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What is a ‘Barclaysman‘? Football fans across the world have been furiously debating what makes one and who the best ‘Barclaysmen’ were.
Wayne Rooney wasn’t one, but Jimmy Bullard was. Jay-Jay Okocha is a classic example, but Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t make the cut. It is a sense of something rather than tangible, or hard and fast.
So, what exactly is a ‘Barclaysman’? GOAL takes a look at the nostalgic Premier League trend that swept social media.
What is a ‘Barclaysman’?
The term ‘Barclaysman’ is used to describe a cult hero footballer who played in the Premier League between 2001 and 2016. The name derives from Barclays bank, which was the chief sponsor of the competition during that period, having taken over naming rights from Carling.
A ‘Barclaysman’ is not just any footballer from the period and, notably, it does not include Premier League superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo or Thierry Henry. Rather, it is a term that is exclusively used to describe players whose impact, appearance, or essence influenced fan culture and encapsulated the era.
While the term had been used before 2024, the concept of the ‘Barclaysman’ and ‘Barclaysmen’ gained significant traction in September 2024, when a trend of pairing videos of memorable goals scored by ‘Barclaysmen’ with Indie music soundtracks from the period went viral on social media.
It should be noted that the dates of Barclays’ sponsorship merely serve as a general guide on the chronological parameters attached to ‘Barclaysmen’ and there has been some blurring of the lines and anachronisms which have further fuelled debate.
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GettyExamples of ‘Barclaysmen’
As noted, it is difficult to pin down exactly what constitutes a ‘Barclaysman’, but you know one when you see it.
The likes of Jimmy Bullard, a cult hero at Wigan, who lampooned his manager at Hull City by mimicking an on-pitch scolding. Definite Barclaysman.
Norwegian set-piece specialist Morten Gamst Pedersen, a man we all knew about from Football Manager before he arrived in the Premier League, is one of the most majestic Barclaysmen.
Another clear Barclaysman is Yakubu, the guy affectionately known as ‘The Yak’ by Everton fans, who boasts a goal record that has drawn comparisons to Didier Drogba (who is not a Barclaysman).
Rory Delap, who inspired fear and awe at Stoke City with his physics-defying long throws. Barclaysman.
Fulham defensive tower Brede Hangeland, Big Sam’s genius signing Jay-Jay Okocha, Blackburn Rovers’ thunderbolt-monger Tugay…The list goes on and on and on.
Best ‘Barclaysman’ social posts
There are so many on platforms like Twitter, but here is a selection of our favourites:
Morten Gamst Pedersen
We had to jump on this trend with the most quintessential #Barclaysman of them all 😅
Morten Gamst Pedersen x The Subways 🎶#Barclaysmen | #Rovers 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/lb1dE6v6FE
— Blackburn Rovers (@Rovers) September 10, 2024
Geovanni
Just Wigan
Kevin Doyle
