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Pure nostalgia
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The term 'Barclaysman' or 'Proper Barclays' has gathered online notoriety in recent years. It's usually used to refer to players that shone in the Premier League between the years of 2004 and 2016, when the division was known as the 'Barclays Premiership' or 'Barclays Premier League' due to its sponsors. Whether it's the thought of Michu cupping his ear to the fans, or the memory of Jay-Jay Okocha 'rainbow-flicking' past his opponents, or even Rory Delap rocketing in a 50-yard throw-in, this era in the English top-flight evokes a beautiful nostalgia for a certain generation of football fan.
But which players were the most prominent in the Premier League 'Barclaysman' era? At Transfermarkt, we have calculated the players with the most English top-flight appearances between the seasons of 2004/05 to 2015/16 to determine the ultimate 'Barclaysmen'. Prepare for some pure reminiscence.
The most appearances in the Premier League 'Barclaysman' era
Leading the way is the player with the most all-time Premier League appearances in Gareth Barry. The former England midfielder was a stalwart of the 'Barclays' era, playing 410 games in that period. In second is former Chelsea captain John Terry, who played 369 matches in that timeframe. Fellow English midfielder James Milner, and former French defender Sylvain Distin also managed 369 games as 'Barclaysmen'. Just behind is Wayne Rooney with 368 matches, and he's followed by former England strike partner Peter Crouch with 367 games - an undisputed 'Barclaysman'. Goalkeepers Tim Howard and Petr Cech also managed 367 matches, whilst midfielder Michael Carrick (355 games) and winger Stewart Downing (353 games) complete the top 10.
Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor ranks 17th on the list, and reminisced to Transfermarkt about the 'Barclaysman' era: "It was definitely the best era! Players scored from outside the box, there was less robotic play. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Sergio Agüero, and Carlos Tevez were top players, who got you out of your seat." The former England international, who scored 74 goals for Villa in the Premier League, also admitted that football has suffered since those days. "It was better in my era because it was less tactical. Teams didn’t worry so much about the opposition. Nowadays, teams sit back and shut out games much more. My favourite Premier League moment was the Agüero goal against QPR - I think we will struggle to see moments like that again the way football is now."
As illustrated in the graphic below, we have built an XI of the players with the most Premier League appearances in the 'Barclaysman' era to further wet the nostalgic whistle. Of course, it's a 4-4-2. In between the sticks is Howard, with Terry and Distin at centre-half, flanked by Leighton Baines at left-back, and Glen Johnson at right-back. Barry and Carrick are in centre-midfield, with Downing on the left of midfield and Milner on the right. The iconic 2006 World Cup duo of Rooney and Crouch lead the line. Cue the robot.
