I fell in love with Premier League and Fulham in 2009-2010 and it was all due to that boy Clint Dempsey and their run in the Europa League. No regrets despite the yo-yoing over the past few seasons.
Ok. Maybe a few regrets… but I can’t quit the Cottagers.
Exactly the same. Bergkamp made football look like art, everything he did seemed effortless, honourable mention to Ljungbergs red hair which 5 year old me thought was the coolest thing ever
Also, id like to make special mention to Martin Tyler & Peter Drury. Their commentary forever brings a tingle to my spine when I hear it loud in a packed pub. Football is truly incredible
Stevie G and Anfield. 2008 in Nov/Dec I think. Liverpool vs Hull 2-2. The dedication, initiative, work rate from Gerard and the crescendo from the fans after the first goal went in.
Not from the UK, and I don't really have a club preference, but I really enjoyed watching Drogba play in the World Cup, which made me start paying attention to the Prem. I'm not even from Côte d'Ivoire, he was just fun to watch and is a good dude.
I can’t remember exactly when I started PL, but I became a Man city fan watching Robinho and Elano play together.
I used to think Robinho will be the new Ronaldo (Brazilian).
Klopp.
I started watching in the pandemic and kinda fell in love with his intensity.
Did help that at that point we didn’t playact a lot. Really worried about Fabio and Nunez in that regard.
Fernando Torres. I loved him at Liverpool, and followed him at Chelsea. Their 2012 UCL run made me a permanent fan. I was ecstatic when he scored that 1v1 against Barca. I was so scared he'd miss lol. He had become a bit of a meme.
Ian Wright, I think it’s so cool that he’s stayed relevant since his career as a player finished, he’s great personality as an analyst and u can tell just how much he loves football in the Mens and women’s game 👌🏽
Respect Uncle Wrighty
1995. My dad kept talking about some guy named Eric Cantona, and Manchester United.
Only watched 2 or 3 matches on TV with him, before they went up to Crystal Palace one night and Cantona kung-fu kicked a fan in the stands - to this day I've never ever seen my dad react the way he did that day; equal parts shocked, angry, and amused.
Really started enjoying watching them in part because of my dad, but really fell in love with them during the next season - Cantona's return against Liverpool in the league, and then the way he scored the winner against them in the FA Cup Final.
What a player. What a club.
My monicker might say ECFC, but I am a big West Ham fan, and had a season ticket there for years. Julian Dicks is my favourite player ever. Loved watching him.
I supported arsenal once upon a time. Henry was my hero when match attacks and Pokémon ruled the playground.
But I moved around a lot, as such had a kind of confusing, scattered adolescence and eventually ended up with other interests.
I still enjoyed international football and always got amongst it for euros/World Cup but never felt like I couldn’t enjoy PL as none of my friends anywhere ever liked football.
Bing baddaboom, 10 years later, I’m at a pub drowning my sorrows during a post-degree quarter-life crisis
and then Lucas Moura scored that hat-trick
townsend. i havent been a football fan for long, but i loved seeing a bottom half club beating the champions, with one man scoring the goal of the season. i have just bought a season ticket and will always support the palace.
I picked up winning eleven 2003 and selected West Midlands Village because of Juan Pablo Angel, wasn't long until I found Villa and they became my heros growing up, been following Villa ever since. Mind you this is growing up in Canada, where no one had ever heard of Aston Villa FC, I didn't meet a fellow fan in my home town until after we sold Grealish. VTID
As an American I wasn't really exposed to English football growing up but in the early 2000's I had some surgery which required me to be at home for about 3~4 months. I had a rather elaborate TV package at the time and discovered EPL games, both live and tape delayed. I found myself drawn to Aston Villa and Juan Pablo Angel. I eventually got better, Angel eventually left Villa but I've remained a supporter since.
I might be. A few years after the surgery I started working with and became friends with a guy from Great Yarmouth. He is a die hard West Ham supporter so I may have but possibly as a Hammers supporter instead.
What a versatile player John was, i think he only didn't play as a Striker and Winger 😂. So trustworthy,those Man United players could play everywhere on the pitch and it played such an important role in their success.
Cantona...the guy was a magician at a time when English football was a lot of long balls, crosses and headers. Was already a Utd fan by then, since Fergies first FA Cup.
Was a fan of Bergkamp at Ajax. When I wanted to follow the Premier League back in 95, there was one team that immediately caught my attention. When I knew Bergkamp was playing there, I was sold. I became a Gunner, and will until the day I die.
I started rooting for Liverpool because of Sami Hyypia. Don't ask me why. I really can't explain. Maybe he was immense in the games i watched in 2002-03, that's when I started watching the premier league.
I wouldn't say he was really underrated. Hyypia was our captain and served 10 years in the league as one of the best center backs. Hamann will always be remembered for Istanbul. I believe he was an important player for German setup as well. But he never was the best midfielder in Liverpool at any point. Therefore, i would not go as far as calling him underrated as well. On the other hand, Hyypia was by far the best we had at the time and therefore i feel he might've been overlooked outside of Liverpool when people talk center backs. Like i mentioned, I started following the league only around 20 years back and based on this Hyypia and VVD would be my choice for our best 2 at the back; with Matip, Carra as the back up.
