Our 12 greatest ever wingers (Ranked)

[davieG]

I know, I know more clickbait. If you still want to click it - https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/leicester-citys-12-greatest-ever-wingers-ranked/#paul-gallagher

 

Don't take it too seriously.

 

FLW's Leicester City fan pundit Jayden Whitworth ranked the club's 12 greatest ever wingers.

King Power Stadium
This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leicester City will be aiming to make an instant return to the Premier League this season.

It was an incredibly disappointing campaign for the Foxes as they were relegated from the top flight last season, but they will be looking to bounce back at the first attempt under Enzo Maresca.

Leicester are among the promotion favourites in the second tier this season after an impressive summer of recruitment which saw nine new players arrive at the King Power Stadium.

 

There are a number of exciting wingers in Maresca's squad, including Mavididi, Akgun, Fatawu, Marc Albrighton, Kasey McAteer and Wanya Marcal, and they will be hoping to join the list of wide men who have made a lasting impression at the club.

FLW's Leicester City fan pundit Jayden Whitworth has ranked the club's 12 greatest ever wingers.

 

12
Paul Gallagher

Gallagher joined the Foxes from Blackburn Rovers in August 2009.

The Scotsman was a regular for his first three seasons at the King Power Stadium, but after falling out of favour, he had loan spells with Sheffield United and Preston North End before joining the latter on a permanent basis in June 2015.

Gallagher scored an impressive 28 goals in 137 appearances for Leicester, with his best return coming in the 2010-11 season when he netted 11 times in 47 games in all competitions.

After a spell on the coaching staff at Preston, the 38-year-old is currently first-team coach at Stoke City.

 

11
Tommy Benfield
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Benfield played for the club under their previous name, Leicester Fosse, between 1910 and 1914.

He scored 23 goals in 119 appearances for the club and he is known for scoring the first goal at Arsenal's former home Highbury in September 1913.

Benfield joined Derby County in June 1914, but the suspension of competitive football at the start of World War I brought his professional career to an end and he passed away aged 29 in September 1918 after being injured in conflict.

 

10
Anthony Knockaert
Soccer Football - Championship - Stoke City v Fulham - bet365 Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, Britain - January 22, 2022 Fulham's Anthony Knockaert celebrates after the match Action Images/ EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 
Knockaert arrived at the King Power Stadium from Guingamp in August 2012.

The Frenchman established himself as one of the Foxes' key players, winning the Young Player of the Season award in his first year at the club before helping his side to promotion to the Premier League the following season.

Knockaert's game time in the top flight was limited and after rejecting a new contract at the club, he made the move to Standard Liege in June 2015, departing after scoring 16 goals in 106 appearances for Leicester.

The 31-year-old returned to England with Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2016 and he went on to have spells with Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Volos and Huddersfield Town before joining French side Valenciennes in September.

 

9
Lenny Glover
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Glover joined the Foxes from Charlton Athletic in November 1967 for £80,000, which was then an English record fee for a winger.

The 79-year-old became a firm fan favourite during his time in the East Midlands, scoring nearly 50 goals in over 300 appearances for the club and featuring in an FA Cup final before departing for Kettering Town in 1976.

 

8
Tommy Wright
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Wright made the move to Leicester from Oldham Athletic in 1989.

The 57-year-old scored 22 goals in 192 appearances for the club before departing for Middlesbrough in 1992 and he went on to have spells with Bradford City, St Johnstone, Livingston and Doncaster Rovers.

Wright moved into coaching after his retirement from playing and he has had stints as a coach at Chesterfield, Barnsley, Carlisle United, Swindon Town and Oldham.

 

7
James Maddison
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Maddison arrived at the King Power Stadium from Norwich City in June 2018 for a fee of around £20 million.

The 26-year-old enjoyed an outstanding five-year spell with the Foxes, scoring 55 goals and registering 41 assists in 203 appearances for the club and he was part of the squad that won the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2021.

