The five most-hated Premier League players
Published:Certain players have a knack of riling opposition players, managers and fans.
Find out who made our list of the five most-hated Premier League players as we continue our build up to the start of the new season.
The most controversial player of his generation, Barton has been in and out of the spotlight for his antics on and off the pitch for the last decade.
The QPR midfielder, who is currently serving a 12-match ban after being found guilty of two counts of violent conduct on the final day of last season, turns 30 at the start of September – and shows no sign of mellowing or maturing with age.
Spat after spat has largely overshadowed what has been a productive career for Bellamy, who recently dropped down to the Championship to re-join Cardiff City.
The Welshman has endured prickly relationships with team-mates, managers, fans and opposition players, not to mention being pretty handy allegedly with a golf club.
Bowyer made history for the all wrong reasons in March 2011 when he became the first player in Premier League history to pick up 100 bookings.
Nobody has kept referees on their toes quite like Bowyer has over the previous 15 years and his handbags with Kieron Dyer in 2005 during their Newcastle United days together still makes amazing viewing to this day.
It’s hard to think of a redeeming quality that Diouf possesses on the football pitch – even the fans of the clubs he has played for seem to detest him!
Neil Warnock, himself not exactly a popular figure with the wider football fraternity, memorably once said of the striker: “I wouldn’t call him a sewer rat as it’s an insult to sewer rats.” Mind you, Warnock has now changed his tune after signing Diouf for Leeds.
Neville’s passion and commitment to his beloved Manchester United proved his downfall with supporters of every other club in the Premier League.
In a remarkable turnaround, though, Red Nev has gone from hated figure to media darling after becoming a no-nonsense pundit.
