Give it Some Stick: The 10 Greatest Field Hockey Players of All-Time
The 10 Best Field Hockey Players in History
Over the years, there have been some incredible field hockey players.
But who are the greatest hockey players of all-time? Read on for The Sporting Blog’s ultimate top 10 list!
Field hockey legend Moritz Fürste
Hockey has been around since about 1,000 BC, with the Ancient Egyptians first playing a rudimentary version of the game. Today, it’s one of the most popular sports in the world.
We haven't quite gone back 4,000 years, but we have delved deep into the history of the sport to pick a list of 10 field hockey players from different eras and regions that are among the greatest of all-time.
1. Dhyan Chand
Major Dhyan Chand won Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936
He is the top international goal scorer, scoring 570 goals in 185 matches
His birthday is now celebrated as National Sports Day in India
Dhyan Chand was an exceptional Indian field hockey player in the years leading up to World War II. His ball control was so dazzling he earned nicknames like "The Magician" and "Hockey Wizard.”
Chand was born in India in 1905 and started playing hockey from a young age. He was so dedicated to the game that he would practice by moonlight, earning him the name "Chand," which means "moon" in Hindi.
His international career started in 1926 when he was selected to play against New Zealand. His performance on that tour earned him a Lance Naik title in the Punjab Regiment of the British Indian Army.
From there, he went on to help India win gold at the 1928 Olympics, where field hockey was included for the first time. Field hockey is now one of the most popular sports in India!
2. Luciana Aymar
Awarded FIH International Player of the Year a record eight times
Widely considered the best female hockey player ever - she was declared Legend of Hockey by the International Hockey Federation in 2008
Aymar is nicknamed "La Maga" ("The Magician") and the "Maradona of field hockey" due to her impressive ball-handling skills
Luciana Aymar is a retired Argentine field hockey player. She was born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1977, and began her hockey career at just seven years old.
What made Luciana stand out was her dribbling skills and pace, which gave her team a competitive edge.
She was only 16 when she joined the Argentine squad. From 1999 to 2014, she and her team earned four Olympic medals, four World Cup medals, 10 Champions Trophies and many other titles.
3. Teun de Nooijer
Awarded the title of World Hockey Player in 2003, 2005 and 2006
He was 15 when he made the senior men's league with HC Alkmaar
By 17, he started playing in the Netherlands' elite hockey league with HC Bloemendaal, for whom he still plays
Teun de Nooijer was born in the Netherlands in 1976. He started playing hockey at nine and moved quickly to the elite league.
De Nooijer helped his team win two Olympic golds – in 1996 and 2000, plus the 1998 World Cup. In 2009, he claimed his 400th cap for the Netherlands.
He now coaches the HC Bloemendaal women's team and is the highest-paid player in the Hockey India League (he plays for Uttar Pradesh Wizards).
4. Carina Benninga
She played 158 international matches for the Netherlands hockey team
She participated in three Olympic Games, winning medals at two
Captained the Dutch women's hockey team
Carina Benninga is a retired field hockey player for the Netherlands. She was born in 1962 in Leiden and made her international debut for the Dutch team at the 1983 World Championships.
During the 158 international matches she played, Carina scored 25 goals.
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Benninga was the first Dutch female to bear the flag at the opening ceremony. Later that same year, Benninga played her last international match.
5. Moritz Fürste
Voted the Euro League's Most Valuable Player twice
He was part of the national team that earned two Olympic golds (in 2008 and 2012)
Voted the 2012 FIH World Player of the Year
Moritz Fürste was born in Germany in 1984 and played at the Uhlenhorster Hockey Club in Hamburg from 1989 to 2012.
He was captain of the German team and led them to many successes, including winning the Euro Hockey League for three seasons.
From 2012, Fürste played for the Spanish Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. He announced his retirement in 2019 but signed a new deal with Belgian team Beerschot THC for one season.
6. Kate Richardson-Walsh OBE
She received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to hockey in Great Britain
She is the most capped female hockey player in Great Britain's history
Captained the England and GB women's hockey teams for 13 years, from 2003 to 2016
Born in Manchester, Kate Richardson-Walsh started playing hockey at age eleven, and by the time she was 20, she was representing GB at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
At the 2012 Olympics, Richardson-Walsh suffered a broken jaw from being hit by a hockey stick during the opening match.
She missed three matches but played in the penultimate game against China and still captained her team to win bronze.
In 2015, she was awarded an OBE, and in 2023, she took up the position of assistant coach to the Canadian Field Hockey’s Women's National Team.
7. John-John Dohmen
The highest-capped international field hockey player of all-time
In three years, he won Olympic Gold, a World Cup title and a gold in European hockey
Voted the best men's player in International Hockey in 2016
John-John Dohmen was born in Belgium in 1988.
He started playing hockey at age five and debuted at the Royal Léopold Club, where he won one national title. He then moved on to the Waterloo Ducks until 2020, winning four national titles with them.
Dohmen’s international career started at age 16. Since 2013, Dohmen has successfully captained the Belgian national team, the Red Lions.
8. Vanina Oneto
The top scorer of Las Leonas of all-time, scoring 148 goals
She won silver at the 2000 Olympics and bronze at the 2004 Olympics
Vanina was only 18 when her team won gold at the Pan-American Games in 1991
Vanina Oneto is a retired Argentine field hockey champion.
She was born in San Fernando in 1973 and debuted in the Club San Fernando team at age 15. She was Junior World Champion in 1993 and the World Sub-champion in 1994.
Vanina returned to the National Team in 2004 after giving birth to her first child. That same year, she earned a bronze medal at the Athens Olympics and third place in the Champions Trophy.
9. Jamie Dwyer
He won FIH World Player of the Year five times
He is Australia's most-capped player, with 326 caps
Dwyer scored the extra-time winning goal that earned his team Olympic gold in 2004
Jamie Dwyer was born in Australia in 1979 and made his international debut in 2001. He was a part of the Australian team for 16 years and played at the Olympic Games four times.
Dwyer's scoring rate over 365 international matches averaged an astounding 66%.
Jamie Dwyer was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) and placed in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2021.
10. Alyson Annan
She was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2013
She earned 228 international caps and scored 166 international goals for the Women's National Team
Alyson Annan is the head coach of the China Women's National Team
Alyson Annan was born in 1973 in New South Wales. In 1996, she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal; in 1999, she was voted the Best Female Hockey Player in the World.
She was head coach for the Netherlands women's team from 2015 but was fired in 2022 for verbal intimidation, ending her career on a rather unhappy note. However, she’s still on our list for her incredible on-field achievements!
Are there any other players you think deserve to be on our list of the greatest field hockey players of all-time? Let us know in the comments!
