into maturing very early. From moving to England aged just 16, to becoming a first-team regular only a year later, this was more responsibility than most teenagers have. "He has been up against Thomas Gravesen, Ray Parlour and Tugay - three men," said Arsene Wenger after the 17-year-old had started the 2004/5 season in Arsenal's midfield. "And in every game, he has done very well. That is something amazing." The theme continued with him quickly becoming Arsenal's key player and indeed captain by the age of 21, when most players are still learning. Perhaps maturity is an odd quality to credit a man who threw pizza at a pensioner with, but Fabregas's calm play in those early days can only be put down to an assurance beyond his years.


2 - Juan Mata
 

People don't really agree about much, these days. With Twitter and whatnot it's just much easier to call someone an arsehole because they vaguely disagree with your opinion than engage in a cogent discussion. However, one thing seemed to bring everyone together earlier this summer, specifically the stories that emerged from somewhere suggesting that Jose Mourinho, for whatever reason, wasn't keen on Mata, and wanted to get rid. 

The rumour that he'd even be willing to use him in a part-exchange deal for Wayne Rooney was particularly odd. Of course, those rumours have been rubbished by Chelsea now, which is quite the relief, for we will have another season at least of his understated magic. Theoretically he should be one of those chaps you hate, because he's too perfect - brilliant footballer, good guy, can wear a suit better than you - but you can't help yourself. Please Jose - don't get rid of Juan.


1 - Xabi Alonso
 

Oh, how we love you so Xabi. There often seems to be a divide between Liverpool fans - or, perhaps more accurately, those Liverpool fans, the overly emotional/delusional ones, the brush with which the rest are frequently tarred - but one man usually brings everyone together. So what was it about Alonso that unites the people that were supposed to love him for sentimental reasons and those that have no real emotional connection to him? It was partly his grace, and his incredible range of passing, but also that he was one of those players that controlled entire teams, in the same way that Andrea Pirlo does.

At his best he seemed to pull his teammates around on bits of string, gently but with a calm authority. It was like he was in control of a table football team, pushing and pulling the bars when he fancied it. It also helped that he seems like a genuinely nice guy, as well as being awfully handsome and possessing a smashing beard, but these are superficial things.

source: http://www.football365.com/topical-top-10/8856221/Top-Ten