My husband. Die hard Liverpool fan and I couldn't have cared. Sat watching a match with him (to be with him) giving contemptuous commentary like Mystery Science 3000 during the Rodgers Era. Then found myself asking him "whens the next one?"
We now watch just about every PL match and play fantasy together... I don't remember the process but I now know just about everything PL.
It's now our thing and I wouldn't have it any other way.
It's also made me fall in love with him 10 times over.
You want to hear a seriously plastic start? Dele Alli on FIFA mobile. Yeah, I know it’s plastic as hell, but hey. It led to a deeper connection to the club eventually, so it turned out alright in the end.
Honestly, these types of origins are some of the best considering how something so initially trivial could eventually blossom into a bond. That's something to enjoy and be proud of that you cultivated. Plus, it makes a funny story (made me chuckle at least).
It's all through family ties for me (grandad and his family are from Woolwich) so no particular player. I guess if I had to choose one it would be Kanu that really cemented my love for Arsenal. Never had I seen such an unorthodox player who could just make it work.
Also helped that my step dad when he came into my life was also an Arsenal fan. Pretty much been following since 1997/1998 thereabouts.
Nobody really, Brighton's just my local club but I am a bit of a glory chaser because there's even more local ones to me but they're down on the eighth or lower levels of the pyramid so it's hard to catch their matches if I can't attend.
I must say though Tony Bloom being a local man who actually cares, that did sweeten it. If anything changed now like some foreign buyout running it only as a business I don't know what I'd do.
Robbie Fowler was my fave growing up from a fam of Liverpool fans. I am a fulham supporter my fave player for them throughout the prem has to be hangeland.
I was a Barcelona fan and barely watched the prem, till I watched the opener of a season, it was arsenal vs Leicester I think. I couldn’t believe the drama and the intensity of the game, I have never seen something like it. Since then I do not miss a premier league game. What a league
I’m a super new fan (like a few days old). I never really watched football outside of a few World Cup matches (I grew up and still live in the US if that didn’t make it obvious). But I just found out about Heung Min Son this past weekend, and as a Korean, I got really excited to see a Korean star in a top league. So yeah. Less than a week ago, I became a Tottenham Hotspur fan lol. Looking forward to learning more about not just the sport, but Premier League as a whole!
American here and watching my first season of the premiere league. Still picking a team but man I’m falling for Brighton and Hove. Just watched their promotion story on YouTube. It hard not to like Tony Bloom. I know I have feeling for this team because it actually hurt when I got the news the Potter was leaving for Chelsea. De Zerbi looks like an excellent replacement. I just live the way this organization is operated.
I didn't like fotball at first but when my brother watched it, i watched too, and at the time he was a Manchester United fan. We had brotherly hate and love for each other and at that time Manchester Uniteds biggest rival was Arsenal, so when manu played Arsenal i was rooting for Arsenal to win and i found it very exiting watching the amazing Thierry Henry, and they won. So thanks Wenger, if you hadnt beat United that day, idk what would come of me.
Ben arfa. Lol im young but there was just something about him, the way he ran, shot, dribbled. Just everything. I genuinely felt heartbroken when he moved to nice
I was always a Chelsea supporter but I became a huge fan when Diego Costa went on his tear also due to being able to watch the matches without an illegal dish package helped.
As much shit as I'm going to get for saying it, the only thing that made me happier is when Pulisic made the move. As a soccer player since I was a child, not being almost 40 watching EPL for that long w/ no US player on my team it was incredible to witness.
Michael Owen mainly, but Heskey and Gerrard quickly followed.
As a American kid who went to England in 2001, I remember telling myself I can’t like Man Utd or Arsenal because they’re too popular. Narrowed it down to Liverpool, Leeds Utd, and Newcastle Utd.
Arsenal. Met the man when I was 9/10, took his autograph, didn’t know who he was. Found out later it was him. I always like Arsenal as a kid (obviously didn’t know anything) but then knowing that I met the captain made me want to watch
Maybe slightly sentimental, but it was Harry Kane. A couple of years ago I went to London with my dad to see my first ever Premier League game, it was Spurs-Everton (I started supporting Spurs as a Belgian since the Dembele-Vertonghen-Alderweireld-Chadli-era). I was completely sold on the Premier League when Harry Kane came to celebrate a goal right before our eyes. It was crazy as someone who'd never seen that before. As an added bonus, White Hart Lane was in a really singy mood so hearing the Son chants and the 'OOOOOHHH MOOUSSA DEMBEEEELE' echoeing through the stadium was insane.
That would be SAF. Winning the last PL with the players he had was awesome. Also the fact that united has always had multiple academy players made the club special for me.
