5 infamous diving offenders in Premier League history

It remains to be seen whether a reform intended to curb diving in England will rid the country's top flight of egregious attempts to deceive officials.

Players have influenced matches for years with their uncanny ability to bamboozle referees by making the slightest of touches appear to be a shot from a sniper in the stands.

Yet, with Thursday's announcement the FA will issue retroactive bans to players found guilty of simulation, there's at least some hope that this form of cheating will eventually be phased out.

Here's a brief account of the Premier League's most infamous offenders:

Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United

The look on Frank Lampard's face said it all when Cristiano Ronaldo attempted to win a free-kick with a blatant dive.

The Portuguese star quickly developed a reputation for false play upon his arrival in England, and even admitted he was working on eliminating diving from his repertoire after a talk with legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"Perhaps it's true if the manager says I'm a better player this season because I don't play-act as much," he said in a 2005 interview on United's website.

But that didn't stop him from performing a ridiculous tumble to the ground when Lampard attempted to pressure Ronaldo at Stamford Bridge. After contorting his body to give the impression he'd been violently fouled, all Lampard could do was applaud and smile before sharing a quick word with his counterpart.

Luis Suarez - Liverpool

Luis Suarez was no stranger to accusations of diving during his spell with Liverpool.

It's a trait he brought over to Spain. His most successful - and disgraceful - attempt to cheat the official came at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain during Barcelona's remarkable comeback, when he drew a penalty in the dying minutes of the Champions League quarter-final encounter.

Although his deceptive ways in England were harmless in comparison to biting an opponent and allegedly using racial slurs, they was enough to warrant a response from former Everton manager David Moyes, who stopped just short of calling Suarez a cheat before the Merseyside derby in 2012.

As fate would have it, Suarez went on to score and celebrated by running toward the Everton sideline and diving directly in front of Moyes.

Ashley Young - Manchester United

The Scottish manager's distaste for diving wasn't limited to opposing players, as Ashley Young found out during Moyes' brief spell in charge of Manchester United.

After the winger simulated a foul against Crystal Palace's Kagisho Dikgacoi, Moyes was quick to condemn Young, who was also shown a yellow after diving in the box.

"I don't want my players diving. It's not what I want," he said, according to the BBC. "Dikgacoi definitely throws his leg out but Ashley put his leg into his leg."

The message didn't deter Young, as he continued his trickery against Sunderland after the warning.

Gareth Bale - Tottenham

Before his lucrative move to Real Madrid, Gareth Bale developed a reputation as one of the Premier League's most notorious masters of deception.

So much so, he still holds the record for most yellow cards shown for diving despite his move to Spain almost four years ago.

Bale put on one of his more egregious displays during a match against Aston Villa in 2012 when he fell to the pitch despite being a good six inches away as Brad Guzan attempted to intercept his run.

Jurgen Klinsmann - Tottenham

Jurgen Klinsmann felt the need to address critics on his first day as a member of Tottenham. He jokingly asked reporters, "Are there any good diving schools in London?"

The German international took it a step further on the pitch when he executed his now-infamous diving celebration after scoring against Sheffield Wednesday.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)