Maddison achieved international recognition during his time at Leicester, making his debut for England in November 2019 before being named in the squad for last year's World Cup.

Following the Foxes' relegation from the top flight, Maddison joined Tottenham Hotspur for £40 million this summer.

 

6
Harvey Barnes
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Barnes came through the Leicester academy and after loan spells with Milton Keynes Dons, Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion, he established himself as one of the club's key players.

The 25-year-old scored 45 goals and provided 32 assists in 187 appearances for the club and like Maddison, he was part of the FA Cup and Community Shield-winning squad.

Barnes also made his England debut during his time at the King Power Stadium, coming on as a substitute against Wales in October 2020, but that remains his only international appearance.

The winger made the move to Newcastle United for a fee of around £39 million this summer.

 

5
Marc Albrighton
Soccer Football - Premier League - Leicester City v Fulham - King Power Stadium, Leicester, Britain - January 3, 2023 Leicester City's Marc Albrighton applauds fans after the match REUTERS/Molly Darlington EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative f
Albrighton joined the Foxes from Aston Villa in May 2014 and he is currently the club's longest-serving player.

The 33-year-old has won the Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield during his time at the King Power Stadium, as well as featuring in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.

Albrighton fell out of favour towards the end of Brendan Rodgers' tenure at the club and he spent the second half of last season on loan at West Brom, but he will be hoping to feature more regularly and help his side to promotion this campaign.

 

4
Steve Lynex
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Lynex made the move to Leicester from Birmingham City in 1981.

The 65-year-old scored 57 goals in 213 appearances for the club, reaching double figures for goals in three of his five seasons in the East Midlands, as well as creating chances for the likes of Gary Lineker and Alan Smith.

Lynex helped the Foxes to promotion from the Second Division in the 1982-83 season and he departed for West Brom in 1987.

 

3
Steve Guppy
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Guppy joined the Foxes from Port Vale in February 1997, reuniting with manager Martin O'Neill after the pair worked together previously at Wycombe Wanderers.

The 54-year-old scored 10 goals in 174 appearances for Leicester, helping the club to win the League Cup in 2000 before departing for Celtic in August 2001.

Guppy received his first England call-up during his time with the Foxes, making his debut against Belgium in October 1999, but that would prove to be his only appearance for his country.

The winger returned to Leicester for a second spell in January 2004, but after failing to score in 15 appearances, he was released by the club that summer.

 

2
Keith Weller
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Weller made the move to Leicester from Chelsea in 1971.

He went on to score 37 goals in 262 appearances for the Foxes before departing for New England Tea Men in 1978.

Weller won four England caps during his time in the East Midlands and is regarded as one of Leicester's greatest-ever players.

 

1
Riyad Mahrez

Mahrez arrived at the King Power Stadium from Le Havre in January 2014.

The 32-year-old helped the Foxes to promotion to the Premier League in 2014 before playing a key role in their Premier League title victory in 2016, winning the PFA Players' Player of the Year award and being nominated for the Ballon d'Or.

After scoring 48 goals and registering 38 assists in 179 appearances for the club, Mahrez departed for Manchester City for a fee of £60 million in July 2018, becoming City's then club record signing.

Mahrez won four Premier Leagues, three EFL Cups, two FA Cups, the Community Shield and the Champions League during an illustrious five-year spell at the Etihad Stadium before making the move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli this summer.

[SuperMike]

Glover 9th ???? !!!!!!!!!!

Whoever compiled the list obviously didn't see him play! Imperious!

[Finnegan]

This isn't click bait it's the ramblings of an idiot who was probably born no earlier than 1996.

 

I sighed as soon as I read Gallagher. He was crap at the time, for anyone to conclude he's one of our best wingers of all time is ridiculous. 

 

Knockaert is a cult hero but he wasn't good enough for the top flight and Maddison isn't a winger. 

 

I'd call it rage bait if I thought the author was bright enough to do have done this intentionally. 

