Throw-ins have long been an integral part of the game. Although not for much longer if Arsene Wenger has his way. The former Arsenal manager has long proposed for this part of the game to be replaced by kick-ins.
This might not be such a surprise, given the battering the Gunners got by Stoke City when it came to long throws in the 2010s. In the right hands, throw-ins can be a huge weapon for teams. This can be to the extent that what seems like a relatively harmless throw, can be as dangerous as a corner kick.
With all that in mind, the following rankings reveal the 10 greatest long-throw specialists in football history.
10 Andy Robertson
Nationality: Scottish
Andy Robertson in action for Liverpool
Andy Robertson is one of the greatest left-backs In Premier League history. The Scot has shown a vastly improved throw-in technique while at Liverpool. Under Jurgen Klopp, the club were known for their high-pressing, high-intensity style of play. Throw-ins were taken seriously though. In 2018, they brought in Thomas Gronnemark, a specialist throw-in coach. Data had shown that all too often Liverpool lost possession after taking a throw.
Gronnemark helped the club drastically improve their throw-in retention under pressure percentage from 45% to 68%. As a full-back, Scottish international Andy Robertson would often be on throw-in duty. His technique was more about gaining territory up the field, although he does have the propel throws into the box. Talking to Liverpool’s Official Website, Robertson has been very complimentary about how Liverpool’s throw-in coach improved his ability:
"We all got measured and I was one of the worst, but since the day he came in until now I think I’ve gained about six metres."
9 Lee Dixon
Nationality: English
Lee Dixon pointing furiously for Arsenal
Lee Dixon was part of George Graham’s famous Arsenal back four of the late 1980s and 1990s. He is regarded as one of the greatest English players in Arsenal's history. Such was their defensive prowess, they inspired the chant, ' 1-0 to Arsenal.' As a full-back, Dixon was often designated as a throw-in taker. Arsenal fans of the time will remember Dixon gesticulating for movement from his team-mates, before sending the ball long down the line.
That tended to be Dixon’s main tactic. He freely admits that his throw-ins were looped in, as opposed to the missile launch of some other later players. That said, the successful Arsenal sides of that era came to rely on Dixon to gain yards and get up the pitch and help gain another clean sheet.
8 Steve Watson
Nationality: English
Steve Watson - Newcastle
Former Newcastle full-back Steve Watson was one of the first to perform the somersault flip throw-in technique. Space was very much needed to carry this throw in out. So, trying it at Southampton’s old ground the Dell, or Arsenal’s former home Highbury, was ill-advised.
Although space would have been the least of Watson’s coaches’ concerns. They would have been far more worried about potential injury. From a stationary position, Watson would set off on a short sprint before doing a forward role and propelling the ball away from him like a discus thrower. It was quite a spectacular sight and copied by others in later years.
7 Pratama Arhan
Nationality: Indonesian
Indonesian international Pratama Arhan has caused something of a stir online for his highly aggressive throw-in style. A full-back who can play on either the left or right, Arhan plays in South Korea’s first tier. Yet his throw-ins have caused havoc, especially for Indonesia, even against World Champions Argentina in 2023.
In the end, Argentina won the game 2-0. Yet on several occasions, Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez was pushed to his limits trying to contend with the torpedoes sent from Arhan’s hands. What’s more, is that Arhan didn’t come on in this game until half-time, much to Argentina’s and Martinez’s gratitude.
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6 Gareth Bale
Nationality: Welsh
MixCollage-21-Aug-2024-09-46-PM-6306
When Gareth Bale is mentioned a lot of images come to mind. A Welch icon, the fabulous Spurs hat-trick at San Siro versus Inter Milan and spectacular Champions League final goals for Real Madrid. Bale is considered one of the Premier League's greatest forwards. There was more to Bale’s game though. He took a mean throw in.
Perhaps unsurprising for a player of his strength, Bale had the ability to propel the ball very good distances. Not one to stand on ceremony, his technique was more about quickly taken long throws. Less like a corner and more like a through ball, Bale used his throws to great effect when playing for Wales.
5 Megan Campbell
Nationality: Irish
Irish centre-back Megan Campbell has played for Manchester City and Liverpool in her long professional career. On the subject of long, she caused a sensation in the Republic of Ireland’s game with England in 2024. Although England won 2-0, her throw-ins caused England serious defensive problems.
Dubbed in the media as Rory De-Lass - a reference to throw-in specialist Rory Delap, Campbell can reach 38 metres. Campbell has said her throw-in ability started as a child:
“I was playing with boys at the time because there were no girls' teams at my age group. I just threw the ball and it was further than the boys and they said 'you can do that again, you can do the next one.' I think gradually, that was the realisation this was longer than a normal person's throw-in and as I've grown up, they've just got longer."
4 Andy Legg
Nationality: Welsh
Andy Legg - Cardiff City
Welshman Andy Legg had a solid, if somewhat nomadic journeyman career throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He was a left-sided player, who had a decent strike. Yet Legg will always be remembered for his long throws.
At one time, he held the world record. This was on 1992, when the BBC television programme Record Breakers held a throw-in competition at Wembley. He beat Dave Challinor with a throw of 44.6 metres. Legg deployed his throw to great effect while at Birmingham City, who then had six foot-seven Kevin Francis up front.
Defenders also quaked in their boots while Legg was at Notts County. It wasn’t just his length, but the height and pace he could get on his throws that made them so dangerous.
3 Dave Challinor
Nationality: English
The 1990s and early 2000s was the golden age for Tranmere Rovers. They went on great cup runs – reaching the 2000 League Cup Final – and knocked on the door of the Premier League.
One of their most potent weapons was the throw-in of Dave Challinor. The defender says for his technique it’s vital to have five to 10 yards of space to run into and generate the power. While his throws caused success, not everyone liked them, as Challinor recalls:
“We used it and I remember us getting some stick off Sam Allardyce as we had quite a rivalry with Bolton back then. The next thing you know, they’re in the Premier League and using it themselves!”
In 1999, Challinor went on to break Andy Legg's throw-in world record, with a throw of 46.34 metres.
2 Ian Hutchinson
Nationality: English
Ian Hutchinson was part of the famous Chelsea team that beat Leeds in a highly combative FA Cup final in 1970. Unusually for a throw-in specialist, Hutchinson was a striker, playing up front with one of Chelsea's greatest-ever players, Peter Osgood.
Hutchinson had a very particular throw-in technique, which was known as the windmill. His arms would continue to swing downwards the moment he released the ball.
It was believed this generated extra momentum, which further propelled the ball towards goal. It’s a testament to Hutchinson’s throw-in ability that his most famous throw won Chelsea the FA Cup. This was against a Leeds side who had a watertight defence, but even they struggled to cope with it.
1 Rory Delap
Nationality: Irish
Rory Delap of Stoke City about to take a throw-in
Rory Delap was a vital cog in the combative Stoke City Premier League side between 2006 and 2013. When Delap had the ball in his hands, the opposition would retreat to their own penalty area and get ready to defend for their lives. Effectively, Delap’s throw-in was the equivalent of a corner kick.
He would dry the ball with his shirt, then step back as far as the advertising hoarding before hurtling the ball into the opponent’s box. The likes of Ryan Shawcross, Jonathan Walters and other tall players with sharp elbows and a hunger for headers went piling into the box to attack Delap’s throw-ins. It didn’t always end up with a Stoke goal, but always struck fear into the hearts of the opposition.