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The Premier League Ratings On FIFA 2003 Are Absolutely Mental

The Premier League Ratings On FIFA 2003 Are Absolutely Mental

EA were having a grand old time...

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Anytime the latest batch of FIFA ratings are released fans always kick up a fuss on social media about player A being marked one overall rating higher than player B.

In 2002, long before social media took over our lives, there wasn't really a place for supporters to vent over the FIFA 2003 ratings.

Yet, looking back and even accepting that there wasn't anywhere near as much a detail going into the product by EA Sports, this was perhaps the most mental set of ratings in the history of the game - particularly when it came to the Premier League.

94-rated Manchester United captain Roy Keane was the best player in the league, with his arch-rival Patrick Vieira of Arsenal one behind on 93.

Image: PA
Image: PA

Keane's United colleagues Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand were also both marked 93, which was the same rating handed out to Leeds United midfielder Lee Bowyer - deemed to be a better player than Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard - and even rated higher than Thierry Henry by EA Sports at the time.

Bowyer's central midfield partner David Batty was also one of the best in the league, having been given an overall rating of 90 along with Fulham's Steed Malbranque and the one and only Pascal Cygan.

Somehow Middlesbrough midfield George Boateng managed to wrangle himself a 91 rating, a score that Joe Cole, making waves at West Ham at the time, also received.

Image: PA
Image: PA

Continuing the absolute ratings absurdity, Darius Vassell was 90 rated and better than Michael Owen, who had won the Ballon d'or a year earlier but had to share an 89 rating with Charlton Athletic striker Jason Euell.

Here are the squad and ratings in full, as per Game Faqs:

Arsenal:

d
d

Aston Villa:

d
d

Blackburn Rovers:

d
d

Bolton Wanderers:

d
d

Charlton Athletic:

d
d

Chelsea:


d
d

Everton:

d
d

Fulham:


d
d

Leeds United:

d
d

Liverpool:


d
d

Manchester City:

d
d

Manchester United:

b
b

Middlesbrough:

d
d

Newcastle United:

d
d

Southampton:

d
d

Sunderland:

d
d

Tottenham Hotspur:

d
d

West Bromwich Albion:

d
d

West Ham United:

d
d

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Football News, Football, Premier League, EA Sports