The goalkeeper position is arguably the most important spot on a football team. Over the years, some of the greatest shot stoppers of all-time have graced the Premier League and there are a few world class goalkeepers plying their trade today.

Unfortunately for modern fans, the likes of David de Gea, Alisson Becker and Ederson miss out on this list. Without further ado, we cast our eye over five of the greatest goalkeepers in Premier League history.

 

Joe Hart

Hart’s failed spell at West Ham United should not cloud our judgment when assessing his career. The England international offered a reliable pair of hands between the posts for two of Manchester City’s top flight triumphs, an FA Cup success and two League Cup wins.

Winner of the Premier League Golden Glove on four occasions, Hart was simply sublime in his heyday. The City star produced a number of breath-taking saves during his time at the Etihad Stadium and he remains a fan favourite on the City terraces.

 

Edwin Van Der Sar

Sir Alex Ferguson claimed in 2009 that Van der Sar is up there with his greatest ever signings – an opinion that is testament to the Dutchman’s qualities. Van der Sar was at Old Trafford for six glorious years, winning four Premier League titles and a Champions League in 2008.

Manchester United fans will never forget his exploits in that Moscow penalty shootout. It would be foolish to ignore his impact at Fulham, he was a key figure for the Cottagers. To this day, Van der Sar is still the oldest player to win the Premier League title.

 

David Seaman

Every budding goalkeeper in the 1990s wanted to be David Seaman. The Arsenal hero was the shot stopper of the era and ‘Safe Hands’ was a fairly accurate nickname given his impact in the top flight. The backbone of Arsenal’s success in the early Wenger years, Seaman was a pivotal figure for the Gunners.

That save against Sheffield United in the 2002 FA Cup semi-final will go down as one of the best ever. Two Premier League titles, four FA Cup triumphs and a European Cup Winners’ Cup later, Seaman was hanging up his gloves as one of the top flight’s greatest goalies.

 

Petr Cech

There’s no doubting that Cech’s form slumped during his time at Arsenal but he was quite possibly the best goalkeeper on the planet during his best years. An imposing figure on the pitch, Cech’s close relationship with John Terry was key to Chelsea’s glory days.

Cech was more or less an ever-present for three of their Premier League titles and Chelsea fans rate the Czech Republic goalkeeper as one of the club’s greatest ever players. Not your conventional modern keeper, Cech was the last of a dying breed of traditional keepers.

Peter Schmeichel

Most fans would state that Schmeichel is the best goalkeeper in Premier League history. You could make a claim for Cech to a certain extent but Schmeichel was a man mountain and his impact and influence at Old Trafford was clear for all to see.

In his prime, Schmeichel was worth 10 points a season – that’s how important he was to the Red Devils. The Denmark star had the personality to match his colossal stature and he was a pivotal cog in Ferguson’s greatest ever United team. One of the illustrious 1998/99 Treble winners, Schmeichel is number one on this list.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Dave Caulkin / AP Photo*

The feature race on Saturday is The Beverley Bullet Stakes. A fast and furious dash up a five furlong course notorious for its stiff uphill finish, some of the classiest sprinters around will be heading to Beverley to battle it out in the thrilling highlight on the racecourse’s richest raceday.

Ten runners, with 70 race wins between them, line up for the £36,862 first prize and here is a runner-by-runner guide to all of their chances.

 

Copper Knight (8 wins in 36 starts)

The Tim Easterby-trained five-year-old finished fifth to the fastest sprinter in Europe – Battaash, in last week’s Group One Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York and comes into this race with a real live shout.

Copper Knight, who is owned by the Middleham Park racing syndicate, is already a Listed winner this season, having claimed victory in the John Smith’s City of Walls Stakes at York in July.

 

Corinthia Knight (9 wins in 27 starts)

The four-year-old gelding is probably the second most successful horse that the Ontoawinner syndicate have owned after their wonderful journey with Quiet Reflection.

