The latest list of Premier League hall of fame nominees was released this week and, once again, Manchester United legend Denis Irwin was absent.
The Corkman not only won seven Premier League medals, but was a pivotal part of each and every one at left-back.
The versatile defender could play on either flank of defence, and also had a mean set piece in his locker.
In the aftermath of the latest drop of hall-of-fame nominees, Irwin's former Manchester United teammate Gary Neville spoke out about his exclusion on Twitter, saying he believed Irwin to be the best full-back in the league's history.
Gary Neville on Denis Irwin
Over the course of 12 years with Manchester United, Denis Irwin was an ever-present in Alex Ferguson's defence.
He joined the club in 1990, starting the European Cup Winners' Cup triumph the following season, before going on to take seven Premier League winners medals during his time at the club.
His greatest achievement was the 1999 season, which also saw him claim FA Cup and European Cup medals as part of an unprecedented treble.
Suffice to say, so, that some Manchester United fans were fuming that Irwin was not included on the latest shortlist of nominees for the Premier League hall of fame.
The man on the other side of Alex Ferguson's defence during the success of the 1990s was Gary Neville, and he responded to a fan's tweet on Friday by saying, "Denis is the best full back in PL history! Fact"
Another fan then responded by saying that Irwin would not have played in teams managed by Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp, which only led to Neville doubling down on his praise of the Irish international:
You didn’t watch him play then? Denis would play full back in any team of theirs! Left or Right! He didn’t give goals away, didn’t give the ball away, brilliant going forward and could take set pieces to the equal of most!
You didn’t watch him play then? Denis would play full back in any team of theirs! Left or Right! He didn’t give goals away, didn’t give the ball away, brilliant going forward and could take set pieces to the equal of most! https://t.co/sWun4qFDba
— Gary Neville (@GNev2) March 31, 2023
There's a fair argument that Irwin sits as one of the most underrated players in Premier League history, given all that he achieved with Manchester United, and it's hard to argue with Neville's assessment of his strengths.
Of course, the early days of the Premier League were a different world in terms of the speed and physicality of the game. Nonetheless, Denis Irwin was the greatest full-back of that generation, and should undoubtedly be in any discussion for a Premier League hall-of-fame.
Time will tell if Irwin will eventually join fellow Corkman Roy Keane in the Premier League hall of fame, but it would be difficult to suggest that he would not deserve such an accolade.
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