North vs South: Who Produces Better Football Players?

Manchester United vs Manchester City, Arsenal vs Tottenham…Liverpool vs Everton. The beautiful game is full of a countless number of bitter rivalries. But one debate that has raged on within English football is one of geographical origins - who produces the best footballers? The North or the South?

BestGamblingsites.com has delved into the data on the all-time top UK born goalscorers, assist leaders, defenders, and goalkeepers in the English Premier League (EPL). Armed with concrete data, this analysis seeks to unravel the debate behind the English football talent pool.

In order to find out which region in the UK is responsible for the best footballers, we took data from Premierleague.com, extracting the stats leaders in goals, assists and clean sheets (for Goalkeepers and Defenders). We then looked at the birthplace of each player and crunched the numbers.

Key takeaways:

• 61% of UK- born Stat Leaders in the EPL are from the South, 39% of them are Northern

• For goalscorers it's 50/50 in terms of birthplace, but the North wins on total goals

• South wins on Assists, Clean Sheets for Defenders & Goalkeepers

• The South of the UK has produced 44% more all-time stats leading football players than the North

• BUT, in a North XI vs South XI based purely on stat leaders in each position - the North beat the South in total Goals, Assists and Clean Sheets

Where in the UK produces the best goalscorers?

Winner: The North (on total goals)

The battle for goals in the EPL has seen legendary figures emerge from both the North and the South. With iconic names like Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, and Andy Cole, the North boasts a fierce goal-scoring legacy. However, the South, represented by players like Harry Kane and Frank Lampard, proves equally potent, resulting in a 50/50 split in birthplaces. Despite this, the North edges ahead in total goals, painting a picture of prolific strikers thriving in the northern regions.

Score:

North: 968

South: 847

Where in the UK produces the best passers?

Winner: The South

Assisting goals is an art mastered by a select few. In this realm, the South takes the lead. With players like Ryan Giggs, Frank Lampard, and David Beckham, the Southern regions showcase exceptional playmaking talent. Wayne Rooney's brilliance, however, stands out in the North, but the South's collective effort secures their dominance in the assist category.

Score:

North: 355

South: 559

Where in the UK produces the best defenders?

Winner: The South

The South emerges as the frontrunner in producing solid defenders. Names like John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, and Ashley Cole exemplify the defensive prowess of the Southern regions. While the North has stalwarts like Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville, the South's depth in quality defenders tilts the balance in their favour.

Score:

North: 470

South: 1078

Where in the UK produces the best goalkeepers?

Winner: The South

Goalkeepers, the last line of defence, often define the fate of a match. Here, the South showcases remarkable goalkeeping talent. David James, Joe Hart, and Ben Foster, among others, represent the South's stronghold in producing exceptional goalkeepers. Although the North fields legendary names like David Seaman and Paul Robinson, the South's goalkeepers shine brightly, demonstrating their superiority in this critical position.

Score:

North: 418

South: 619

North vs South XI

Winner: The North (1758 to 1739)

North

Formation: 4-2-4

South

Conclusion:

In the grand tapestry of English football, both the North and the South have woven threads of brilliance. However, when analysing the statistics of top English goalscorers, assist leaders, defenders, and goalkeepers in the EPL, the South emerges as the powerhouse, beating out their Northern counterparts on three out of four scoring categories. While the North boasts formidable goal-scoring prowess, the South's comprehensive dominance across various positions solidifies its status as the primary cradle of football excellence in the UK. However, when put head to head on the pitch, the Northern all-time XI beats the Southern XI on total points.

Methodology

Using data from Premierleague.com, we took the highest English all-time points leaders in Goals, Assists and Clean Sheets (for Defenders and Goalkeepers), and then found out the region of their birthplace.

To get the winner of the North vs South XI, we calculated the total all-time number of ‘points’ (Goals, Assists and Clean Sheets) each player in each team had.