Speed's devastating death in September 2011 hit the footballing community hard, and the world lost not only a terrific man but one of the most consistent, influential midfielders in Premier League history. To this day, only three players have made more appearances in the competition. The former Wales international started his career with Leeds United, where he won the First Division title in 1991/92. He proved to be an extremely popular player at Elland Road, combining defensive expertise, creativity and goals to great effect. Speed spent two years at Everton from 1996 to 1998, before moving to Newcastle United. He was one of the first names on the team-sheet at St James' Park throughout his seven seasons there, before joining Bolton Wanderers in 2004. The likeable Welshman may have been 34 years of age at the time, but he was as influential as ever during his four years there, as Sam Allardyce created a formidable team at the Reebok Stadium. Speed eventually hung up his boots in 2010, having made 841 career appearances. He was an excellent footballer, and he is sorely missed to this day.