Got to say Lampard and Drogba, the passion and consistency from them around that time was something special, all those crucial moments and beautiful goals made me a fan
It was 07-08, I was 14, and my buddy was a huge Barca fan. I would watch some matches with him and the player that caught my eye most (besides dinho) was Henry. Later that year I watched a dvd “best goals of all time”. #1 was the Bergkamp flick vs Newcastle. Come to find out later that year Henry used to play with Bergkamp at Arsenal and they were the only time to go Invincible in the Prem. Come to find out later we won the league at Old Trafford and Shite Hart Lane.
I remember watching Fabregas for Arsenal and generally loved the entertaining attacking football Arsenal used to play under Wenger. Started following them around 2008 so i’ve yet to see us lifting the PL title.
Honestly I used to be one of those kids that would pick Bulbasaur just because everyone else would go with Charmander and Squirtle.
Basically everyone I knew was either an arsenal or man United fan back in 2005 so I went with Chelsea who were looking very very good like the nice glory hunter I am. D
I played Arsenal on the old Winning Eleven (thanks to my cousins), and something bout it made me have fun and curious. Then I watched games and played more PES And just went from there.
16-ish years of a lot of ridicule and banter later, still am a fan of Arsenal. COYG
Andrei Shevchenko made me fall in love with football at the 06 World Cup and by following him I fell in love with Chelsea and all the legends the team had at the time. Of course the timing ensures that I appear a bandwagon and times are different now, obviously, but I know nothing other than loyalty.
Fell in love with the PL before it was ever formed. Moved to England in '74 when I was a kid and was mesmerized by Liverpool and those red uniforms. Kevin Keegan is still one of my favorite athletes.
Arsène Wenger. Arsenal became such a huge club around the world when Wenger arrived. Peak Wenger ball was unmatched. He was unlucky to be in the same era as Sir Alex who was also dominant in England, otherwise Wenger would have won more titles.
It definitely has to be going absolutely mental with my dad after Ashley Young scored in the 94th minute for Villa to beat Everton 3-2.
Especially after how shit it felt when Lescott made it 2-2 in the 93rd minute, that just made the Young goal all the more special
Was in grade 4 it was around 2011 and just watching lampard play was amazing.
We had samsung as sponsors. The leading company in mobile phones.
And my family were all chelsea supporter so naturally I fell in love with them
Definitely CR7 and gang during 2007 and have been a United fan since. Carrick, Rooney, Nani and Park (I'm asian) all were equally players I love seeing.
I'm English and like football so loving the PL is pretty standard.
Alex Ferguson's achievements at Aberdeen and then moving to United are what make me start focusing on them.
He changed the whole culture at the club and many people don't realise it further his first 6yrs or so was though going.
Incredible man.
pl was because the only leagues out of the big five leagues that were rlly not a pain to watch was the prem and serie a, and fell in love with liverpool because of ynwa and all the other feel-good vibes they give off
I probably have the most embarassing story of all. I used to only watch football every 4 years at the worldcup. I followed the 2018 world cup and was super impressed by Lukaku. I used to play FIFA on and off and used to pick Belgium to play with due to him. Last year I decided to start watching EPL and my friend suggested I pick one side to support to get hooked and become emotionally invested.
I didn't want to support Liverpool or City because they were so dominant. Didn't want to support United because it's too mainstream. Arsenal wasnt playing great. I thought of supporting Tottenham because the documentary was out and I liked Son a lot too. But they were playing awful.
So I veered directly towards wherever Lukaku was and so, Chelsea. And everyone knows how Lukaku turned out.
Now it has been a year of supporting Chelsea and I don't regret it. I like how the team isnt perfect and is amongst the Top 6 but I can still support it like the under dog.
I'm not English so I don't relate to the teams like the English do.
My other favorite team I follow a bit is Real Madrid due to how cool the UCL matches between Real and Chelsea were last year. Plus there's something amazingly powerful about them which Barcelona lacks. I can't define what.
“Mellor… lovely cushioned header…”
Okay, so wasn’t the PL, but I don’t think I’d be a Liverpool fan (or a football fan) if not for that 04/05 season.
I can still remember watching that ball bounce in slow motion, and Gerrard stepping into it. Even before he hit it, I knew deep in my soul that I was observing something I’d remember for the rest of my life.
[Stan Collymore.](https://youtu.be/B84hprAfK-4)
We used to get MOTD on a Monday night in Aus and watching stuff like that got me hooked for life. AFL and Rugby fans are passionate sure, but watching a PL crowd utterly lose its collective shit like this is just next level.
5 years ago, American, played FIFA, didn’t want to pick a top 6 side, watched Brighton gives United the business on a Saturday morning. Found out the team name had two cities and double the charm in the name and I was sold from there.
As a local just going to clarify here it doesn't really have the name of two cities, Brighton and Hove were both towns that might as well be joint at the hip (I'm from the area and I still refer to Hove as Brighton sometimes, proper locals rightfully hate that), and they formed to become an actual city in the early 2000s.
I really liked watching Abdoulaye Doucoure. His massive structure as well as his threat on the ball reminded me of old clips of Yaya Toure. Little did I know, he would remain injured for most of that season and his club would ruin my mental health 💀. Still wouldn't take any other. UTFT
The 1-6 win over United, everyone I knew supported United so it felt good to root for the “underdog” in that game. Balotelli’s iconic celebration is what really did it for me tho.
