Spanish website El Gol Digital has compiled a list of the most violent players in the history of football and ex-Australia international Kevin Muscat has been dubbed the dirtiest player ever.
The site posted a list of the 10 worst offenders of the past and present, including Pepe, Nigel de Jong, Roy Keane, and the infamous Andoni Goikoetxea.
In a professional career spanning 19 years from 1992 to 2011, Muscat received 123 yellow cards and 12 red cards.
Muscat first made a name for himself as a hard man in the United Kingdom while playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, Glasgow Rangers, and Millwall.
The 40-year-old was dubbed the "most hated man in football" by then Birmingham City player Martin Grainger after a reckless tackle against Australia teammate Stan Lazaridis in 2000.
Ex-Charlton Athletic player Matty Holmes had to have four operations on his leg following a tackle by Muscat in 1998, and there were initial fears that his leg might have to be amputated.
But it was the shameful end to his A-League career that earned him this unenviable gong.
Footage of Muscat's vicious tackle on Adrian Zahra in 2011 - which resulted in a career ending suspension - went viral to become his lasting reputation in the world of football.
The list of dirtiest footballers is as follows:
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| Kevin Muscat seems to have generated a whole hate industry of his own Photo: Getty Images |
The site posted a list of the 10 worst offenders of the past and present, including Pepe, Nigel de Jong, Roy Keane, and the infamous Andoni Goikoetxea.
In a professional career spanning 19 years from 1992 to 2011, Muscat received 123 yellow cards and 12 red cards.
Muscat first made a name for himself as a hard man in the United Kingdom while playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Crystal Palace, Glasgow Rangers, and Millwall.
The 40-year-old was dubbed the "most hated man in football" by then Birmingham City player Martin Grainger after a reckless tackle against Australia teammate Stan Lazaridis in 2000.
Ex-Charlton Athletic player Matty Holmes had to have four operations on his leg following a tackle by Muscat in 1998, and there were initial fears that his leg might have to be amputated.
But it was the shameful end to his A-League career that earned him this unenviable gong.
Footage of Muscat's vicious tackle on Adrian Zahra in 2011 - which resulted in a career ending suspension - went viral to become his lasting reputation in the world of football.
The list of dirtiest footballers is as follows:
| 1. | Kevin Muscat | Australia |
| 2. | Pepe | Portugal/Brazil |
| 3. | David Navarro | Spain |
| 4. | Andoni Goikoetxea | Spain |
| 5. | Luis Suárez | Uruguay |
| 6. | Gennaro Gattuso | Italy |
| 7. | Roy Keane | Republic of Ireland |
| 8. | Mark van Bommel | Netherlands |
| 9. | Marco Materazzi | Italy |
| 10. | Nigel de Jong | Netherlands |
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