[Sampson]

Eh. I guess I’ll bite and I’ll say it before someone else does - Maddison is not a winger and if you’re including him here to try and shoehorn him in because he played a few games on the wing last season then putting him behind Barnes is just silly.

 

I get some people seem to have Maddison down as public enemy number 1 for some spurious reason but he was clearly a better player for us than Barnes.

 

And if the argument is “yeah but we’re only considering his games as a winger not a number 10”, then he shouldn’t be in the top 12 at all as he only played there for about half a season and always drifted inside anyway. 

Edited 20 September 2023 by Sampson

[Jon the Hat]

1 minute ago, Sampson said:

Eh. I guess I’ll bite and I’ll say it before someone else does - Maddison is not a winger and if you’re including him here to try and shoehorn him in because he played a few games on the wing last season then putting him behind Barnes is just silly.

 

I get some people seem to have Maddison down as public enemy number 1 for some spurious reason but he was clearly a better player for us than Barnes.

 

And if the argument is “yeah but we’re only considering him as a winger not a number 10”, then he shouldn’t be in the top 12 at all as he only played there for about half a season and always drifted inside anyway. 

Yeah he has clearly confused wingers with whingers.

[Finnegan]

Gallagher wasn't even in the top 12 wingers of that "era" ffs. 

 

Imagine knowing Lloyd Dyer exists and thinking you're gonna pick Paul Gallagher to represent the pre-Prem Return years. 

 

[Mark_w]

If you’re ranking Paul Gallagher above Lloyd Dyer on this kind of list I instantly distrust you.

[Finnegan]

Just now, Mark_w said:

If you’re ranking Paul Gallagher above Lloyd Dyer on this kind of list I instantly distrust you.

 

Rachid Ghezzal is, unironically, literally a better footballer than Paul Gallagher. 

 

I realise I'm starting to sound like I uniquely hate "Gally" (ugh) I don't, I know nothing about him as a human being, he's probably lovely. But he's just an absolutely bang average, run of the mill, Championship journeyman who happens to take an OK penalty. 

 

[Mark_w]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

Rachid Ghezzal is, unironically, literally a better footballer than Paul Gallagher. 

 

I realise I'm starting to sound like I uniquely hate "Gally" (ugh) I don't, I know nothing about him as a human being, he's probably lovely. But he's just an absolutely bang average, run of the mill, Championship journeyman who happens to take an OK penalty. 

 

He’s a better footballer but his contribution to the club isn’t close which I think it should ultimately come down to.

 

But largely agree, and Gally was also another who looked better playing centrally and never felt like he was all that comfortable on the wing. It’s just a really weird pick over Lloyd Dyer and I’m not sure how anyone can come to the conclusion that he was a better player for us.

[Finnegan]

1 minute ago, Mark_w said:

I'm not sure how anyone can come to the conclusion that he was a better player for us.

 

Because they've gotten a media studies degree from an ex-polytechnic and are now convinced they're a journalist. 

[Foxes1]

Jackie Sinclair should be in there.

[eblair]

6 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Because they've gotten a media studies degree from an ex-polytechnic and are now convinced they're a journalist. 

Topic second paragraph- ‘don’t take it too seriously’

 

Scroll down to bottom of page and a character assassination have taken place. This is very OTT and just not very nice is it

[Mark_w]

2 minutes ago, eblair said:

Topic second paragraph- ‘don’t take it too seriously’

 

Scroll down to bottom of page and a character assassination have taken place. This is very OTT and just not very nice is it

Don’t take it too personally Jayden.

Edited 20 September 2023 by Mark_w

[Trav Le Bleu]

18 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Rachid Ghezzal is, unironically, literally a better footballer than Paul Gallagher. 

 

I realise I'm starting to sound like I uniquely hate "Gally" (ugh) I don't, I know nothing about him as a human being, he's probably lovely. But he's just an absolutely bang average, run of the mill, Championship journeyman who happens to take an OK penalty. 