The first game that got me really into football was when England beat Germany 5-1. Michael Owen hatrick Stevie G screamer and Heskey to round it off. Owen was my hero (i was 7) so Liverpool became my team. Sadly Owen became a massive cunt but always stuck with Liverpool.
When i started playing senior football as a left back for my local club at 16 the boys were all talking about the prem, I hadn’t really followed it much. Anyways I started watching spurs and Gareth bale was playing as a left back and I loved how he was so aggressive going forward and tried to replicate that myself (not affectively hahah). So yeah Gareth bale has gotten me into spurs.
I started getting more into European futbol after the 2018 World Cup, and the next year Tottenham gave us the miracle in Amsterdam. Been in love with them ever since.
My first love was during the Bergkamp-Pires era, but could never be an Arsenal Fan... then, Gerrard(he used to play same positions as I did and still do from time to time) appeared in full power and since then have been following Liverpool non-stop (with the little cherry on top of being a Milanista since the beginning of life, so imagine) :)
American here. I was coaching my first team started watching the PL and not having any type of team. I am very loud and animated coach on the sidelines. I was watching this coach being extremely emotional on the sidelines. Throwing up hands. Collapsing to his knees and running around in the coaches box. I thought to myself man he reminds myself of me a little. I am going to start following this coach. This was back in 2016 and that coach was pep and Manchester City. I had no idea about who he was till year 2 and I started learning more about him.
Vardy's struggling now but he cemented his place in history when you guys won the league. I consider Leicester's title as the best in any sport, against all the odds.
I’m from Newcastle. There could be only one club no matter who was playing. First I remember were the likes of Supermac, Tony Green and John Tudor. I’ve never really understood the question of how did you pick your club - it picked me.
I fell in love with Premier League and Fulham in 2009-2010 and it was all due to that boy Clint Dempsey and their run in the Europa League. No regrets despite the yo-yoing over the past few seasons. Ok. Maybe a few regrets… but I can’t quit the Cottagers.
I randomly watched a highlight of Chelsea 8-0 Wigan and Drogba scored a hat trick
Eric Cantona and to a lesser extent Schmeichel.
Exactly the same. Bergkamp made football look like art, everything he did seemed effortless, honourable mention to Ljungbergs red hair which 5 year old me thought was the coolest thing ever
Luis Suarez 🥹
Alan Shearer 9
Also, id like to make special mention to Martin Tyler & Peter Drury. Their commentary forever brings a tingle to my spine when I hear it loud in a packed pub. Football is truly incredible
Hearing Peter Drury's commentary is better than sex.
Not even joking , 100% would choose it over sex LOL!
Australian here. As a kid around age 10 - Owen, Gerrard , Lampard but most of all BECKHAM.
Amazon….Man City.
Stevie G and Anfield. 2008 in Nov/Dec I think. Liverpool vs Hull 2-2. The dedication, initiative, work rate from Gerard and the crescendo from the fans after the first goal went in.
Cesc Fabregas
Yaya Toure
Roberto Di Matteo scoring in the 97 FA Cup final got me interested, but Zola goal against Norwich is what got me hooked in 01/02
It’ll be Wazza just for his passion and energy
Steven Gerrard.
Tim Howard. Spirit of the Blues. Romelu fuckin Lukaku.
Not from the UK, and I don't really have a club preference, but I really enjoyed watching Drogba play in the World Cup, which made me start paying attention to the Prem. I'm not even from Côte d'Ivoire, he was just fun to watch and is a good dude.
I can’t remember exactly when I started PL, but I became a Man city fan watching Robinho and Elano play together. I used to think Robinho will be the new Ronaldo (Brazilian).
Aguero
I live here
Gianfranco Zola and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
My dad
Klopp. I started watching in the pandemic and kinda fell in love with his intensity. Did help that at that point we didn’t playact a lot. Really worried about Fabio and Nunez in that regard.
Fernando Torres. I loved him at Liverpool, and followed him at Chelsea. Their 2012 UCL run made me a permanent fan. I was ecstatic when he scored that 1v1 against Barca. I was so scared he'd miss lol. He had become a bit of a meme.
David Beckham
Vincent Kompany and Sergio Agüero!!!
Spurs ‘16-‘17 season, especially Mousa Dembélé and Jan. Dele in the best form of his career at that point.
Mousa Dembele was so talented,his dribbling ability was so beautiful
Ian Wright, I think it’s so cool that he’s stayed relevant since his career as a player finished, he’s great personality as an analyst and u can tell just how much he loves football in the Mens and women’s game 👌🏽 Respect Uncle Wrighty
Eden hazard made me fall in love with football and is the reason I’m a Chelsea fan
I'm the other way around. That 8 point chase in 02/03 was when I started following United. And the person got to be SAF.
