The 20 Best Scottish Players of the Premier League Era
By 90min
With his Premier League debut, Arsenal's Kieran Tierney became the 200th Scottish player to feature in the Premier League.
It means that only players from England and France have featured more than Scots since the league was rebranded in the early 90s, which is quite the contribution considering the size of the country (and how poor their output of players has been since the turn of the century.)
In celebration of this glorious weekend, then, we're going to list the top 20 Scots ever to play in the Premier League.
20) Robert Snodgrass
The West Ham midfielder is struggling to break into the side under Manuel Pellegrini of late, but when he does, he usually shows why he carries the creative pedigree that he does. He hit his peak with Norwich between 2012-14, but has enjoyed success with Hull and the Hammers.
19) Steven Naismith
It's easy to forget how big a part of the Roberto Martinez Everton team Naismith was in the early 2010s, but he netted 25 goals in 123 appearances for the Toffees after joining from Rangers, before an ill-fated move to Norwich preceded a move back to Scotland with Hearts.
18) Gordon Strachan
A brilliant, intelligent midfielder most famous for a spell with Manchester United in the 80s. He was into his mid-30s by the time the Premier League era rolled around, but was still named Leeds' player of the year in 1994 before winding down.
17) Barry Ferguson
Best known as a tireless captain of Rangers and Scotland, Ferguson twice transitioned into the Premier League with Blackburn and Birmingham, and showed his class both times - but the latter was the more fruitful, yielding close to 100 league appearances and a League Cup medal.
16) Dominic Matteo
Matteo was a regular part of the transitional Liverpool team throughout the 1990s, and he would later go on to star for both Leeds and Blackburn - making him a top-flight fixture well into the 2000s. He only managed six caps for Scotland, meaning he often flies under the radar for Scottish fans, but not many Scots can boast the career he had.
15) Gary Caldwell
Spent four good seasons with the Latics in the top flight and captained them to an FA Cup. His venture into management has hardly gone swimmingly and he isn't often well-remembered by Scotland fans, but in retrospect, he has plenty to be proud of.
14) Alan Hutton
Another Scotland fans may scoff at, it's easy to forget that the Alan Hutton who played for Aston Villa last season is the same one that starred for Spurs at the height of his powers between 2008-11. How times change...
13) Christian Dailly
A dominant, vocal central defender, Dailly fell just short of 200 Premier League appearances, but is fondly remembered at Blackburn and West Ham, for whom he appeared most in the top flight over the course of his 22-year career.
12) Charlie Adam
Wasn't quite the Steven Gerrard alternative he was tipped as when he was signed for Liverpool from Blackpool in 2011, but either side of that ill-fated season-long spell at Anfield, he was one of the most feared dead-ball specialists in the division for a collective seven seasons.
11) James McFadden
The scorer of that goal in Paris that stunned the world champions at the time, McFadden brought his A-game to Everton between 2003-08, although later spells with Birmingham, Sunderland and back at the Toffees would never quite get the best out of him.
10) Steven Fletcher
It might come as a surprise to see him rank so high on the list but Fletcher's stats speak for themselves, with 53 goals in 189 appearances for Wolves, Sunderland and Burnley in the top flight.
He's perhaps one that history will remember better than fans of any specific club, while Scotland fans are also admittedly guilty of overlooking the man who has netted ten goals in 33 international appearances - comfortably the best strike-rate of any front-man in the barren modern era.
9) David Weir
The Walter Smith and David Moyes years at Everton are fondly remembered, and Weir was a stalwart throughout the pinnacle of that - and captain for much of it. He made 269 appearances in total for the Merseyside club, starring for his country frequently throughout that time, and remains a highly thought-of figure at Goodison Park.
Only five players have been capped more often than Weir (69 caps) - and only one of them comes in higher on this list.
8) Neil Sullivan
One of the best goalkeepers in the top flight throughout the 1990s, Sullivan made well over 200 appearances for Wimbledon, Tottenham and Chelsea before returning to Leeds in the Championship.
The pinnacle of his career saw him named Spurs' player of the year in 2001, but he was limited to just 28 Scotland caps thanks to contesting the position with Jim Leighton and Andy Goram for much of his prime.
7) Kevin Gallacher
A star of the great Blackburn sides in the 1990s, Gallacher was recovering from a broken leg for almost the entirety of their title-winning campaign in 1995, meaning he doesn't take on the legendary status much of that squad does.
Still, on his solitary appearance, he scored a winning goal against Manchester United, and will be remembered for his wider contributions that saw him score over 50 goals for the club before joining Newcastle.
6) Don Hutchison
37 goals in 218 Premier League appearances is some going for a midfielder, but Hutchison was hugely influential throughout his time in England, playing the best of his football for Everton and West Ham after making his big breakthrough at Liverpool.
Re-occurring injury issues prevented him taking the next step up, but nonetheless, but he always got stuck in - and rarely did a season go by without him pulling his weight on the scoring charts.
5) Duncan Ferguson
The affectionately-known Big Dunc is an out-and-out Everton legend, winning the FA Cup with the Toffees in 1995, while netting 65 goals in 253 appearances in total.
An intensely physical target man, he could more than hold his own with any centre-half at the peak of his powers. However, he remains best remembered for his infrequent altercations with everyone from a stranger at a taxi rank to a burglar in his house.
4) Gary McAllister
Described by Gérard Houllier as the most 'inspirational' signing of his time at Liverpool, McAllister was an artist with the ball at his feet, and made a huge impact at Anfield - particularly from set-pieces - despite being 35 by the time he was signed.
Prior to that, he had marshalled the midfield for Coventry and Leeds in the Premier League and earned himself a grand total of 57 Scotland caps, scoring on five occasions.
3) Colin Hendry
His name might not be too familiar to younger fans of the Premier League, but Hendry was feared, respected and idolised in equal measure while at the heart of the Blackburn Rovers defence - and led them to that famous Premier League title in 1995.
Later spells with Rangers, Coventry, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool didn't quite restore him to his best, but he's another who entered the 50-cap club for Scotland and deserves remembered as one of the greatest Scots to feature in the Premier League era.
2) Darren Fletcher
There is no doubt that Darren Fletcher is the most accomplished Scot on the list; it isn't even close.
Five Premier League titles born from his 300+ Manchester United appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson, the workhorse midfielder was constantly playing at the very height of his ability and played a key role in winning the Champions League in 2008. He earned 80 Scotland caps; bettered only by Jim Leighton and Kenny Dalglish.
1) Andy Robertson
I can already hear the Manchester United fans screaming this one down, but let's face the facts. Over the last two seasons, Robertson has been individually head and shoulders above anything Scotland has produced since the turn of the century. The assist numbers he has hit from full-back have been extraordinary, and he helped Liverpool to a points total that even the great Alex Ferguson Manchester United teams couldn't come close to - and not to mention a Champions League.
Whether or not he holds this spot down remains to be seen - the duration of his career may well suggest Fletcher is more deserving of top spot. But on ability and the trend of his contributions so far, he is the best Scot ever to have played in the Premier League.