 

But, but... those penalties. I used to love his penalties, I can't remember him missing one.

 

 

Though you're right, average winger at best.

[Finnegan]

9 minutes ago, eblair said:

Topic second paragraph- ‘don’t take it too seriously’

 

Scroll down to bottom of page and a character assassination have taken place. This is very OTT and just not very nice is it

 

I did weigh up the distinct possibility the author would be on foxestalk. 

 

I didn't think it would take you this long to reply. 

 

No but look, I'm sure Jayden is as lovely a human being as Paul Gallagher is but somebody with those opinions trying to kick-start a career as an LCFC content creator is going to need to get used to these sorts of reactions because frankly this list is verging on actually insane. 

 

[Alf Bentley]

1. Marc Albrighton

2. Stephy Malvididi

3. Abdul Fatawu

4. Kasey McAteer

5. Yunus Akgun

6. Wanya Marcal

7. Ricardo Pereira

8. Calum Doyle

9. James Justin

10. Victor Kristiansen

11. Luke Thomas

12. Marcin Wasilewski

 

Just being silly, not having a pop. 

[Samilktray]

As the writer of this article I can only apologise to @Finnegan

[HitchinFox]

Any "best of" list of anything – whether footballers, food or brothels – that is based on one person's view is completely pointless. It's pure clickbait and designed to create a negative reaction. Like a mini-version of TalkSport. Purely for eyeballs and angry responses.

 

"Have you seen who this d**khead has at number x?."
 

[Foxdiamond]

33 minutes ago, Foxes1 said:

Jackie Sinclair should be in there.

Sinclair and Mike Stringfellow should be there and Glover higher than 9th. No problem with Mahrez at no 1

[Jack1993]

I'm not commenting on the list but scrolling down I've seen Lloyd Dyer's name mentioned 3 times and I couldn't scroll past without saying what an absolute delight it was having that man at our club. One of my favourite ever players regardless of era, club status at the time etc. I absolutely LOVED the bloke and was gutted that he chose the 3 year contract elsewhere rather than a year or two in the Prem with us (Although I understood his reasons). We were incredible that year and Dyer suited that team so well, ahh man I've barely thought about it for years but I'm off to Youtube his greatest hits! 

 

 

EDIT!!! - Oh my feckin' Christ put him on your God forsaken list - 

 

Edited 20 September 2023 by Jack1993

[Solihullfox]

List is flawed , not even a mention of the maestro Josh Lowe 

[bovril]

1) Mahrez

2) Weller

3) Guppy

4) Glover

5) Albrighton

 

edit - probably been a bit generous to Guppy there

Edited 20 September 2023 by bovril

[Finnegan]

50 minutes ago, Jack1993 said:

I'm not commenting on the list but scrolling down I've seen Lloyd Dyer's name mentioned 3 times and I couldn't scroll past without saying what an absolute delight it was having that man at our club. One of my favourite ever players regardless of era, club status at the time etc. I absolutely LOVED the bloke and was gutted that he chose the 3 year contract elsewhere rather than a year or two in the Prem with us (Although I understood his reasons). We were incredible that year and Dyer suited that team so well, ahh man I've barely thought about it for years but I'm off to Youtube his greatest hits! 

 

 

EDIT!!! - Oh my feckin' Christ put him on your God forsaken list - 

 

 

My favourite bit about Lloyd Dyer was the sheer excitement every time he took a shot not knowing if he was going to blast it top bins or put out one of the flood lights but it was one or the other. 

 

The clip around 1:50 in that video is absolutely peak Lloyd. Skins their entire team on amazing run, gets point blank with the goal and then shanks it inexplicably wide

 

Absolute cult legend. 

 

[bovril]

Dyer was like the anti Ayoze Perez in that he was a technically quite poor player but very effective. 

[Gamble92]

Okay Paul Gallagher doesn't deserve to be in this list but he doesn't deserve the shit he's getting in this thread. He was a good player for us in the Championship even when the team turned to shite.