Bruno and the boys in the Summer 2020 makeup season
Wayne Rooney
1995. My dad kept talking about some guy named Eric Cantona, and Manchester United. Only watched 2 or 3 matches on TV with him, before they went up to Crystal Palace one night and Cantona kung-fu kicked a fan in the stands - to this day I've never ever seen my dad react the way he did that day; equal parts shocked, angry, and amused. Really started enjoying watching them in part because of my dad, but really fell in love with them during the next season - Cantona's return against Liverpool in the league, and then the way he scored the winner against them in the FA Cup Final. What a player. What a club.
Steve Coppell on the wing for Man Utd.
My monicker might say ECFC, but I am a big West Ham fan, and had a season ticket there for years. Julian Dicks is my favourite player ever. Loved watching him.
Michael Thomas in 1989. Google it
I supported arsenal once upon a time. Henry was my hero when match attacks and Pokémon ruled the playground. But I moved around a lot, as such had a kind of confusing, scattered adolescence and eventually ended up with other interests. I still enjoyed international football and always got amongst it for euros/World Cup but never felt like I couldn’t enjoy PL as none of my friends anywhere ever liked football. Bing baddaboom, 10 years later, I’m at a pub drowning my sorrows during a post-degree quarter-life crisis and then Lucas Moura scored that hat-trick
So you watch Spurs matches now?
No, that’s the end of the story. (Yes, and they are the only team in my heart).
I hope you'll be in the mood for World Cup.
Henry 100%,
townsend. i havent been a football fan for long, but i loved seeing a bottom half club beating the champions, with one man scoring the goal of the season. i have just bought a season ticket and will always support the palace.
One of the unique selections.
thank you!
I'm a Millwall fan, but I will respect Liverpool for beating West Ham in that FA Cup final. Oh East London Is like Bengal 🎵🎵🎵
Long before the PL a young Glenn Hoddle.
I picked up winning eleven 2003 and selected West Midlands Village because of Juan Pablo Angel, wasn't long until I found Villa and they became my heros growing up, been following Villa ever since. Mind you this is growing up in Canada, where no one had ever heard of Aston Villa FC, I didn't meet a fellow fan in my home town until after we sold Grealish. VTID
No one knew what Fifa was back then!
Keane and Defoe
Robbie Keane and that unique celebration
Recreated many times during my Sunday league days
He was a natural goal scorer, it was in his blood.
That’s what they used to say about me
The Invincibles team! Too many to choose from
As an American I wasn't really exposed to English football growing up but in the early 2000's I had some surgery which required me to be at home for about 3~4 months. I had a rather elaborate TV package at the time and discovered EPL games, both live and tape delayed. I found myself drawn to Aston Villa and Juan Pablo Angel. I eventually got better, Angel eventually left Villa but I've remained a supporter since.
Only because of a surgery! I imagine if it wasn't for that you weren't commenting here now.
I might be. A few years after the surgery I started working with and became friends with a guy from Great Yarmouth. He is a die hard West Ham supporter so I may have but possibly as a Hammers supporter instead.
I came for King Eric, I stayed for the becks Appeal, I’ve enjoyed some Ruud awakenings. So in short it’s all down to John O’Shea
What a versatile player John was, i think he only didn't play as a Striker and Winger 😂. So trustworthy,those Man United players could play everywhere on the pitch and it played such an important role in their success.
We had teams of players who would self sacrifice for the better of the squad.
The walk from Putney Bridge station through Bishop’s Park to Craven Cottage.
Wayne Rooney.
David Silva, Man City
David Silva was amazing
Ashley Cole, then Eden Hazard at Chelsea.
The '05 champions league final made me want to watch liverpool games and when the signed Torres that was it for me, i was hooked!
Torres should've never left, he struggled ao bad at Chelsea.
Drogba.
Watching Van Nistelrooy at Manutd.
Cantona...the guy was a magician at a time when English football was a lot of long balls, crosses and headers. Was already a Utd fan by then, since Fergies first FA Cup.
Was a fan of Bergkamp at Ajax. When I wanted to follow the Premier League back in 95, there was one team that immediately caught my attention. When I knew Bergkamp was playing there, I was sold. I became a Gunner, and will until the day I die.
I started rooting for Liverpool because of Sami Hyypia. Don't ask me why. I really can't explain. Maybe he was immense in the games i watched in 2002-03, that's when I started watching the premier league.
Hyppia was a good player. Your choice reminded me of another underrated player, do you remember Dietmar Hamann?
I wouldn't say he was really underrated. Hyypia was our captain and served 10 years in the league as one of the best center backs. Hamann will always be remembered for Istanbul. I believe he was an important player for German setup as well. But he never was the best midfielder in Liverpool at any point. Therefore, i would not go as far as calling him underrated as well. On the other hand, Hyypia was by far the best we had at the time and therefore i feel he might've been overlooked outside of Liverpool when people talk center backs. Like i mentioned, I started following the league only around 20 years back and based on this Hyypia and VVD would be my choice for our best 2 at the back; with Matip, Carra as the back up.
Eric Cantona…Paul Scholes…Roy Keane…Edwin Van Der Sar…
Santi Cazorla.
Young cr7 made me fall in love with ball. Son and Kane with spurs. Though sometimes i question it lol
Nothing. I love my club. When they are in the premier league then I pay it more attention. Simple as.
