GOALThe Republic of Ireland international bamboozled opponents with his long throws that provided plenty of goals for a solid Stoke side
'The Barclays'. While the Premier League was technically sponsored by the aforementioned bank between 2001-16, the period which is so wistfully looked back upon by fans of a certain vintage is the first decade of the 2000s.
After its initial emergence in 1992, the English top-flight enjoyed a secondary boom in popularity following the turn of the millennium, as overseas television deals and a secondary influx of foreign stars gave the league a truly global appeal. It played host to a number of the games modern icons, too, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Didier Drogba among those who lit up the Premier League on a weekly basis.
When fans refer to 'The Barclays', though, it is not those household names they are referring to. Instead it is the players who were largely in the background when it came to being headline-grabbing, but were seen as key cogs in the Premier League machine by die-hard fans, while still able to produce moments of magic on occasion.
These players have come to be known as the 'Barclaysmen', but what made them so beloved, and what became of them once their Barclays life was over? Here at GOAL, we will endeavour to find out with our latest series, 'Ultimate Barclaysmen'.
Perhaps the very embodiment of the Barclays generation is Rory Delap. In an era that saw Pep Guardiola and Barcelona's brand of tiki-taka show the world that technique, finesse and intelligence beats brute force and strength in football, Tony Pulis' Stoke City emerged to prove that a nasty streak still goes a long way. The Potters were big, bold and fairly brutal at times, earning a reputation as the anti-Barcelona to the point that the phrase "Could Lionel Messi do it on a wet and windy Wednesday night at Stoke?" became the sport's own 'Unstoppable force meets immovable object' paradox.
The Britannia Stadium club had a special element that allowed them to cause problems for even their most dangerous opponents – Delap's freakish long throws. Pulis' side made incredible use of the former javelin protege's throwing ability to confound defenders and goalkeepers and allow their burly forwards to capitalise. It left fans in awe, opponents flabbergasted and managers scrambling to find a way to stop it.
Delap's rare ability had an incredible impact on his team, as well as his opponents, and the league has seen nothing like him since.