After a brilliant two-year-old season, the three-year-old Corinthia Knight landed the Montenica Listed Stakes at Chantilly, before coming home to lift the big one at Lingfield- the season ending 3 Year Old All Weather Championship Stakes.

The Archie Watson-trained four-year-old finally got a turf win on the board when he scored impressively in a five furlong sprint at Pontefract in July.

 

Danzeno (7 wins in 36 starts)

This Group Three-winning eight-year-old, trained by Mick Appleby, appears to have been around forever and is a regular in these top sprint races.

A two-time winner already this season, he also finished third in both the Wokingham at Royal Ascot and again in the Shergar Cup Dash at the same venue.

He is clearly in great heart and backers needn’t be put off by his age- an eleven-year-old won this last year!

 

Judicial (11 wins in 32 starts)

The seven-year-old has been a fantastic servant to the Elite Racing Club already but the gelding’s only success so far in 2019 was a short head victory in a two-horse race at Newmarket.

Judicial’s record at Beverley however is exemplary, having won two from two there and also holding the track record.

After finishing out of the places at Glorious Goodwood, the Julie Camacho team are hopeful that Judicial’s fortunes can be reignited at one of his “favoured” tracks.

 

Ornate (8 wins in 49 starts)

Trainer David Griffiths is attempting to record a third successive victory in the Bullet after his now retired Take Cover took the race for the last two years.

Ornate won the five furlong Epsom Dash on Derby day in June, before going to Beverley a fortnight later and winning again under regular rider Phil Dennis.

He ran like a scolded cat for five furlongs in the Stewards’ Cup at Glorious Goodwood before being reeled back in by the pack in the final furlong, and he was far from disgraced when seventh to Battaash in the Nunthorpe, which was won in a record breaking time.

 

Tarboosh (9 wins in 33 starts)

Tarboosh is winless thus far this season and he hasn’t quite hit the lofty heights that he achieved last year.

The Paul Midgley-trained six-year-old was in cracking form last season winning four races in total, including a victory at Doncaster on his final start of the year.

He’s one of three course and distance winners in this field with his own East Yorkshire trophy lifting ceremony coming back in August 2017.

 

Tis Marvellous (4 wins in 18 starts)

The Clive Cox-trained Tis Marvellous comes to Beverley on the back of a big Heritage Handicap win at Ascot and a superb runner-up finish in the Wokingham.

Winner of the Robert Papin Stakes as a two-year-old at Maisons-Laffitte, the now 111-rated five-year-old is in a rich vein of form at the moment and an 8lb rise shouldn’t hold him back at this stage of his career.

He won the Shergar Cup Dash nicely off a mark of 100 in August of last year and he now looks the type who can mix it with the best in these top sprint races.

 

Fairy Falcon (1 win in 7 starts)

Another Yorkshire entry comes in the shape of Bryan Smart's Fairy Falcon, but on all known form she has plenty to find in this company. Her sole win came on just her second start in a Novice Stakes event at Thirsk.

The four-year-old filly ran here in June and although finishing third of three, she was right in the ruck behind Ornate and Final Venture. A reproduction of that run would give her some kind of a chance in this race.

 

Intense Romance (9 wins in 23 starts)

The Michael Dods-trained mare was entered in the Nunthorpe last week at York but failed to join her stablemate Mabs Cross due to the quick ground conditions.

Her nine wins have either been on the all-weather or on soft to heavy going so connections will be doing more than one rain dance between now and 3.15pm on Saturday.

A hat-trick of wins for the five-year-old last autumn brought her season to a satisfactory close and boosted her official rating, but she looks a very ground dependant horse indeed.

 

Queens Gift (4 wins in 11 starts)

Should his other runner be scratched due to the going conditions on Saturday, Michael Dods will still be represented here by a four-year-old filly called Queens Gift.

Winner of her last two starts at Doncaster and Ripon she has had a decent break and has had this race on the agenda for some time.

Owners Geoff and Sandra Turnbell will be hoping that she can register some black type here to help with their breeding operation.

