Winning the Premier League would be a dream for any footballer, so it’s no surprise that some players will do anything to get their hands on a medal.
Over the years, plenty of players have coasted their way to a Premier League winners’ medal on the back of dead rubbers and substitute appearances. Some have pushed their managers into it, while others have been genuinely embarrassed to pick up personal silverware.
We’ve found 11 players who cruised into the history books without really contributing anything.
Michael Owen
Given that he won the Premier League Golden Boot (twice) and Player of the Season while at Liverpool, Michael Owen probably deserves a Premier League medal.
But did he deserve one in 2010–11, a decade after his peak, playing for Liverpool’s greatest enemies?
To be fair to him, Owen did score two goals in 11 appearances during Alex Ferguson’s penultimate title-winning season at United, one of them a game-saving equaliser against Bolton.
And he was pretty modest about the honour as well.
“There are players who would be 10 times more deserving of a Premier League medal in this team than me, so it is not as though I will be flashing it around,’’ Owen said.
“But there is no point being embarrassed about accepting something you have been part of. I didn’t get two medals for scoring two goals in the FA Cup final in 2001.”
Still, all but one of his 11 appearances came as a sub.
READ: 17 brilliantly banal Michael Owen quotes when he’s not selling a book
Jack Rodwell
Former England starlet Jack Rodwell has received a lot of unfair stick: for not fulfilling his potential, for moving to Manchester City, and for simply seeing out a contract at Sunderland.
We won’t stand for that kind of slander, but Rodwell truly did the bare minimum to be considered a Premier League champion in 2013–14, making one start and four (very short) substitute appearances, taking him to the five that have been required since 2012.
Yaya Toure and Fernandinho were the main men in City’s midfield, but Rodwell might have given the forgettable Javi Garcia (29 appearances) more of a run for his money.
Gokhan Inler
In the summer of 2015, it seemed very possible that Gokhan Inler, captain of Switzerland and two-time Coppa Italia winner, would have a bigger impact at Leicester City than the uncapped N’Golo Kante.
Both arrived for modest transfer fees, and both were targeting a slot in Claudio Ranieri’s central midfield.
Instead, Inler endured…
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