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Every Premier League club’s current longest-serving player: Kane, Silva…

Premier League players are often accused of showing no loyalty to a club – but there are a few exceptions to that rule.

Liverpool and Manchester United both have players who have provided years of service and stayed with team through thick and thin.

We’ve looked at the longest-serving player at every Premier League club, based on when they signed their first professional contract with the club.

Arsenal – Emiliano Martinez

Martinez was promoted to the first team in 2012 and made his Arsenal debut in a League Cup tie at home to Coventry City.

But the goalkeeper has not yet established himself as a regular, making just 23 more appearances for the club over the last eight years.

Aston Villa – Jack Grealish

Grealish is a boyhood Villa fan and signed his first professional contract in August 2012 after coming through the youth system.

The 24-year-old has gone to make 176 appearances for the club and was appointed club captain in 2019.

“It’s a huge privilege for me as a Villa fan. The moment I was made captain is a moment I’ll never forget,” Grealish told Soccer Bible in 2019.

“I remember when Dean Smith told me that I was going to be captain I immediately got a little bit emotional, it was a huge deal for me. All of sudden I’ve captained my boyhood club in the Premier League.”

AFC Bournemouth – Charlie Daniels

Daniels joined Bournemouth on an initial loan deal in November 2011 before making the move permanent two months later.

The defender has been one of the first names on the team sheet ever since, helping the Cherries go from League One to the top flight.

Brighton – Lewis Dunk

Dunk captained their youth team as a teenager and was rewarded with his first professional contract in April 2010.

He has 283 Brighton appearances to his name to date and was named club captain ahead of the 2019-20 season.

Burnley – Kevin Long

Long joined Burnley from Cork City in January 2010, but he has had six different loan spells away from Turf Moor.

The defender has only made four appearances for the club this season, taking his tally to 66.

Chelsea – Cesar Azpilicueta

Chelsea signed Azpilicueta from Marseille for just £7million in 2012 and that proved to be excellent value for money.

The Spaniard has been a mainstay in their defence for over eight years, winning two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues and an FA Cup in that time.

Crystal Palace – Joel Ward

Ward completed his move to Palace in 2012 and helped the club win promotion to the Premier League in his debut season.

He has now made 187 top flight appearances for the Eagles and Wilfired Zaha and James McArthur are the only players who have made more.

Everton – Leighton Baines 

Baines left the Everton’s youth set-up to join Wigan in 2002 but the left-back returned to Merseyside five years later.

The 35-year-old has gone on to amass more than 400 appearances for the Toffees, and he is still a consistently excellent performer when called upon.

Leicester City – Kasper Schmeichel

Schmeichel left Leeds United to join Leicester in 2011 and won the Club’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards in his debut season.

The goalkeeper then kept an incredible 15 clean sheets en route to an historic first Premier League title in 2015-16.

Despite interest from elsewhere, he decided to stay with the Foxes and has now made 368 appearances for the club.

“It is a club that has made me feel at home from day one,” Schmeichel told Leicestershire Live in 2018.

“I came on the back of a tough time at Leeds and from day one from when I stepped into this club everyone made me feel so welcome.

“We have achieved a lot together. It has been one hell of a ride, more than I could ever have expected.”

Liverpool – Jordan Henderson

Henderson has amassed over 350 appearances for Liverpool since signing for the club in 2011.

Following the departure of Steven Gerrard in 2015, he was appointed club captain and the midfielder went on to lift the Champions League trophy in 2019.

Manchester City – David Silva

Silva joined City from Valencia in 2010 and became a key part of the club’s revolution, helping them win four Premier League titles.

He has been an integral member of the starting XI throughout his City career. but is set to end his 10 year stay in Manchester at the end of this season.

Manchester United – Phil Jones

Jones was signed a few days before David de Gea in 2011 but the defender hasn’t been quite as successful as his team-mate.

Despite a series of high-profile mistakes and an awful injury record, the 28-year-old still finds himself on the books at Old Trafford.

Jones would be due a testimonial if he is still at United next year, but he doesn’t think it’d be a popular idea.

“I wouldn’t go that far, there’d be only my mum and dad who would turn up,” Jones told Goal in 2019.

Newcastle United – Rob Elliot

Elliot hasn’t been able to establish himself as Newcastle’s first choice goalkeeper since joining the club in 2011, making just 68 appearances in all completions.

Norwich City – Alexander Tettey

Norwich bought Tettey from Rennes in 2012 and the midfielder has been a first-team regular in the Premier League and the Championship.

The 33-year-old has made 226 appearances for the club and recently signed a one-year contract extension at Carrow Road.

“It’s massive for me,” Tettey told the official Norwich website.

“It feels so good to be in Norwich and my family are happy. When my family is happy, I’m happy. I have been for many years since I’ve been here, so it’s nothing new to me, but it’s a very big and positive thing for me.

“I do give advice whenever it’s necessary, but you don’t want to be on the young players all the time because you have to give them some room to grow and learn themselves. All the senior guys do give advice.”

Sheffield United – Chris Basham

Baham dropped down to League One when he left Blackpool for Sheffield United in 2014, but he has played a pivotal role in United’s recent success.

The Blades won two promotions in three seasons to reach the Premier League in 2019, and the centre-back has helped them keep 10 clean sheets in the league this season.

Southampton – James Ward-Prowse

Ward-Prowse came up through the youth system at Southampton and made his full debut for the first team at the age of 16 in 2011.

The Saints achieved promotion to the Premier League team in his debut season and has gone on to make 269 appearances for the club.

Tottenham – Harry Kane

After signing his first professional contract in 2010, Kane had a series of underwhelming loan spells in the lower divisions.

The striker returned to Spurs before exploding on to the scene in 2014-15, and he hasn’t looked back since. Kane has maintained that excellent form and now has 181 goals in 278 appearances.

Watford – Troy Deeney

Watford have got neatly ten years of service from Deeney and the striker cost them just £500,000 in 2010.

He has been at the heart of everything they’ve accomplished in that time and the Hornets are currently in their fifth consecutive Premier League season.

West Ham – Mark Noble 

Nobobody on this list has been at one club longer than Noble has been at West Ham.

The midfielder made his first-team debut in 2004 and is still one of the first names on the team sheet fifteen and a half years later.

“I’m 33 in May. I’ve been doing this for 15/16 years of my life. It’s half my life,” Noble told talkSPORT earlier this season.

“At a club at this level with the money we’ve spent, you can’t rely on me. You can’t rely on me to come on at half-time during an FA Cup game – that shouldn’t be like that.”

Wolves – Matt Doherty

Doherty signed for Wolves after a successful trial in 2010 and the right-back has played in England’s top three divisions, making nearly 300 appearances in the process.


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