ONSIDE with Adrian Hack

Is the English Premier League still the ‘best in the world’?

For almost two decades the Premier League has been touted as the best domestic football competition in the world.

Since its inception in 1992, huge sums of TV money flooded into the elite English clubs and, for a while, the Premier League hoovered up some of the best players from around the world: Cantona, Henry, Ronaldo, Bergkamp, Ginola et al.

Not so any more.

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If you were to select the top 20 players on the planet, how many would be plying their trade in the Premier League? I would struggle to include more than a couple of players.

When was the last truly world class player tempted into England?

The balance of power in Europe has certainly shifted in the last five years as Germany, Spain and (to a lesser extent) Italy became popular destinations for the world’s most talented footballers.

This, ultimately, has impacted on performances in the Europe. Chelsea is the only Premier League club among the eight teams who have reached the semi-final stage of the two UEFA competitions. Last season it was the same, when Chelsea went on to win the Europa League Final.

Adrian Hack is the Editor of Carrick Rangers FC’s official match day programme, Rangers Review.