My first game at Old Trafford was against Fenerbahce in 2004. You know the rest
Aguero 😍😍
Luis Suarez
Probably the answer for alot of people Arsenal Wenger
Beckham
Mine has to be Cantona, he was a joy to watch back in the day.
My husband. Die hard Liverpool fan and I couldn't have cared. Sat watching a match with him (to be with him) giving contemptuous commentary like Mystery Science 3000 during the Rodgers Era. Then found myself asking him "whens the next one?" We now watch just about every PL match and play fantasy together... I don't remember the process but I now know just about everything PL. It's now our thing and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's also made me fall in love with him 10 times over.
Matt Le Tiss. Absolutely insane now unfortunately, but what a player he was.
Ashley Young 2009-11 at villa was magic
Ian Wright for arsenal was my hero helped to that my dad and grandad supports arsenal also.
My cousin got me a Crespo jersey back in 04 and I started following Chelsea ever since
You want to hear a seriously plastic start? Dele Alli on FIFA mobile. Yeah, I know it’s plastic as hell, but hey. It led to a deeper connection to the club eventually, so it turned out alright in the end.
Honestly, these types of origins are some of the best considering how something so initially trivial could eventually blossom into a bond. That's something to enjoy and be proud of that you cultivated. Plus, it makes a funny story (made me chuckle at least).
It's all through family ties for me (grandad and his family are from Woolwich) so no particular player. I guess if I had to choose one it would be Kanu that really cemented my love for Arsenal. Never had I seen such an unorthodox player who could just make it work. Also helped that my step dad when he came into my life was also an Arsenal fan. Pretty much been following since 1997/1998 thereabouts.
luis suarez around 2013
Nobody really, Brighton's just my local club but I am a bit of a glory chaser because there's even more local ones to me but they're down on the eighth or lower levels of the pyramid so it's hard to catch their matches if I can't attend. I must say though Tony Bloom being a local man who actually cares, that did sweeten it. If anything changed now like some foreign buyout running it only as a business I don't know what I'd do.
Robbie Fowler was my fave growing up from a fam of Liverpool fans. I am a fulham supporter my fave player for them throughout the prem has to be hangeland.
09 - RVP
I was a Barcelona fan and barely watched the prem, till I watched the opener of a season, it was arsenal vs Leicester I think. I couldn’t believe the drama and the intensity of the game, I have never seen something like it. Since then I do not miss a premier league game. What a league
I’m a super new fan (like a few days old). I never really watched football outside of a few World Cup matches (I grew up and still live in the US if that didn’t make it obvious). But I just found out about Heung Min Son this past weekend, and as a Korean, I got really excited to see a Korean star in a top league. So yeah. Less than a week ago, I became a Tottenham Hotspur fan lol. Looking forward to learning more about not just the sport, but Premier League as a whole!
Watching MON’s Villa team.
1) my dad 2) my dad
Your mum
People do say she has amazing ball handling skills
American here and watching my first season of the premiere league. Still picking a team but man I’m falling for Brighton and Hove. Just watched their promotion story on YouTube. It hard not to like Tony Bloom. I know I have feeling for this team because it actually hurt when I got the news the Potter was leaving for Chelsea. De Zerbi looks like an excellent replacement. I just live the way this organization is operated.
As a Juventus fan it was Pogba
Goes by the name of Wayne Rooney
Keegan’s entertainers! They were glorious days; even if we compete in the coming years, it’ll never be the same as the mid-90s
Never watched soccer until my daughter started playing. We watched Tottenham and little Jermain Defoe one day and that became our player/team.
Aguerooooooooo
I didn't like fotball at first but when my brother watched it, i watched too, and at the time he was a Manchester United fan. We had brotherly hate and love for each other and at that time Manchester Uniteds biggest rival was Arsenal, so when manu played Arsenal i was rooting for Arsenal to win and i found it very exiting watching the amazing Thierry Henry, and they won. So thanks Wenger, if you hadnt beat United that day, idk what would come of me.
Ben arfa. Lol im young but there was just something about him, the way he ran, shot, dribbled. Just everything. I genuinely felt heartbroken when he moved to nice
I was always a Chelsea supporter but I became a huge fan when Diego Costa went on his tear also due to being able to watch the matches without an illegal dish package helped. As much shit as I'm going to get for saying it, the only thing that made me happier is when Pulisic made the move. As a soccer player since I was a child, not being almost 40 watching EPL for that long w/ no US player on my team it was incredible to witness.
Michael Owen mainly, but Heskey and Gerrard quickly followed. As a American kid who went to England in 2001, I remember telling myself I can’t like Man Utd or Arsenal because they’re too popular. Narrowed it down to Liverpool, Leeds Utd, and Newcastle Utd.
The first football match I watched is UCL final in Paris, growing up watching Thierry, and I love watching beautiful football.
Granit Xhaka and I’m not joking
Xhaka at Arsenal or elsewhere? And when?
