Arsenal
Francis Jeffers is under the impression that his career may have reached unparalleled levels if he managed to put his party boy demeanour back in its box – but that’s not to say that he, renowned as an Arsenal misfit, wasn’t supremely talented.
The Liverpudlian – who scored eight goals and notched a further three assists for the north Londoners – was on Arsenal's books during one of their most-dominant periods, but Jeffers scuppered his chance of becoming a vital cog for ex-boss Arsene Wenger.
Alas, by virtue of his time spent with the Gunners – and Premier League mainstays Everton, too – there are a plethora of stars that he managed to play alongside before hanging up his boots in 2013.
And two years after his retirement date, the Goodison Park academy graduate spoke to Sky Sports to run through his #One2Eleven of former teammates. From his chosen goalkeeper to his two-man partnership up top, here’s Jeffers’ full XI.
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Goalkeeper – Neville Southall
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 34
Although he was sure to give David Seaman a pointed nod, there was no one that compared to Neville Southall in the eyes of Jeffers. Not spoken about in the same breath as the likes of Petr Cech and Peter Schmeichel, the Welshman was a retro glovesman.
“The best goalkeeper in my eyes who ever lived. I played with David Seaman, who I do not want to disrespect, but Neville was special.”
Southall, a true Everton legend, played an eye-catching 713 times for the Toffees throughout his 17-year period on Merseyside – and that was despite his tricky start to life. His spell was packed to the brim with honours, too, having won the top flight title twice.
Centre-Back – Richard Gough
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 22
For Jeffers, talent was never the issue. It was staying on track – and he revealed that Richard Gough, a Scotland stalwart who played alongside the once-capped England international on 22 occasions. Stockholm-born, Gough was a centre-back by trade and, according to Jeffers, he would offer his expertise to the less-experienced lads. His humility aside, he was a terrific defender.
“He came to Everton late in his career, at 37 or 38, and was an unbelievable athlete,” Jeffers said, before adding, “The way he looked after his body was an example to the young lads, and he was a sensational footballer. Top drawer and a great lad as well.”
Centre-Back – Tony Adams
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 5
Who else but the acclaimed Mr. Arsenal? Tony Adams spent just shy of two decades in north London with the Gunners and established himself as one of the greatest centre-backs in Premier League history as a result – he was a one-club man, with a robust approach to defending and a terrific leader. A testament to his character and qualities, he led Arsenal to silverware aplenty.
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On the London-born defender, Jeffers said: “The best English centre half I have ever seen. I could not believe how easy he made things for himself by dictating where other players moved. He made the game so simple and was a great footballer.”
Centre-Back – Martin Keown
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 19
Martin Keown was a player you can bet that would play with his heart on his sleeve – and that’s what made the defender such a loveable figure among the Emirates Stadium faithful. And the same can be said for ex-teammates, too. Jeffers said:
“An absolute animal. He took every training session as though it was the FA Cup final, and wore his shin pads to training, but what a player.”
Not only was his hard-as-nails demeanour frightening for opposition forwards, but Keown – widely regarded as one of the hardest footballers of the Premier League era – was a more-than-sound defender, which is evidenced by his bloated trophy cabinet which includes three top flight titles and four FA Cups.
Right Wing Back – Ray Parlour
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 16
Although Ray Parlour may not be the first name that springs to mind when you think of Arsenal legends, the three-time Premier League winner played 465 games for the north Londoners, which surely makes him a bonafide legend. He went about his business quietly as others basked in the spotlight; to put it simply, they don’t make footballers like Parlour anymore: selfless, energetic, industrious.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: With 465 matches for Arsenal under his belt, Parlour is the club's eighth-highest appearance maker of all time.
Waxing lyrical about his compatriot, Jeffers said: “He was like the glue who made all the world-class players stick together, he was the one who always worked harder than most and that is why he was always in Arsene [Wenger]'s team most weeks. Top drawer.”
