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Soccer

Who played in every minute of the Premier League season?

The Premier League season can be long and arduous. Over 38 games, player will regularly pick up n...



Who played in every minute of...
Soccer

Who played in every minute of the Premier League season?

The Premier League season can be long and arduous.

Over 38 games, player will regularly pick up niggles and suspensions. To play in all 38 games is an impressive feat, but to play in every minute of the season takes something special.

Five players reached the magical mark this season, more than in any of the past three seasons. Surprisingly more outfield players played every minute, with only two goalkeepers being ever-presents.

Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta capped off an excellent season at the club, by playing every minute of the side's dominant title campaign. The Spanish international also scored one goal in the season, which came days before the season's end at home to Watford.

Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster. Picture by: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire/PA Images

Defenders Steve Cook (Bournemouth) and Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough) also played every minute of the season. In contrasting seasons for the two sides, Cook saw Bournemouth finish in the top-half of the table, with Gibson's Middlesbrough were relegated.

Goalkeepers Ben Foster and Fraser Forster also played every minute of their sides' campaigns. West Brom's Foster conceded 51 goals as the team finished in tenth. Southampton's Forster conceded 48 goals on the way to an eighth-place finish.

While the five players join an elite club, spare a thought for Crystal Palace's Joel Ward. The 27-year-old was substituted in the 88th minute of a game against Bournemouth in August. He played every other second of the season for the team.

Azpilicueta joins the likes of Leicester City duo Kasper Schmeichel and Wes Morgan, retiring Chelsea captain John Terry and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart in having played every minute in their team's title-winning seasons.

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