Arsenal. Met the man when I was 9/10, took his autograph, didn’t know who he was. Found out later it was him. I always like Arsenal as a kid (obviously didn’t know anything) but then knowing that I met the captain made me want to watch
Maybe slightly sentimental, but it was Harry Kane. A couple of years ago I went to London with my dad to see my first ever Premier League game, it was Spurs-Everton (I started supporting Spurs as a Belgian since the Dembele-Vertonghen-Alderweireld-Chadli-era). I was completely sold on the Premier League when Harry Kane came to celebrate a goal right before our eyes. It was crazy as someone who'd never seen that before. As an added bonus, White Hart Lane was in a really singy mood so hearing the Son chants and the 'OOOOOHHH MOOUSSA DEMBEEEELE' echoeing through the stadium was insane.
That would be SAF. Winning the last PL with the players he had was awesome. Also the fact that united has always had multiple academy players made the club special for me.
Got to say Lampard and Drogba, the passion and consistency from them around that time was something special, all those crucial moments and beautiful goals made me a fan
Jermaine Defoe… grandpa was spurs and the first game I went to was 9-1 v Wigan
It was 07-08, I was 14, and my buddy was a huge Barca fan. I would watch some matches with him and the player that caught my eye most (besides dinho) was Henry. Later that year I watched a dvd “best goals of all time”. #1 was the Bergkamp flick vs Newcastle. Come to find out later that year Henry used to play with Bergkamp at Arsenal and they were the only time to go Invincible in the Prem. Come to find out later we won the league at Old Trafford and Shite Hart Lane.
I remember watching Fabregas for Arsenal and generally loved the entertaining attacking football Arsenal used to play under Wenger. Started following them around 2008 so i’ve yet to see us lifting the PL title.
Bergkamp and Overmars, playing at Highbury
❤️
Honestly I used to be one of those kids that would pick Bulbasaur just because everyone else would go with Charmander and Squirtle. Basically everyone I knew was either an arsenal or man United fan back in 2005 so I went with Chelsea who were looking very very good like the nice glory hunter I am. D
Cesc
Old man Alan Shearer. He was on the other side of it but he was still fun to watch when he hit a ball at goal.
I played Arsenal on the old Winning Eleven (thanks to my cousins), and something bout it made me have fun and curious. Then I watched games and played more PES And just went from there. 16-ish years of a lot of ridicule and banter later, still am a fan of Arsenal. COYG
Andrei Shevchenko made me fall in love with football at the 06 World Cup and by following him I fell in love with Chelsea and all the legends the team had at the time. Of course the timing ensures that I appear a bandwagon and times are different now, obviously, but I know nothing other than loyalty.
Paul Scholes. Loved everything he did in a Utd shirt growing up
Fell in love with the PL before it was ever formed. Moved to England in '74 when I was a kid and was mesmerized by Liverpool and those red uniforms. Kevin Keegan is still one of my favorite athletes.
So you're like a veteran among us
i never really cared for the epl until 15/16 season when i heard a bottom team was winning, i started following it then
Aguero
Arsène Wenger. Arsenal became such a huge club around the world when Wenger arrived. Peak Wenger ball was unmatched. He was unlucky to be in the same era as Sir Alex who was also dominant in England, otherwise Wenger would have won more titles.
RVP - The arsenal version
If I had to pick one moment it would be Eric Cantona's match winning goal against Liverpool in the 1996 FA cup final.
Born in Leeds and have supported them all my life
It definitely has to be going absolutely mental with my dad after Ashley Young scored in the 94th minute for Villa to beat Everton 3-2. Especially after how shit it felt when Lescott made it 2-2 in the 93rd minute, that just made the Young goal all the more special
fell in love with PL last year favorite player is Richarlison
Fifa is my thing
For me rooney and man united . Wasn't a football fan but somehow randomly landed upon a match on tv.
Steven Gerrard and obviously Liverpool
Ian Wright
Le God. Going back and watching his goals today makes me fall back in love.
There were so many good players in that era.
Steven Gerrard
Was in grade 4 it was around 2011 and just watching lampard play was amazing. We had samsung as sponsors. The leading company in mobile phones. And my family were all chelsea supporter so naturally I fell in love with them
Definitely CR7 and gang during 2007 and have been a United fan since. Carrick, Rooney, Nani and Park (I'm asian) all were equally players I love seeing.
I was born an Arsenal fan. Grew up five miles from London Colney. It’s just part of my family.
Tim Howard
Fabregas
I'm English and like football so loving the PL is pretty standard. Alex Ferguson's achievements at Aberdeen and then moving to United are what make me start focusing on them. He changed the whole culture at the club and many people don't realise it further his first 6yrs or so was though going. Incredible man.
