Football isn't just about what you can do with a ball at your feet. It's all about the attitude you have to get that extra 10 percent out of yourself and your teammates.
The Premier League was built on intimidation, tough guys and a good old fashioned 50-50 tackle. Some players put themselves above the rest as the guys you don't want to mess with on or even with some off the pitch.
With that said, we have ranked the top 10 scariest players in English top-flight history. This includes feisty characters with short tempers such as one iconic Manchester United midfielder.
10. Julian Dicks (West Ham United)
You don't earn the nickname "The Terminator" for your technical ability . With his shaved head and hard posture physique, Julian Dicks was the ultimate West Ham United enforcer.
He tackled with the intention of taking the man, the ball, and whatever else is there. Even his set-pieces were terrifying; when Dicks took a penalty, he didn't look to place it, he just smashed it as hard as he could.
9. Thomas Gravesen (Everton)
Even with the technical ability to have played for Real Madrid, Thomas Gravesen operated on pure, unpredictable chaos. Nicknamed "Mad Dog," the Danish midfielder possessed a manic energy and wide-eyed stare that genuinely unsettled opponents.
He played every game at 100 miles per hour, throwing his body into tackles with absolute disregard for his own safety. If you hear the stories about him by former teammates, you couldn't dream of what he would do next.
8. Diego Costa (Chelsea)
The master of the dark arts with the goal scoring to back it up, Diego Costa had any defender on strings.
Costa wasn't just physically imposing he also engaged in psychological warfare from the first whistle. He loved a scrap, constantly pinching, elbowing, and whispering in the ears of opposition center-backs to provoke a reaction. He had that edge which got Chelsea back on the trophy trail.
7. Jaap Stam (Manchester United)
When someone would go in for a two footed tackle on the school playground, any child would shout Jaap Stam in the late 90s.
Standing six foot three inches, shaved head and not scared of getting stuck in, he rarely had to shout or throw his weight around because his sheer presence was enough. His death stare was enough to make sure anyone spent the rest of the game hiding on the opposite wing.
6. Stuart Pearce (Nottingham Forest, West Ham)
The nickname "Psycho" sort of says it all when it comes to a player you don't want to mess with. Stuart Pearce was a man who seemed to play every single match as if his life depended on it.
His tackles were terrifying and leg breaking. The Englishman has played multiple games through cuts and bruises with the same intensity as someone fully fit with blood dripping down his face. Watch his penalty against Spain in Euro 1996 if you want to see his passion for yourself.
5. Nemanja Vidić (Manchester United)
Nemanja Vidic would go into any challenge and come out the other side like he felt nothing however painful it looked.
Robin Van Persie said that he would "put his head where some people wouldn't even put their foot". Being the brutality to Rio Ferdinand's reading of the game, the Serbian led from the back the winning mentality that Manchester United showed in the late 2000s/early 2010s.
4. Vinnie Jones (Wimbledon, Chelsea)
Vinnie Jones' acting persona is not far off what he was like in his playing days. A founding member of Wimbledon's notorious "Crazy Gang," Jones carried his ultra-violent approach into the early Premier League era.
From famously grabbing Paul Gascoigne by the testicles to receiving a yellow card just three seconds into a match, Jones didn't care about playing the game beautifully just getting the job done.
3. Patrick Vieira (Arsenal)
Patrick Vieira backed up insane technical ability with the grit needed to play in the 90s Premier League midfield.
Standing at 6 foot 4 the Arsenal captain was physically dominant, incredibly aggressive, and utterly fearless. He had a bust up with Roy Keane in the tunnel pre match and got 8 red cards in his career in England. Vieira could play it around you or through you to win his middle of the park battles.
2. Roy Keane (Manchester United)
It's fitting that the biggest head to head rivalry in Premier League history are next to each other in the top 3. Not being blessed with size but Roy Keane made up that tenfold with heart and desire.
The red cards need no introduction, he was a referee's nightmare. He would give the same amount of abuse to his teammates and opposition with his serious tone and cold look which would make any mans hearts drop.
1. Duncan Ferguson (Everton)
The only man on this list to defend his house against some burglars by himself has to be top of this list. Duncan Ferguson was a giant of a man leading the line for Everton.
Any defender could tell you that elbows were thrown, no remorse and bruises were a given in a duel with the scotsman. He holds the Premier League record for red cards (8) and is the only player to have served prison time for an on-pitch headbutt. He famously strangled Steffen Freund on the pitch and tossed Paul Ince aside like a ragdoll just to scratch the surface.
