Lionel Messi tops 'Players of the Decade' chart – De Gea, Henderson, Leno on unique list
Lionel Messi has racked up the most minutes of any outfield player at a major European club in the past decade, according to the latest research by CIES Football Observatory.
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Lionel Messi has been one of the most reliable performers on the European stage over the past 10 years, appearing in well over 80 per cent of Barcelona’s total La Liga minutes since 2010. This puts the Argentine international well clear of any other outfield player in the most recent study by CIES Football Observatory.
Messi was fielded for 83.4 per cent of total minutes played by Barcelona in La Liga between 01/01/2010 and 15/11/2019, which equates to 28309 minutes.
These stats show the star forward’s longevity, fitness and consistent form – putting him well clear of any other outfield player from the 42 ever-present clubs in the top five European leagues over the past decade.
Only Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda has been present for a greater percentage, with the Frenchman deployed between the posts for 84.2 per cent of the Ligue 1 outfit’s matches.
The CIES study – titled 'Players of the Decade' – has identified the most prevalent player at every club that has stayed in their respective top flights for the past 10 years, throwing up some interesting names.
Lionel Messi has played the most minutes out of any outfield player in the past decade (Image: GETTY)
Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina is Nice’s most dedicated player while Jesus Navas holds that honour for Sevilla and Bernd Leno has appeared the most times for Bayer Leverkusen in since 2010.
David De Gea tops the list for Manchester United, playing 77.1 per cent of their Premier League minutes, Jordan Henderson is Liverpool’s most regular appearance-maker while Hugo Lloris and Cesar Azpilicueta hold the records at Tottenham and Chelsea respectively.
Thiago Silva has been a mainstay at Paris Saint-Germain over the past 10 years while Laurent Koscielny was turning into a club legend at Arsenal before his defection to Bordeaux in the summer.
The majority of the 42-club list is unsurprisingly populated by goalkeepers, highlighting the extent of Messi’s achievements over the past decade – but which other outfield players make the cut?
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