10 Greatest Hockey Players of All Time: Learn Who Have Ruled the Field for Years

Hockey is one of the most popular sports in the world. In India, it’s gaining popularity day by day. Hockey is a game of speed, stamina, and skills. The players need to be very fit and agile. They also need to have good stick-handling skills.

The long written history has seen a number of hockey players registering their names in the history book. The list being pretty long, sourcing down the world’s best hockey players gets a bit challenging at times. But not anymore. Here is a compiled list of the top 10 greatest hockey players in the world that will help you know more about the game as well as the great people who have been a part of it.

Alongside that, the information will assist you in making favorable outcomes while placing hockey bets. Detailed knowledge about the game and the players is critical when choosing a winner. The fact is no stranger to anyone, and we, at Parimatch ensure our users have up-to-date information.

Top 10 Greatest Hockey Players of All Time – Ranking

There are several top hockey players whose skills have left fans mesmerized on many occasions. It isn’t possible to list them all, so we’ve decided to source down the top 10 hockey players of all time. So who is regarded as the best player in hockey? Let’s find out.

Dhyan Chand

• Born: 29th August 1905
• Position: Centre Forward
• Shot: CF
• National team: India
• Playing career: 1926-1949

We’ve got the legendary Indian field hockey player Dhyan Chand to kick off our list of the world best hockey players. The followers of the game know very well that Dhyan Chand is regarded as the greatest of all time.

Not just that, he is often recognized as the most promising athlete in the history of the Olympics. During his run, India was the most dominant team in the hockey sphere. The team has even registered three consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Speaking of the entire career, he is known to have scored more than 1000 goals. The international circuit itself bags more than 50% of the number. His ability to dominate the field eventually gifted him the nickname ‘The Wizard.’

Dhyan Chand is truly a legendary figure in the world of hockey. He is known as the greatest player of all time, and his contribution to the sport is immense. He is revered all over the world, and his achievements are unparalleled.

Sohail Abbas

• Born: 9th June 1975
• Position: Defender Full Back
• Shot: DFB
• National team: Pakistan
• Playing career: 1998-2012

Up next is the greatest hockey player from Pakistan, Sohail Abbas. Often termed as the genius creation of the nation, you already know what to expect from him. With so much finesse to talk about and a brilliant understanding of the game, Sohail Abbas is listed among the greatest field hockey players of all time. Sohail is the first Pakistani hockey player who has ever reached the 300-goal mark. That being said, you know how clinical Sohail Abbas was throughout his career.

During his tenure, Sohail had several records tagged against his name. To date, he continues to be the fastest athlete to have scored 100 goals and also 200 goals in the history of international hockey. He scored 60 goals in 1999 and held the record for most goals in a calendar year. Now that’s something fascinating. Bagging a drag-flick conversion rate of 65%, Sohail is one of the greatest flickers of all time.

Ric Charlesworth

• Born: 6th February 1952
• Position: Centre Forward
• Shot: CF
• National team: Australia
• Playing career: 1972–1988

The 1984 Advance Australia award winner Ric Charlesworth is up next on our list of the best players of hockey. His contribution as a field hockey player and the coach of the Australian national team has been impressive. Speaking of contributions, Ric has been a pioneer member of the national side, representing not one or two but five Olympics. Out of the total count, Charlesworth led the team as the captain on two occasions from 1972 to 1988.

Ric’s performance as the captain of the national team is attention-worthy. He cruised the Australian team to victory in the 1986 World Hockey Cup held in London. A year later, Ric got inducted into the Australian Hockey Hall of Fame. The list of awards and honors doesn’t rest here. Ric was named the Western Australian Sportsman of the Year thrice. That’s a record in itself. Drawing back to 2001, Ric Charlesworth was honored with the Western Australia Citizen of the Year Award.

Hassan Sardar

• Born: 22nd October 1957
• Position: Centre Forward
• Shot: CF
• National team: Pakistan
• Playing career: 1980-1992

As we move forward with the list of best hockey players of all time, we’ve got the former Pakistani field hockey lined up. Named Hassan Sardar, the majestic stick star is termed the all-time best player by the official Pakistan Hockey Federation. Can you recall the 1984 Summer Olympics? You should because it was then when Hassan bagged the gold medal, leading the Pakistan national team.

Sardar’s maiden World Hockey Cup appearance came in 1982. The stage was set, and he didn’t disappoint even a bit. Keeping all the promises made, Hassan emerged as the best centre forward. Interestingly, Sardar won the world cup on his first appearance. Besides the tournament gold, the 11 goals run have helped him achieve the Man of the Tournament honor. Later on, he went on to become the most efficient CF Pakistan has ever produced.

Shahbaz Ahmed

• Born: 1st September 1968
• Position: Centre Forward
• Shot: CF
• National team: Pakistan
• Playing career: 1986-1995

Shahbaz Ahmed is yet another Pakistani hockey player to feature on the list of promising reasons. Shahbaz is known to be one of the best forwards in field hockey history. Thanks to his amazing dribbling skills, Shahbaz is termed as the Maradona of hockey with the stick.

Debuting in the year 1986, it took just a few years for Shahbaz to attain the captaincy privileges. Going back to 1994, Shahbaz led the national side to a World Cup victory. Apart from registering blistering performances for the Pakistan national team, Shahbaz, on many occasions, left his mark for the prominent German club Harvestehuder.

