Neville’s Midfield Power Rankings: Keane on the throne, Scholes only third

Gary Neville has waded into the age-old midfield debate with the sort of conviction you expect from a man who spent two decades staring down the very best. His Sky Sports podcast delivered a punchy top five of Premier League central midfielders — and here’s the headline: Roy Keane sits at No 1, while the much‑adored Paul Scholes only comes in at No 3. That will ruffle a few feathers in Manchester, especially with Jamie Carragher recently planting Steven Gerrard on top of his own list.

The ground rules

Neville kept it old-school: this is about proper central midfielders, the engine-room operators. So the elegant creators who drift between the lines — your Kevin De Bruynes and David Silvas — were left out on the basis they weren’t consistently stationed in a traditional two or as disciplined eights. It’s a purist’s ledger, measured by presence, influence and mastery of the middle.

5) Rodri — City’s metronome

He didn’t set the league alight straight off the plane, and Neville admits he wondered about the Spaniard’s mobility early doors. But look at him now: the heartbeat of Pep Guardiola’s treble winners, dictating tempo, plugging gaps and tidying up danger before it turns into drama. Multiple league titles and a summer crowned by international glory tell their own story. If you’re lining up a debate down the pub — or even browsing the best betting sites before a big weekend — you start by asking who controls a match; Rodri does it as well as anyone.

4) Steven Gerrard — the all-action talisman

Gerrard at four will have Merseyside spitting feathers after Carragher had him top. Neville’s logic? At his devastating best, Gerrard often operated as a rampaging No 10 or peeled in from the right. Later on, he dropped into a quarterback role. A monumental footballer, no question, but not nailed to the centre of a two often enough to climb higher on this particular list.

3) Paul Scholes — the artist in the engine room

Neville calls Scholes the finest pure footballer he ever shared a pitch with — vision like satellite radar, weight of pass like silk. Early doors, Scholes floated off the front and played as a 10; it was only later that he bossed games from deep, recycling play and running the rhythm. An avalanche of Premier League titles and European medals backs up the genius, but by Neville’s strict criteria, that time spent out of the traditional role nudges him to third.

2) Patrick Vieira — Arsenal’s colossus

The embodiment of authority. Vieira was the skyscraper in Arsenal’s midfield skyline: stride like a sprinter, tackle like a hammer, and a captain who set the mood for an entire era. You couldn’t dribble past him, you couldn’t outrun him, and you certainly couldn’t outmuscle him. Those Keane-Vieira duels defined the league’s fiercest years — and Neville ranks the Frenchman just a whisker off top spot for sheer influence and completeness.

1) Roy Keane — the standard-setter

Top of the tree is Keane, the Premier League’s ultimate driver of standards. He policed the midfield, demanded more from everyone, and dragged teams over the line when lungs were burning and legs were gone. Similar all-action traits to Vieira, yes, but Neville gives Keane the edge for ruthless leadership and clutch contributions in the biggest moments. In his words and by his yardstick, there hasn’t been a more influential player on a Premier League side’s identity — full stop.

So there you have it: Neville’s five reads like a love letter to the pure central midfielder — the men who boss space, bully transitions and make the game bend to their will. You can disagree — that’s half the fun — but by keeping the brief tight and the standards sky-high, this pecking order makes a compelling case.