There are some players that garner a reputation for their lethal – and sometimes reckless – approach to the game. The ‘hardman’ is the commonly used phrase. Enforcer is another term, but one thing is for sure – every team needs one.
Often at the heart of any team’s success, they would leave no stone unturned while often becoming a fan favourite at their team because that extra oomph is sometimes missing in the modern game.
The English top flight has been lucky enough to home some of the most notorious 'hard men' football has had to offer.
Without further ado, let’s have a go at ranking the hardest players to ever grace the Premier League Oh, and make sure you have your shinpads on.
21 Joey Barton
Just as well known for his off-pitch violence, Barton was never too far from trouble on it, too.
Despite not being your typical imposing central midfielder, you’d be counting your lucky stars if you came away from a duel with him unscathed.
Kneeing Sergio Aguero in the back to be sent off rings truth to his hard man persona even if Manchester United fans don't thank him.
20 Nigel de Jong
Remember his infamous ‘challenge’ when he so politely placed his studs on Xabi Alonso’s chest?
Alonso may not thank us but that in itself earns De Jong a spot on this list, while his nickname ‘The Lawnmower’ also made his inclusion easy.
De Jong grew up in a tough neighbourhood and became accustomed to having to 'stand up for yourself', which means his on-pitch tenacity comes from a deeper place. Maybe that's why it looked so natural for the hatchetman.
19 Stig Tofting
As perfectly combative as he was, Tofting had a tendency to make a rash challenge and even warned Blackburn Rovers to expect a ‘war’ during their six-pointer affair back in 2000.
Partnered with Thomas Gravesen for Denmark, Tofting was one half of one of football’s most feared midfield pairings.
18 Kevin Davies
The centre-forward’s job is to score goals and Davies did just that as he racked up 87 goals during his time in the English top flight.
But it’s very telling that his yellow card rate (99) exceeded his goal tally, despite his sole duty of finding the back of the net.
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17 David Batty
Many midfielders don’t mind sitting back, doing the dirty work and letting their other teammates bask in the limelight. Batty was inherently that man.
Apart from the time he fought with teammate Graeme Le Saux - though he probably let the Chelsea legend take credit for that, too.
16 Lee Bowyer
Scrapping with your teammate mid-game and getting sent off? Tick.
Bowyer’s flared temper was often his downfall considering the talent he possessed, but he was just one of those players that could argue with himself, start a fight in an empty room, all while gaining the attention of those around him for being such a headcase.
15 Nemanja Vidic
The imposing Serb was your typical no-nonsense enforcer at the back and while he was reliable for the most part, his playing career was sprinkled with the odd ‘lost your head’ type tackle.
Often pictured playing on with a bloody head, reminiscent of Terry Butcher, Vidic really embodied the fear-no-man attitude.
It was never really that ill-tempered, but he was the epitome of ‘I’ll put my head where others were afraid to put their boot’.
14 Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock
Not afraid to shy away from fellow hardmen, Ruddock had famous altercations with both Eric Cantona and Patrick Vieira during his time on the pitch.
He was your archetypal hard-man who wasn’t afraid to use his dominant size to bully opposition for the full 90 minutes, which resonated well with his nickname ‘Razor’.
To summarise how much of a nutcase he was, he was once asked who he enjoyed kicking the most, to which he replied: “Andrew Cole. I know it’s not big and not clever but in one tackle I did break both of his legs. Why? Because he annoyed me. I didn’t mean to break both his legs. I only meant to break one.”
13 Martin Keown
Keown was one of Arsenal’s battering rams during their most successful stint as a football club because, well, every team needs one.
Forget your Thierry Henrys and your Dennis Bergkamps, it was the Keowns that could pull you through thick and thin to reign victorious in those must-win games.
12 Julian Dicks
Nicknamed ‘The Terminator’, need more be said?
When he wasn't blasting penalties past hapless goalkeepers, he was probably gearing up a knee-high challenge of someone on the opposite team. Dicks relished his steely image, but so too did opposing players, with Dennis Wise famously two-footing him in 1990.
His fondness for a late challenge amounted many red cards, though he didn’t seem to mind.
11 Thomas Gravesen
The bald Dane had to make the list, especially alongside his double-act partner, Tofting.
Impressed so much by his tenacious persona on the field, Mike Tyson – that’s right, Mike Tyson – was snapped donning a Denmark shirt with Gravesen imprinted on the back.
To leave such an impression on someone of Tyson’s ilk earns you a rightful spot in this ranking.
10 Mark Hughes
Hughes was subtle. On face value, the centre-forward is more prominent for his grace and power during his colourful career.
He fought hard for the ball, though, thanks to his tree-trunk like legs and his innate physicality made him a nuisance to contain.
9 Terry Hurlock
As nuts as Ruddock was, he even insisted Hurlock was a different breed when asked “What is your favourite animal?”
Replying with the midfielder’s name is the biggest compliment he may have ever received, but he earnt it.
Dubbed as ‘Terry Warlock’, the story of him smashing a door clean off its hinges never gets old. Look it up.
8 Tony Adams
A leader by nature, Adams was. A defender who prided themselves on being good at, well, defending.
'Mr. Arsenal' never let his personal life problems (his jail time for drunk driving) trickle into his performances on the pitch and thanks to his toughness, was a mainstay in both George Graham's and Arsene Wenger's respective back lines.
They simply don't make them like Adams no more.
7 Jaap Stam
Centre-forwards understood they were in for a long day at the office if this man's name appeared on the opposing team sheet.
An underrated asset of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United backbone in the late-1990s, Stam took no prisoners once he put on the famous red.
He possessed an uneasy stare enough to strike fear into any opponent, nobody messed with the Dutchman.
6 Stuart Pearce
Pearce was England’s hardman and was more commonly known as ‘psycho’.
The former West Ham United man earned his moniker for his terror-induced tackling, his fierce stare and matter-of-fact style of play. He also once played with a fractured leg, so there’s that.
5 Vinnie Jones
Not only on the football pitch has Jones embraced the ‘hardman’ label but also in the film industry, too.
Jones was the spearhead of the Wimbledon’s ‘Crazy Gang’, who turned to battling and bruising their way to FA Cup glory against Liverpool – and it was the scary Welshman at the forefront of it all.
For those who didn’t have the pleasure of watching him, go and spend the next hour or so watching his compilations on YouTube – enjoy!
4 Patrick Vieira
Well-known for his ongoing feud with Roy Keane, Vieira – similarly to many names on this list – earned as status as a ‘hardman’ for not backing down, regardless of the opposition.
All football fans will know if you were willing to go toe-to-toe with Keane, you couldn't have been all there.
An astute passer who had an eye for goal, Vieira left a gap in the Arsenal set-up upon his departure, but not for his technical ability. He is simply irreplaceable.
3 Mick Harford
“His favourite trick was to come at you from the side and smash you, square on,” Keown once said. “He once hit me so hard, I had to have a nerve taken out of my tooth.”
Finito.
2 Roy Keane
There’s no doubt in the footballing sphere that Keane was a wonderful footballer, but it was his extra bite into tackles which earned him the respect but also - at times – the disrespect of his teammates and opponents. Just ask Alf-Inge Haaland.
His lovable personality has trickled over into his punditry career where you can spot him sat next to the likes of Gary Neville and Micah Richards bemoaning about how ‘football has changed’.