Centre Midfield – Patrick Vieira
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 31
An all-round midfield great was Patrick Vieira, who joined Arsenal in the summer of 1996 from AC Milan. A true footballing legend, the Frenchman was imposing as he was elegant – and he seldom lost a battle on the ground. Pivotal to Arsene Wenger’s success in north London, Vieira’s battles with Roy Keane are a stuff of legend.
“What could you say about him? An absolute man mountain who had everything you want in a modern-day midfielder: he could run, tackle, score a goal and head them away in his own box. I cannot speak highly enough of him and a great, great player.”
Centre Midfield – Robert Pires
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 27
Commonly admired as one of the greatest players to ever don an Arsenal jersey, Robert Pires was a stylish, yet largely influential, midfielder who was a vital component of Wenger’s early 2000s success. Upon moving to the English capital, the biggest compliment he could receive is that he replaced fellow winger Marc Overmars with ease. He was the finishing touch on a team that would teeter on the edge of perfection.
“This may surprise a few people, given who I have chosen up front, but this lad was easily the best player I ever played with. He could do everything and was a magician on the pitch. He was flat footed, but was the best player every day in training and he was normally the best player on a Saturday too. I used to just sit and watch him after training and I was in awe of him.”
Left Wing Back – Ashley Cole
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 25
If you ask any footballing person – player, fan, manager – who the best left-back in Premier League history is, there’s a good chance that Ashley Cole, born and raised in London, would be the answer more often than not. Irrespective of whether it was for Arsenal or Chelsea, the Englishman combined defensive prowess with the ability to prance up the flank with ease, and he won plenty of silverware while doing so.
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“A great player both up and down. A great, great defender. People talk about him going forward, but not many went past him going the other way,” Jeffers said. “A fit lad up and down and how many caps did he get for England? Top drawer and a top, top player.”
Centre Attacking Midfield – Dennis Bergkamp
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 15
Commonly admired as one of the greatest players to never win the Champions League, Dennis Bergkamp was magic personified – he could pluck the ball out of thin air and his deft touches were mysterious enough to bamboozle the most resolute defenders. Although the Dutchman was less prolific than Thierry Henry, there are not enough superlatives to describe their two-man partnership: he was somewhat the glue to Arsenal’s success.
“He was top drawer. I used to watch him after training or during training sessions and he used to pull things out of the air or lift things over goalkeepers. He was a top, top player.”
Striker – Wayne Rooney
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 16
“I cannot speak highly enough about him. On stats alone he is probably the best English player of all time in terms of goals and caps. People have their own opinions about who is the best and why they are the best, but on stats alone you cannot knock him,” said Jeffers.
Renowned as being Manchester United and England’s do-it-all centre-forward, Wayne Rooney was a constant threat for defences up and down the country – and he even named Jeffers as his footballing inspiration. The respect is mutual, it seems.
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“He came into Everton’s team at 16 and people wrote him off, but it was never the case. If he played well when he was 16 in the first team, then we knew we had a chance of winning games. He can do anything he likes, can’t he? He can do it all. I watched him the other night spray balls around for England. But for me, if I am manager, then this is his best position.”
Striker – Thierry Henry
Matches played alongside Jeffers: 30
Who else to partner Rooney other than Thierry Henry? “Last but not least. It is hard to speak about him as you feel like you are just saying the same things,” Jeffers said about the Frenchman before adding, “When I got to Arsenal he was only early towards breaking Ian Wright’s goalscoring record, but people were starting to sit up and take notice of him.”
Henry was lethal – and there was rarely anything a defender could do to stop him from bustling past and finishing with ease. Not only could the former Barcelona and Juventus hitman run the channels, but his ability to drop deep and interchange with teammates was second to none. In truth, there was no better striker for Jeffers to learn from – and the two played 30 times alongside one another.
“I could not believe how good a finisher he was. When he first came into the team, a lot of people said he was not a natural goalscorer. I remember him actually coming out and saying he thought he was a wide player early on, as he took a bit of stick at Arsenal when he first came in. But for me, once he got the other side of defenders there was no coming back as his pace was electric. And I had to sit on the bench most weeks watching him.”
All statistics per Transfermarkt - correct as of 29/06/2025