Rivalries on the footballing pitch makes the sport more exciting but the feeling of brotherhood and unconditional friendship between players make the game more lovable.
Here in a list we present to you the top 9 best friends in the Premier League.
9) Paul Pogba And Romelu Lukaku
Manchester United’s world record signing Paul Pogba and Everton’s Belgian star Romelu Lukaku are rivals on the footballing pitch but off the field they have developed a very good bond. The pair have been spotted together on a number of occasions. And now it is known to all and sundry that they have developed a good friendship.
Earlier, last summer Pogba and Lukaku were spotted playing basketball together during their vacation in Miami. And after watching the video it was quite evident that both of them are quite good at street basketball.
During that time Pogba was on the verge of joining Manchester United for a world record fee of £89m and now the French midfielder has settled brilliantly at Old Trafford under Jose Mourinho and has proved his mettle after a series of impressive performances. Lukaku was also under the radar of top-flight clubs but he decided to stay put at Everton.
8) Harry Kane and Michael Dawson
We often talk about rivalries in football but one thing that makes the sport more exciting and brings smiles on our face – is the unconditional friendship between players even if they play for different clubs in the same league. And the friendship between Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane and Hull City defender Michael Dawson manifests the same story – a tale of unconditional friendship.
They are best friends despite playing for different teams in the Premier League. Their friendship started when Dawson played for Spurs from 2005 to 2014 and Harry Kane spent some seasons on loan and eventually rose through the ranks to become their superstar striker. Harry Kane became Premier League’s top-scorer with 25 goals to his name in the 2015-16 season.
Kane and Dawson have been spotted together on numerous occasions. They often spend the holidays together
7) Jamie Vardy and Wayne Rooney
Manchester United legend had a difficult last season in the Premier League and also drew criticism for his lack lustre performance at Euro 2016. However, the England skipper has found life happy under new manager Jose Mourinho and has proved his mettle after equalling Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of most Manchester United goals. He has also been linked with a sensational £700,000-a-week move to the Chinese Super League but he decided to stay put at Old Trafford.
On the other hand Jamie Vardy had a dream un in the last Premier League as he played a quintessential role in guiding Leicester City to their first ever league triumph in their history. But the English striker has failed to recreate that form this season so far.
Whatever may be their story on the field, Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy has been good friends despite playing for different clubs in the league.
6) Erik Lamela and Kyle Walker
Argentine star Erik Lamela joined Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. Fans had huge expectations from him but the attacking midfielder struggled a lot in the beginning and lacked game time. However, his indomitable passion for the game helped him to recreate his best form and he finally convinced Pochettino to seal a place in the first-team.
The 24-year-old Argentine winger has maintained good relations with most of the Spurs players but he shares a special bond with right-back Kyle Walker. They have a perfect tuning both on and off the field and have been spotted partying together on various occasions.
5) Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana
Liverpool have a rich legacy in the English Premier League and a proper understanding between players is very important for a club to do well.
Liverpool have made an incredible start to the Premier League this season and are now second in the league table, only five points behind current league leaders Chelsea.
Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana have played a pivotal role in guiding Liverpool to challenge for the tile this season.
Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson are not only good friends but they also share the same room at Liverpool .
Henderson succeeded Reds legend Steven Gerrard in donning the captain’s armband and he has played the role of an ideal captain so far and Lallana in an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s revamped Liverpool side.
The duo not only trains side by side but also spends a lot of time together off the field.
4) Ander Herrera and Juan Mata
Juan Mata has become a huge fan favourite after joining Manchester United from Chelsea and has proved his mettle to become an integral part of the United first-team. And now he has also re-united with his former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who had earlier offloaded him to Old Trafford. However, the story is very different now as Mourinho regards Mata as one of the most important players in the squad.
Ander Herrera joined Manchester United in 2014 from Spanish side Athletic Bilbao and faced no difficulty to settle at the Theatre Of Dreams as he already had a good equation with his Spanish teammates – David De Gea and Juan Mata.
But Ander Herrera shares a special bond with Juan Mata. The former Chelsea man helped Herrera to settle in England. They spend a lot of time together while training and from time to time they keep on uploading their special moments on social media. They like to play pranks on each other and joke around together – things that best friends often do.
3) Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka
Granit Xhaka signed for Arsenal last summer for a transfer fee of £35m. Initially the Swiss midfielder found life difficult at the Emirates under Arsene Wenger. But Arsenal star midfielder Mesut Ozil helped Xhaka to settle in at the club and in London.
Ozil encouraged Xhaka to deliver his best and now the Swiss international has finally convinced Wenger for a place in the squad.
Xhaka and Ozil are not only teammates but also very good friends.
In an interview, Ozil heaped praise on Xhaka, saying: “He’s a really positive guy, very down to Earth and we’ve already seen that he can score goals.” They share the perfect chemistry both on and off the field.
2) Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino
Liverpool have made an incredible start to the Premier League this season and are now second in the league table, only five points behind current league leaders Chelsea.
Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino have played a pivotal role in guiding Liverpool to challenge for the tile this season.
Coutinho and Firmino have formed a deadly attacking partnership for Liverpool on the field, and off the pitch they are best friends.
Coutinho has been one of the most exciting players for Liverpool this season and his fellow countryman Firmino has also played a quintessential role in the Reds’ success this season.
They train together, party together and share a perfect chemistry that can lead Liverpool to glory.
1) Eric Dier and Dele Alli
Pundits believe that both Dele Alli and Eric Dier are one of the most promising English players in the present era. The have developed a stunning partnership for both club and country.
Both the players have been under the radar of top-flight clubs but they opted to stay put at Tottenham Hotspur after signing long-term deals. Dele Alli is also on the verge of signing a mega new deal with the London club as they want to fend off interest from Chinese Super League clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The duo have played an important role in guiding Spurs to challenge for the title this season. They spend quality time with each other both on and off the field. They train together, play pranks on each other and party together – everything that best friends do.