 

Beverley Bullet: Conclusion

If Ornate blasts out of the stalls in front I have a gut feeling that he just won’t be caught.

I really hope that his Stewards’ Cup performance has not clouded my judgement, but he was very quick over five furlongs that day and Beverley is definitely a front-runners track.

888sport suggests: Ornate (e/w).

We are less than one month away from the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the warm-up games haven’t really told us much.

To be fair, the whole point of the World Cup warm-up fixtures is to experiment and gain match fitness so they have been a roaring success from that point of view.

Much of the focus will be on England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland – these four teams will carry the hopes of the northern hemisphere.

We've got a Rugby World Cup special for 888sport punters; 7/25 for a Six Nations team to reach the final. If you are expecting the Rugby Championship sides to dominate, you can back ‘no’ at 9/4 in this market.

England’s victory over Ireland after splitting a two-game series with Wales sent shockwaves across the world.

It was England’s biggest ever victory over the Irish and credit must go to Eddie Jones and his team. Ireland weren’t at full strength but they weren’t far away, with only two or three players due to come in.

On paper, England’s squad is one of the best on the planet – you won’t find too many teams with a deeper roster. Jones has had his critics over the last few years but the Australian has been getting his team ready for the World Cup.

For all of England’s struggles over the last 18 months, all will be forgiven if Player of the Tournament contender Owen Farrell is lifting the trophy on November 2^nd.

Meanwhile, Wales will head into the tournament as Six Nations champions. The 2019 Grand Slam winners crumbled at Twickenham but showed their defensive mettle when settling the score back in Cardiff.

Warren Gatland will leave his position at the end of the World Cup and many believe this is Wales’ chance to win rugby’s big prize. There is a real buzz around the Welsh capital ahead of the tournament – everything feels a little bit different this time.

Prior to that defeat against England, Wales had won 14 matches in a row and confidence remains sky high ahead of a decisive tournament. At 9/1, Wales are one of the leading contenders but New Zealand remain Rugby World Cup 2019 favourites.

If all of Scotland’s games were taking place at Murrayfield, you’d have to say that they have a reasonable chance.

However, Gregor Townsend’s side may find it difficult out in Japan. At the time of writing, Scotland are 3/1 to finish top of Pool A (according to rugby world cup predictions), they will need to beat Ireland to stand any chance of advancing to the knockout stages as group winners.

Scotland were thrashed by France in Nice before reversing the result at Murrayfield. Injuries may hinder their chances of going deep in the tournament this year but you never know.

If they can keep the likes of Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and Sean Maitland fit, Scotland could be dark horses for Rugby World Cup glory in Japan.

Despite that heavy defeat at Twickenham, Ireland will be trying to keep spirits high ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Joe Schmidt was understandably frustrated after that showing at Twickenham and we should expect an improved Irish effort in the double header against Wales. Two defeats against the Welsh will get panic bells ringing.

Are Ireland a spent force? You could argue that the Irish peaked one year too early. Beating the All Blacks was the highlight for Irish rugby but Ireland have struggled since then – losing at home to England and then narrowly avoiding a whitewash in Cardiff.

For Ireland to stand any chance of success, everything needs to go their way. Are they as strong as they were 18 months ago? That is certainly up for debate.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Rui Vieira / AP Photo*

Defeats for Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur sent shockwaves across the Premier League last weekend. The Red Devils were poor at home to Crystal Palace while Spurs also struggled to break down a resolute Magpies defensive unit.

With the top-flight table starting to take some order, Premier League supporters now have a good indication as to who is looking strong and who is struggling. It is still early days though and we should learn more in Gameweek Four.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at this weekend’s best bets, starting with a potential banana skin for United on the south coast. 888sport punters can back this accumulator at a very appealing 15/1.

 

Southampton vs Manchester United

Southampton registered their first win of the 2019/20 campaign last weekend, securing a 2-0 victory at Brighton. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side followed that up with a narrow win over Fulham in the Carabao Cup but those two successes may have lifted the mood at St Mary’s.