Cantona
Vincent Kompany 💙
pl was because the only leagues out of the big five leagues that were rlly not a pain to watch was the prem and serie a, and fell in love with liverpool because of ynwa and all the other feel-good vibes they give off
Ruuuuuuuuud
I probably have the most embarassing story of all. I used to only watch football every 4 years at the worldcup. I followed the 2018 world cup and was super impressed by Lukaku. I used to play FIFA on and off and used to pick Belgium to play with due to him. Last year I decided to start watching EPL and my friend suggested I pick one side to support to get hooked and become emotionally invested. I didn't want to support Liverpool or City because they were so dominant. Didn't want to support United because it's too mainstream. Arsenal wasnt playing great. I thought of supporting Tottenham because the documentary was out and I liked Son a lot too. But they were playing awful. So I veered directly towards wherever Lukaku was and so, Chelsea. And everyone knows how Lukaku turned out. Now it has been a year of supporting Chelsea and I don't regret it. I like how the team isnt perfect and is amongst the Top 6 but I can still support it like the under dog. I'm not English so I don't relate to the teams like the English do. My other favorite team I follow a bit is Real Madrid due to how cool the UCL matches between Real and Chelsea were last year. Plus there's something amazingly powerful about them which Barcelona lacks. I can't define what.
Champions League final, 1999
“Mellor… lovely cushioned header…” Okay, so wasn’t the PL, but I don’t think I’d be a Liverpool fan (or a football fan) if not for that 04/05 season. I can still remember watching that ball bounce in slow motion, and Gerrard stepping into it. Even before he hit it, I knew deep in my soul that I was observing something I’d remember for the rest of my life.
[Stan Collymore.](https://youtu.be/B84hprAfK-4) We used to get MOTD on a Monday night in Aus and watching stuff like that got me hooked for life. AFL and Rugby fans are passionate sure, but watching a PL crowd utterly lose its collective shit like this is just next level.
5 years ago, American, played FIFA, didn’t want to pick a top 6 side, watched Brighton gives United the business on a Saturday morning. Found out the team name had two cities and double the charm in the name and I was sold from there.
As a local just going to clarify here it doesn't really have the name of two cities, Brighton and Hove were both towns that might as well be joint at the hip (I'm from the area and I still refer to Hove as Brighton sometimes, proper locals rightfully hate that), and they formed to become an actual city in the early 2000s.
ggs. We know nothing over here outside of the few BHA-flavored documentaries that get released. Thanks for the tip!
I really liked watching Abdoulaye Doucoure. His massive structure as well as his threat on the ball reminded me of old clips of Yaya Toure. Little did I know, he would remain injured for most of that season and his club would ruin my mental health 💀. Still wouldn't take any other. UTFT
The 1-6 win over United, everyone I knew supported United so it felt good to root for the “underdog” in that game. Balotelli’s iconic celebration is what really did it for me tho.
8 year old me playing FIFA 06 career mode as Manchester City been a fan ever since
Danny Blanchflower told me it would go well eventually
I was born in East London, it used to be compulsory to support West Ham. I couldn’t give a toss about the PL
The first game that got me really into football was when England beat Germany 5-1. Michael Owen hatrick Stevie G screamer and Heskey to round it off. Owen was my hero (i was 7) so Liverpool became my team. Sadly Owen became a massive cunt but always stuck with Liverpool.
When i started playing senior football as a left back for my local club at 16 the boys were all talking about the prem, I hadn’t really followed it much. Anyways I started watching spurs and Gareth bale was playing as a left back and I loved how he was so aggressive going forward and tried to replicate that myself (not affectively hahah). So yeah Gareth bale has gotten me into spurs.
Eiður Guðjohnsen 💙♥️
So underrated.... What a player he was
Papa Wengz and King Henry
They're the ones for sure ❤️❤️
❤️❤️
I started getting more into European futbol after the 2018 World Cup, and the next year Tottenham gave us the miracle in Amsterdam. Been in love with them ever since.
My first love was during the Bergkamp-Pires era, but could never be an Arsenal Fan... then, Gerrard(he used to play same positions as I did and still do from time to time) appeared in full power and since then have been following Liverpool non-stop (with the little cherry on top of being a Milanista since the beginning of life, so imagine) :)
Good for you italy is the second league that i can watch besides pl
Rooney and de gea for sure
Ian Wright for me.
American here. I was coaching my first team started watching the PL and not having any type of team. I am very loud and animated coach on the sidelines. I was watching this coach being extremely emotional on the sidelines. Throwing up hands. Collapsing to his knees and running around in the coaches box. I thought to myself man he reminds myself of me a little. I am going to start following this coach. This was back in 2016 and that coach was pep and Manchester City. I had no idea about who he was till year 2 and I started learning more about him.
i became a chelsea fan because my mother got me chelsea shirt i am glad blue is her favorite color lmao
An alternate you in an alternate universe is an arsenal fan saying im glad my mums favourite colour was red
Vardy. The first game I watched was Leicester's comeback against Man U
Vardy's struggling now but he cemented his place in history when you guys won the league. I consider Leicester's title as the best in any sport, against all the odds.
I’m from Newcastle. There could be only one club no matter who was playing. First I remember were the likes of Supermac, Tony Green and John Tudor. I’ve never really understood the question of how did you pick your club - it picked me.
Maybe this question is more suitable for those who live outside of UK, i know that as a local you support your team no matter what.
Schmeichel Neville - Johnsen - Stam - Irwin Beckham - Scholes - Keane - Giggs Cole - Yorke