As a football fan, you may be asking who are the most underrated football players and why are they tagged to be underrated players.
Our list will give you an engaging trip and fact to back up the most underrated football players in 2021.
Before then, what does underrated mean in football?
Underrated in football is termed to as football players not getting the credit, praise or recognition they deserve.
Players who are rated or valued too low compared to their ability.
Football is a team game with eleven players, with each of them playing different role for the team. However, it’s quite unfortunate many do not get the recognition.
Most time, it happens as a result of them ‘underrated players’ playing in a wrong team or overshadowed by the bigger names in the game.
Just as we’ve seen in today’s football game, the exceptional players or bigger names takes the credit for a team success while there are players who did the dirty job for the success of the team.
List of the Most Underrated Football Players in 2021
Below goes our list of some underrated football players in 2021.
Mohamed Salah
The Egyptian king is one of the most underrated football player in Premier League today. With no doubt, he had been Liverpool best player for years with consistency.
Salah is only the second player ever in the history of Premier League to achieve the feat of 31 EPL goals in a season.
The Liverpool forward had also equall Didier Drogba’s goalscoring record as the African players with the most English Premier League goals and expected to surpass him soon.
Today, has been seen by many to have reached the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo level but has not been giving the deserve credit by Football authorities.
Keylor Navas
Navas has been an unfailing underrated players for years who have been displaying an incredible performance for both club and country.
The Costa Rican first show his worth at Levante where he won Laliga best goalkeeper ahead of Courtios and Caballero. Also won the Match 2014 Laliga Player of the month, becoming the first ever goalkeeper to win the award.
He then moved to Real Madrid where he won three UEFA Champions League trophy and also winning the CONCACAF Player of the Year twice, becoming the first Costa Rican to ever win the award.
Yet Navas did not get the deserved recognition as he could not also miss out on the list of most underrated football players.
Federico Chiesa
Chiesa is one of the most talked about Italy star as his good technique and development has earned him a place in the Italy national team.
The Italian Midfielder was the best player Fiorentina had during his days before his move to Juventus. Even though many expect his down fall at Turin due to the calibre of players at Juventus.
Yet he proved them wrong and was still one of the best Juventus player in recent time. But still one of the most underrated football players in 2021 as he did not get the deserve recognition.
Edouard Mendy
Mendy is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world right now and couldn’t have missed out on our list of most underrated football players in 2021.
The Senegalese international arrived in London as a complete unknown from Reinnes to solve Chelsea goalkeeping situation and had been exceptional since then.
He was a pivot part of Chelsea’s journey to their second ever Champions League triumph and became the first ever African goalkeeper to grace the UEFA Champions League trophy and also won the UEFA goalkeeper of the year.
Yet he was rated below his value and still haven’t get enough recognition as he was denied a place in the 2021 30-man Ballon d’Or list.
Wissam Ben Yedder
Ben Yedder is arguably one of the most underrated players in football with his creative goalscoring abilities throughout his career.
After three successive season at Sevilla, the Frenchman joined Monaco last season and bagged 18 goals and 4 assist in 26 Ligue 1 appearances.
Finishing as the 2019/20 Ligue 1 joint top scorer alongside Kylian Mbappe. His credibility also earn him a place in the EURO 2020 French squad.
Luis Muriel
Muriel who currently play for Atalanta is one of the team most consistent player and deserve our list of most underrated players in 2021.
The Colombian forward won the Serie A Best Young Revelation in 2012 and has since then played for various clubs, including Sampdoria, Sevilla, and Fiorentina.
Some has argued that he has not gained further recognition die to his weight and poor fitness. But, his weakness are totally covered up by his strengths, finishing and long shots.
Gerard Moreno
Moreno is in no doubt one of the most underrated players in recent years.
The Spaniard got into his prime in 2019 when he won the Zarra trophy, an award giving to a Spanish player with most Laliga goals.
As a forward, Moreno scored 18 goals for Villarreal in 2019 and better his feat the following season with 23 goals and 7 assist leading Villarreal to the 2021 UEFA Europa League trophy with his last goal.
Danny Ings
Danny Ings as an exceptional striker could not miss out on our list of most underrated players in 2021. The Forward led Burnley to the English Premier League in 2014 and won the Championship player of the year.
Ings move to Anfield in 2015, but his stay at Liverpool was affected throughout with injury. On moving to Southampton, he could not only prove himself but also caught the eye of the club.
In 2019, The England striker scored 22 goals and two assists making him the third player in Southampton history to reach 20 Premier League goals.
He also finished as joint-second top scorer in the Premier League alongside Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Tomas Soucek
Soucek performance in recent years has been incredible as he’s one of the most consistent and outstanding player in West Ham United and his national team Czech Republic.
Despite being a defensive midfielder, his strength both in attacking and defending had turn him to a box-to-box midfielder. Scoring 10 goals last season alongside Antonio as Westham joint-top scorer.
Yet, he is considered to be among the list of our underrated players as he has not gotten the praise he deserves.
Raphael Guerreiro
Guerreiro, being signed to Dortmund in 2016 is one of the Black and Yellow most versatile player and contribute greatly to the club rise to the top of Bundesliga in recent years.
The Portuguese is part of the EURO 2016 winning squad and is capable of playing as a left back, left midfielder or left wing-back due to his strength, balance and pace with and without the ball.
Guerreiro is undoubtedly one of the best left-back in the world right now with a good amount of goal contribution. Yet he could not have missed out on our list of most underrated football players in 2021.
Ismael Bennacer
Bennacer became popular in the 2019 African Cup of Nations when he led Algeria to win the tournament finishing joint top assist (3) alongside Franck Kessie.
He was also voted as both Best Young Player and Best Player of the tournament. But has yet to be recognised.
On moving to Milan in 2019, Bennacer has proved his worth as he play a key role in helping the club qualify for their first UEFA Champions League in seven years.
Honorably Mention
- Filip Kostic
- Georginio Wijnaldum
- Franck Kessie
- Ruben Dias
- Andrea Belotti
Meanwhile, the above list is not an extensive list of underrated football players as we’ll appreciate you to comment below the player you feel should be among the list.