Did anyone honestly expect United to lose to Palace? The Red Devils are playing catch up in the top four race but it is early days and a win here will win the doubters over. United have lost just two of their last 21 matches against Southampton in all competitions.

United were woeful against Palace but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be demanding an improved performance here. Write the Red Devils off at your peril – 26/25 is a good price when you consider how they dismantled Chelsea on the Premier League opening weekend.

TIP: Man United to win (26/25)

 

Burnley vs Liverpool

Burnley started 2019/20 with a 3-0 victory over Southampton but it has gone pear-shaped since then. Sean Dyche’s men nearly pulled off a shock win at Molineux last weekend before slumping to an embarrassing 3-1 defeat at home to League One side Sunderland.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp’s men are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table. At the time of writing, Liverpool have a two-point cushion over Manchester City and Anfield regulars will be dreaming of a first top flight crown in the Premier League era.

Liverpool are strong favourites to extend their perfect start to the campaign and punters will be tempted by the 7/10 for the Reds to lead at half-time. As always, the Reds will press from kick-off and Klopp’s side could well make an early breakthrough.

TIP: Liverpool to win the first half (7/10)

 

Everton vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Everton were punished by Aston Villa last weekend after the Toffees failed to make the most of some guilt-edged chances. It was a night to forget for Marco Silva’s side but Everton bounced back with a 4-2 triumph over Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Wolves are having to juggle their Europa League commitments and Sunday’s clash will be their 10^th competitive game of the season. The Molineux faithful saw Wolves snatch a dramatic draw last weekend and the visitors will hope to go one better at Goodison Park.

This one has goals written all over it. Everton and Wolves are both capable of creating clear chances in attack and we could see an entertaining affair on Sunday afternoon. Punters can snap the 19/20 up for both teams to score on Merseyside.

TIP: Both teams to score (19/20)

 

Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur

Last but not least, we have the north London derby. One of the biggest rivalries in British football, Arsenal and Tottenham’s hate for each other has been well-documented and fans should expect a fierce contest at the Emirates Stadium this weekend.

Arsenal were second best against Liverpool last time out and the Gunners will have had no complaints about the final result. However, fans will be disappointed if Arsenal fall short in this fixture – this means more to supporters than any other fixture.

The same rule applies for Tottenham of course. Spurs lived in the shadows of their north London rivals for a prolonged period but Mauricio Pochettino has taken Tottenham to new heights. In recent years, Spurs have achieved more than their north London rivals.

However, Arsenal are well priced to win this weekend. 11/8 offers decent value for punters, especially taking Tottenham’s recent record into account. With just 15 points from their last 15 Premier League games, Spurs are struggling and the Gunners can take full advantage.

TIP: Arsenal to win (11/8)

 

Up For 8: My Picks

Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa: Draw

Leicester vs Bournemouth: Leicester win

Newcastle vs Watford: Draw

West Ham vs Norwich: West Ham win

Nottingham Forest vs Preston: Forest win

Reading vs Charlton: Draw

Everton vs Wolves: Draw

Arsenal vs Tottenham: Arsenal win

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alberto Saiz / AP Photo*

The dream for every NFL player is to win the Super Bowl. Some players are lucky enough to win the Super Bowl more than once, others are lucky enough to win it once but most will fail in their bid to lift American Football’s most prized accolade.

Some of the most talented players in NFL history missed out on winning the Super Bowl but it would be foolish to focus too much on that. Dan Marino, arguably the best quarterback in NFL history during the regular season, is the highest profile figure in that group.

Unfortunately, that’s just the way it is. The Super Bowl brings added drama, excitement and nerves in a way that regular season games cannot. From the inaugural Super Bowl in 1967 to last season’s clash, the Super Bowl has – more often than not – lived up to the hype.

