One of the most naturally talented footballers to have emerged from England, Peter Beardsley is a bonafide icon in the country's history.
His name may not be the first that comes to mind on the topic of English legends, but the two-time top-division winner certainly has a strong argument to make for himself.
Beardley impressed for his national team with his elegant footwork and impeccable technique, and he is also well-regarded in Liverpool and Newcastle's history - two clubs which he dedicated several years of his heyday to. In fact, Premier League all-timer Alan Shearer once named the Northumberland-born man the greatest ever player in the Magpies' history, which is a huge testament to his quality.
The duo played together a total of 37 times for club and country, but when Beardsley named his greatest ever teammate, it was surprisingly not the leading goalscorer in Premier League history. Instead, it was one of his peers at Liverpool.
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Beardsley Named John Barnes as Greatest Ever Teammate
He felt the winger was once the "best player in the world"
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Beardsley once named his "perfect" eleven of former teammates, and he underlined John Barnes on the left flank as the best player he had ever played with in his storied career. He added:
"The best player I ever played with, bar none. For three or four years at the end of the ’80s, John was possibly the best player in the world. People always go on about his England form but he simply wasn’t given the freedom. At Liverpool, Kenny Dalglish used to say, 'go where the ball goes and enjoy yourself'."
"He was restricted to the left wing with England and that didn't suit him because opposing defenders played with a sweeper, so the right-back would man mark him. Look at the goal in the Maracana, he drifted inside that night and destroyed Brazil but he rarely had that freedom."
Barnes played alongside Beardsley a total of 184 times - more than with any of his other teammates. The pair tormented defences for years together, even combining with each other for 22 goals.
Both Barnes and Beardsley arrived at Liverpool in the same transfer window in 1987, and they helped the Reds win the First Division in their first season. All in all, the duo delivered two league titles, two FA Cups, and a League Cup to fans at Anfield.
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Beardsley felt he was still "restricted" at international level
There are not many England players who have proved to be more skillful than Barnes, who was utterly devastating at the peak of his powers. He made his debut for the Three Lions aged just 20, and it was the first of what would eventually total 79 caps.
Many will point to the Jamaica-born man's ridiculous mazing run through the Brazil defence as a prime example of what he was truly capable of. That move surely ranks highly in the list of the most scintillating pieces of work produced by a winger in history - but why wasn't there more of the same from Barnes for England?
Beardsley insisted that Barnes was not afforded the freedom he deserved to truly wreak havoc at international level. The ex-Watford man wouldn't be the first to be restricted for England either, and it's another case of what-could-have-been, had he been given the same licence to express himself as he so often did at club-level.
John Barnes Club Career Statistics
Club
Liverpool
Watford
Newcastle
Charlton Athletic
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Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.com - Correct as of 22/05/2025