Teun de Nooijer

• Born: 22nd March 1976
• Position: Midfielder
• Shot: MF
• National team: Netherlands
• Playing career: 1996-Present

Teun de Nooijer, the well-known Dutch field hockey player, is featured next. Nooijer bags several prominent appearances for his national team. Alongside that, his role as a key player for the Dutch club team HC Bloemendaal is noteworthy. Teun de Nooijer has played a pivotal role in the success of the team Uttar Pradesh Wizards in the Hockey India League.

Nooijer impacted the Dutch national team in many ways. During the Olympics event held in 1996 and 2000, Teun led the national side to gold medal victories. Four years hence, he took his team to the finals of the 2004 Athens Olympics, but sadly the result ended on the other side.

Ties Kruize

• Born: 17th November 1952
• Position: Midfielder
• Shot: MF
• National team: Netherlands
• Playing career: 1971-1986

You might have heard about many penalty corner specialists, but no one in history was like the former Dutchman Ties Kruize. The Gold medal winner back in the world cut event held at Amstelveen, Kruize made the mark right at the initial stages of his career. A few years hence, he found himself missing the gold by a narrow margin. The occasion was the 1978 Buenos Aires Hockey World Cup, and his team ended up winning silver.

Five years from then, he participated in the EuroHockey Nations Championship. The tournament ended up being a fruitful one as the Netherlands was crowned champions. Apart from all these, Kruize showcased the ability he bagged in numerous Hockey Champions Trophy encounters. He played a pivotal role in taking his team across the victory line two consecutive times.

Jamie Dwyer

• Born: 12th March 1979
• Position: Centre Forward
• Shot: CF
• National team: Australia
• Playing career: 2001-2016

Jamie Dwyer, the Aussie hockey superstar with his ability, has helped his national side to a prosperous future. Among the many achievements, the one that marked the gold medal win in the 2004 Summer Olympics stands tall.

Dwyer went on to win gold in the 2010 Men’s Hockey World Cup event. Over the course of his career, Jamie scored 215 goals in 345 appearances. Dwyer’s skills as a hockey player are excellent. He is known for his great ball control and dribbling abilities. Along with that, his speed, vision, and passing are world-class too. All these add up to make him one of the best players in the world.

Dhanraj Pillay

• Born: 16th July 1968
• Position: Forward
• Shot: FW
• National team: India
• Playing career: 1984-2004

In case you’re someone who has started to catch hockey actions recently, one name that probably you’re most familiar with is Dhanraj Pillay. Representing India, he has made the entire nation proud on many occasions. The fact that he was the sole Indian player to get listed among the World Eleven side for the 1994 World Cup speaks for his ability.

Being one of the greatest field hockey players of all time, Pillay bags many records. To name one, he is the only player to have participated in four Olympics, four World Cups, and four Champions Trophies. What’s more, he played in four Asian Games tournaments as well.

In 339 international appearances, Dhanraj scored 170 goals. He was registered as the highest goal scorer in the Bangkok Asian Games. From Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award to Padma Shri, he has bagged many leading Indian civilian awards.

Fergus Kavanagh

• Born: 21st May 1985
• Position: Defender
• Shot: DF
• National team: Australia
• Playing career: 2007-2016

At number 10, we’ve got the Aussie Fergus Kavanagh. Thanks to his brilliant involvement Australia were crowned champions in the 2010 Delhi Hockey World Cup. He also led by example while helping his team claim the gold in the 2014 Hague World Cup.

Kavanagh, besides being a brilliant player himself, was also an impressive leader. During the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, he claimed gold for the nation. He has also registered two Bronze medals for his team in the Olympics events.

Although a defender, he has scored more than 10 times for his nation. One of which featured in the noteworthy achievements where he and his team won the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

FAQ

Who is the greatest hockey player of all time?

Dhyan Chand is the greatest hockey player of all time. Loaded with a brilliant in-game mentality and goal-scoring abilities, Dhyan Chand has made millions of fans and sportswriters consider him the best hockey player ever.

Who is the legendary player in hockey?

With more than 550 goals in nearly 185 international appearances, Dhyan Chand bags the tag of the top goal scorer. Having ruled the classic era of field hockey, it is safe to say that Dhyan Chand is among the legends of the game.

Which country is most successful in field hockey?

When we speak of the most successful teams in field hockey, one nation that seems to shadow others is Australia. With three titles from five FIH final appearances, Aussies have been showcasing their strength in field hockey over the years.

Conclusion

The players mentioned above are some of the greatest hockey players in the world. They have set records and achieved milestones that will be difficult to surpass. They have inspired many people and will continue to do so for years to come.

Learning more about field hockey and the best players it has begotten is promising. It is not only great for awareness but also for waging some successful bets. Besides having proficiency in turning the game on its head, hockey betting tips can play a pivotal role in helping you win a handsome amount.

At Parimatch, we strive to be the one-stop destination for everything you’ll ever need. From super-efficient tips to top-notch pieces of information, resource listing can’t get better anywhere else. We also make sure our users enjoy the desired convenience while placing bets. That’s the reason we came up with the Parimatch betting app, where you can manage your bets at your fingertips.

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