We looked at five of the greatest ever Super Bowls; four of which involve the New England Patriots. As the NFL’s most successful team in Super Bowl history, the Patriots naturally feature on a regular basis. Without further ado, let’s get down to business…

Super Bowl LI (2017)

Without a doubt, the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. In fact, it might even rank as the greatest comeback in sport.

Trailing 28-3 midway through the third quarter, the Patriots were down and out. Everyone thought New England were done… except for New England themselves.

The great Tom Brady led the Patriots to 25 unanswered points in the closing stages, taking the game to overtime.

Once New England won the toss, you knew Bill Belichick’s side were going to go and win the game. James White capped a perfect 75-yard drive to send Patriots supporters wild while gloating Falcons fans were left red-faced.

 

Super Bowl XLIX (2015)

Another heart in the mouth affair for the Patriots. With the scores locked at 14 apiece at the half, the game was still up for grabs.

The Seahawks were leading deep in the fourth quarter before New England scored with just over two minutes remaining. Russell Wilson had one chance to lead Seattle to victory.

The momentum was with Seattle until THAT play call. With the ball on the two-yard line, the Seahawks, with 26 seconds and a timeout, called a passing play.

Rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler made the game-clinching interception, much to the dismay of Marshawn Lynch and Seahawks fans around the world.

 

Super Bowl XLII (2008)

Nobody was backing against the Patriots here. New England had completed the perfect 16-0 regular season and the AFC East outfit had been labelled ‘the best team in NFL history’ prior to the Super Bowl.

However, the Giants had other ideas and defied the odds to complete one of the biggest shocks in the NFL showpiece fixture.

David Tyree’s helmet catch will go down in history as one of the league’s most memorable plays.

The Giants wide receiver had made just four receptions during the regular season yet finished Super Bowl XLII with three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. For that reason alone, he will go down in New York folklore.

 

Super Bowl LII (2018)

The Philly Special. Competing in the Super Bowl for the third time, Doug Pederson’s men rolled the dice and they were rewarded with a first Super Bowl success.

Nick Foles stepped up to the plate in the absence of the injured Carson Wentz to lead the franchise to glory – and Eagles fans will be forever grateful.

There were several key moments throughout the game, with momentum shifts throughout. That Patriots fumble deep in the fourth quarter to give Philadelphia a field goal opportunity was perhaps the biggest, with the exception of the Philly Special play of course.

Tom Brady’s Hail Mary effort was unsuccessful and the city of Philadelphia went wild.

 

Super Bowl XIII (1979)

A ‘first’ for so many reasons, Super Bowl XIII is one for the purist. It was the first Super Bowl that featured a rematch of a previous match and both teams were hunting their third Super Bowl title.

Dallas were defending champions but the Pittsburgh Steelers were favourites to emerge victorious at the Orange Bowl, Miami.

Everything went against Dallas from start to finish. The Cowboys struggled to get going on offense and, despite a late surge, were forced to relinquish their crown to the Steelers.

At that time, a 35-31 scoreline was very high for the Super Bowl and individual records set by Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach and Franco Harris only help bolster its status.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Frank Franklin II / AP Photo*

Can Luke Campbell do it? The Brit travelled to the United States for his last contest, beating Adrian Yung with a memorable fifth round stoppage. However, this is a different challenge altogether – Vasyl Lomachenko is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in world boxing.

Lomachenko is a two-time Olympic gold medallist and he ended his amateur career with an incredible 396 wins from 397 fights. The Ukrainian is a dominant figure in the sport and he will be quietly confident of adding the vacant WBC lightweight title to his hefty collection of belts.

Without further ado, let’s get down to the evening itself. Here is some of the need-to-know information ahead of Lomachenko vs Campbell, as well as our top boxing betting tips for the main event. On paper, it looks a thrilling night of top class boxing and fingers crossed it lives up to the hype.

 

When Is The Fight?

The bout take will place on Saturday 31^st August 2019 at the O2 Arena, London. According to Matchroom Boxing, the first fight on the undercard will get underway at around 6pm and there are currently no tickets available.

