INFTH Top 100: Numbers 100 and 99

100. Andy Carroll- With only a handful of Premier League appearances to his name heading into the season, Andy Carroll wasn't seen as a man capable of making a mark in the top division. However, in Newcastle's second match of the season Carroll hit a hat trick against Aston Villa, forcing himself into the minds of football fans everywhere. Having forged a useful partnership with Kevin Nolan, Carroll continued to push forward; scoring eight more goals until he was injured at the halfway point in the season. Impressed by his form, Kenny Dalglish elected to purchase Carroll in January as a direct replacement for the departing Fernando Torres. Injured at the time of the deal, Carroll had to wait until March for his Liverpool bow, when he came on as a late substitute against Manchester United.

Carroll's prowess in the air and fine finishing ability also attracted the attention of England manager Fabio Capello, who gave the Englishman his first cap in a 2-1 friendly loss against France. Carroll was England's best performer on the night, and several weeks later he was given a second chance against Ghana; a game that he found the net in.

Still struggling with injuries, Carroll was unable to ever put together a coherent run of games for the Reds, but he did score his first two goals for the club against Manchester City at Anfield. Overall, Carroll's season was a good one, and on the basis of his form from August to December, Carroll would be sitting much higher up on these rankings. Unfortunately, the latter part of his season was blighted with injuries, ruining his chances of a top seventy-five finish.

99. Michael Carrick- Much criticized early on in the campaign, Michael Carrick burst his way onto the scene with a series of brilliant performances for Manchester United, both in the Premier League and in Europe.

In the fall out of Manchester United's 2009 Champions League final loss to Barcelona, Michael Carrick was cast as a villain, unable to survive in a midfield dominated by Xavi and Iniesta he had "blown" the game for United. Left out of squad after squad in 2010, it seemed as though the Englishman's Manchester United career would be coming to an end, only for the former Tottenham man to come into form when it mattered most.

In easily the weakest part of Manchester United's championship winning team, Michael Carrick shone as the one truly consistent player. His performances against Chelsea in the Champions League Quarter Finals were particularly awe inspiring, as was his protection of the back four all season long. Certainly, Michael Carrick will not be remembered as one of United's all time greats, but as a steady influence in midfield, and a key contributor to Number Nineteen.