With a full capacity crowd in the capital, fight fans should expect a raucous atmosphere, especially with pound-for-pound star Lomachenko involved. Early predictions suggest that ring walks for the main event will start at around 10pm BST.

 

How To Watch Lomachenko vs Campbell

Lomachenko’s first British fight as a professional will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Box Office. A pay-per-view event promoted by Matchroom Boxing, fight fans can purchase the bout for £19.95.

With the fight taking place in the UK, the main event will be taking place at a respectable hour and therefore there is less chance of missing the fight due to unsociable hours. If you pay for the event but miss the bout, there will be two replays of the entire card on Sunday.

Who Is Fighting On The Undercard?

Lomachenko vs Campbell isn’t the only world title fight taking place at the O2 on Saturday night. The likeable Charlie Edwards puts his WBC world flyweight title on the line against Julio Cesar Martinez Aguilar and most boxing fans will be expecting the British fighter to get the job done.

Meanwhile, high-profile names like Hughie Fury and Joshua Buatsi also feature. Fury’s fight with Alexander Povetkin is the pick of the undercard – Fury is the underdog but a win for the 24-year-old wouldn’t exactly go down as one of heavyweight boxing’s biggest shocks. He is more than capable of holding his own.

The full Lomachenko vs Campbell undercard line-up can be found here:

• Vasyl Lomachenko vs Luke Campbell (vacant WBC, WBA Super, WBO lightweight)
• Charlie Edwards vs Julio Cesar Martinez Aguilar (WBC world flyweight)
• Hughie Fury vs Alexander Povetkin (heavyweight)
• Joe Cordina vs Gavin Gwynne (lightweight)
• Joshua Buatsi vs Ryan Ford (light heavyweight)
• James Tennyson vs Atif Shafiq (lightweight)
• Savannah Marshall vs TBA
• Dalton Smith vs TBA
• Connor Coghill vs TBA

 

Lomachenko vs Campbell: Betting Tips

It will come as no surprise to see Lomachenko priced up as the odds-on favourite. 1/18 may seem short but the Ukrainian is the dominant force in the lightweight division and you won’t find too many punters backing a Campbell upset this weekend.

However, the Hull fighter is certainly capable of taking this bout into the later rounds. Over 8.5 rounds is priced at 19/20 this weekend and that is very tempting indeed. 3 of Loma’s 13 wins as a professional have come on points and he could be set for a fourth win courtesy of the judges’ scorecards on Saturday night.

Lomachenko to win on points is perhaps the best bet of all at 9/4. Yes, the manner of his fourth-round demolition job on Anthony Crolla was impressive but Campbell won’t go down easily. He has worked incredibly hard to bounce back after losing to Jorge Linares and this will mean everything to him.

If nothing else, one thing is for sure – fight fans could be treated to a dramatic night of professional boxing. With so much hype surrounding the undercard bouts as well as the main event, this could be one of the biggest nights of the year for the sport.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Damian Dovarganes / AP Photo*

In a team sports, few players are as important as quarterbacks are to American Football teams. A great quarterback can carry his team to victory, while a mediocre one will struggle to keep his team competitive even if the complementary pieces are superb.

The Super Bowl heroes are usually the men under centre. The one player on the field capable of putting the team on his back, dictating the pace of the game and executing a ring-winning drive.

Being a quarterback requires a special set of skills beyond the obvious passing ability, it requires perfect judgement, vision, and quick-thinking. With different circumstances depending on era, team and opponents, comparing quarterbacks isn’t simple.

The greatest ever quarterback debate will rumble on for generations to come, so instead of tackling that specific question, we’ve picked five of the best in NFL history…

 

Aaron Rodgers

The Green Bay Packers haven’t always surrounded Aaron Rodgers with the talent to succeed. Rodgers only has one Super Bowl victory to his name as a result and a modest playoff record of nine wins in 16 outings.

Rodgers is a man for the spectacular – which he’s needed to be on recent Packers teams – and he does it while almost never turning the ball over.

The all-time NFL leader in interception percentage, Rodgers has combined his natural ambitious passing with precision. Opposing defenders rarely get a sniff of the ball, and his drives up the field are often spectacular.

When healthy, Rodgers is as unstoppable as any quarterback in the league and regularly lives around the 4,000-yard mark.

Rodgers’ Packers are 10/1 to make the Super Bowl this year in 888sport’s NFL betting. How new head coach Matt LaFleur gets on with his Hall of Fame quarterback could well be the deciding factor in their campaign.

 

Tom Brady

The Michael Jordan of the NFL, Tom Brady’s journey from 199^th overall draft pick to six-time Super Bowl champion was a special one.

His partnership with Bill Belichick is the most dominant in league history, owning the AFC East for over a decade. The blend of longevity and excellence is what all sportspeople dream of – Brady has perfected it as well as anyone.

Others on this list have stat sheets that surpass Brady – well, they do in the regular season at least. Others have a reputation for the jaw-dropping pass in a way that Brady perhaps doesn’t.

But crucially, none of them come close to his slow-heartbeat, ruthless playoff drives.

Three-time first team All Pro, four-time NFL passing touchdowns leader and 14-time Pro Bowler, Brady’s regular season record isn’t to be overlooked, but it’s those six rings that set him apart from the pack. Just ask the Atlanta Falcons.

 

Peyton Manning

From first overall pick to five-time MVP, Peyton Manning’s career had everything.

A college superstar that lived up to the billing, Manning shattered many a rookie NFL record in his first season with the Indianapolis Colts, but that was just the beginning of his Hall of Fame career.

The two Super Bowls – one with the Colts, one with the Broncos – only tell a small part of Manning’s tale.

It was actually his third Super Bowl appearance, and second loss, that was the best year of his career, as he set all-time records for single-season passing yards and touchdowns.

In the following campaign, he became the all-time leader in passing touchdowns before lifting his second Super Bowl in 2015. Many NFL fans would name Manning as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. With a list of records like he holds, it’s hard to argue with that.

 

Dan Marino

A good test of how much rings impact your legacy, Dan Marino is the greatest quarterback not to hold the Super Bowl trophy aloft.

He won just eight of his 18 career playoff games with a less than stellar touchdown to interception rate – Marino has a regular season CV as good as anyone in NFL history, but his playoff performances hold him back in the greatest ever discussion.

His record-breaking 1984 is one of the all-time individual campaigns. Posting over 5,000 yards (a record that stood for the best part of three decades) and throwing 48 touchdowns (a record that stood for 20 years), Marino was unsurprisingly awarded MVP.

Although he regularly passed 3,000 yards, Marino didn’t won another MVP trophy. He was, however, named in the All Pro first team on three occasions.

Marino was one of the NFL rookies to watch as he won the 1983 Rookie of the Year. The Miami Dolphins will be hoping Josh Rosen can get somewhere near that standard this season in his second year in the NFL after arriving from the Arizona Cardinals.

 

Joe Montana

Four Super Bowls, four Super Bowl rings for Joe Montana. As cool under pressure as any quarterback in NFL history, Montana might well rank at the top of the ‘clutch’ list.

In those four Super Bowl appearances, he never threw an interception, while winning three Super Bowl MVPs. Passing 3,000 yards wasn’t a challenge for Montana, but he surprisingly never led the league in passing yards in a season.

Accuracy, meanwhile, was Montana’s speciality. It wasn’t just Super Bowls when interceptions were rare, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback seldom turned the ball over, keeping opponent’s defences on the field and grinding them down.

The run to his fourth Super Bowl in 1989 was one for the ages. Montana compiled over 800 yards, threw for 11 touchdowns and didn’t register even a single interception.

His position among the greatest ever is without question, though his numbers aren’t quite as gawdy as some others.

 

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Winslow Townson / AP Photo*