With the English Premiership season just a few weeks away, and with the transfer season in full swing, there is no better time to look back and rate some of the best foreigners ever to ply their trade in the Premiership. With the Premiership becoming one of the most desired destinations for many of the world’s best players, Goal.com’s George Tsitsonis takes a look back at the first 15 seasons of the Premiership and selects his top side.
Since the English 1st Division was renamed and rebranded in 1992 as the English Premiership, the influx of foreign players from Europe, Africa, North and South America, and Asia has increased greatly. The Bosman ruling of course helped, as did the general trend in most countries to increase the number of spots in teams and squads for foreign players. The popularity of the Premiership, however, has perhaps been the main drawing factor in landing the world’s stars.
While some great foreigners played in England during the 1970’s and 1980’s, they remained few and far between whereas today there is a plethora of top class foreign talent. That has inspired me to take a look at the best of the best in these 15 years of Premiership football. There was no scientific way of selecting the players for this Best XI, and while statistics were of course important in many cases, the real test was whether these players could inspire the players around them and just how important they were to their clubs and the success of those very same clubs. So without further ado, here is the side that has been picked, let the cheering and the arguing commence…
Best-Ever Premiership XI (4-3-3 Formation)
Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel
There can be no other player selected for this spot. Considered by Sir Alex Ferguson as the bargain of the century, Schmeichel’s £530,000 move to Old Trafford in 1991 signaled a new period of dominance for the Red Devils. A goalkeeper who was a superb shot-stopper, Schmeichel had unbelievable command of his box and was a real leader from the back.
His personal stats include several goalkeeper of the year awards and the incredible fact that he achieved shutouts in 42% of the Premier League matches he played (354 matches).
It was the amount of titles however that he led United to that really inspires awe. Manchester United supporters were able to celebrate 15 titles during Schmeichel’s eight seasons, including one Champions’ League title, five Premiership championships, and three FA Cups. He was a key member of the record-breaking Treble winning side of 1998-99. He played at Aston Villa and Manchester City for a season each, however it was his time at Manchester United where Schmeichel became whom many feel is one of the best goalkeepers of all time.
Central Defender: Sami Hyypia
Hyypia would have been considered an unlikely candidate for a list of this sort when he was signed by Liverpool from Willem II in 1999 for £3 million. Since then he has become a stalwart in the Liverpool defense and has gone from strength to strength through different managers, changing defensive partnerships and varying degrees of success at the club.
The 6’5 Finnish international has been a force in the Liverpool backline since his arrival at Anfield, combining to form formidable partnerships with Stephane Henchoz and more recently Jamie Carragher. Almost unbeatable in the air, Hyypia’s defensive strengths are well suited to the Premiership, while his physical attributes ensure he is also a danger from set-pieces. In fact, Hyypia has 20 goals for Liverpool in nearly 300 appearance for the club, which is a superb strike rate for a central defender.
Hyypia has won 10 titles with Liverpool, and while the Premiership title remains elusive for the club and Hyypia himself, the Finnish star has been a part of some of the club’s best successes in the last decade including the unique treble season of 2001 (League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup trophies), the 2005 Champions’ League winning side and the 2006 FA Cup winning team.
Central Defender: Jaap Stam
He only spent three season in England and played the least of anyone on this list (80 matches), however Stam left his stamp on the Premiership. An absolute impenetrable rock at the back of Manchester United’s superb sides at the turn of the Millenium, Stam won an amazing six titles in his three seasons at Old Trafford including three consecutive Premiership titles, a Champions’ League title, along with an FA Cup trophy and an Intercontinental Cup triumph.
A tough tackler with a mean streak at times, Stam was at the heart of United’s defense for the club’s amazing, record-breaking Treble success in the 1998/99 season. After a falling out with Alex Ferguson in the 2001/02 season, Stam left England for Italy and Lazio.
Left Back: John Arne Riise
It wouldn’t be difficult to argue that Riise be included amongst the world’s best left-backs during the last half-decade. His time at Liverpool since his arrival in the summer of 2001 has coincided with 7 trophies and he has given Liverpool’s rearguard an exciting attacking option down the left side.
Riise’s defending has been consistent, if not necessarily spectacular during his career in England, even if he did suffer a loss in form just before Rafa Benitez arrived in 2004. It’s Riise’s superb forays up the left wing however that really land the Norwegian international a spot in this list. With over 30 goals in his Liverpool career, Riise’s strike rate is exceptional and many of those goals have been of the outstanding variety. Riise is a human highlight reel when it comes to explosive shots and venomous strikes from outside the box. Add to this his ability to send dangerous crosses into the box and Riise’s offensive abilities have been well documented and at only 26 the best could be yet to come.
Right Back: William Gallas
A surprise to some perhaps, however Gallas’ inclusion has some serious merit. A two-time Premiership champion with former club Chelsea, the current Arsenal player has turned out 200 times in the Premiership. A superb defender, Gallas really is the total package with his ability to play a variety of positions in the backline including center-back and both full back positions.
Gallas has also been a useful contributor in attack during his Premiership career with 18 goals in his 200 matches, several of which have been crucial strikes - especially during the 2005/06 season. Gallas just beats out the likes of Marcel Desailly, Frank LeBoeuf, Lucas Radebe and several others due to his solid defensive play, attacking prowess, and his versatility which has always given his managers several options.
Defensive Midfielder: Patrick Vieira
If there could be a debate about a player like Gallas and his presence in his list, Vieira’s spot simply cannot be questioned. Vieira is cut and dried the best foreign defensive midfielder in Premiership history if not the best overall. The Frenchman’s ability to disrupt opponents’ moves with spot-on tackling and positional sense was probably his greatest asset though his ability to begin or be a part of Arsenal’s flowing offensive football ensured that he was much more than a destroyer.
His decade at Arsenal included three Premiership titles along with four FA Cup victories. 29 goals in 279 appearances for Arsenal in the league shows his contribution to Arsenal’s prolific attack during his career at Highbury, but it’s the stats that we don’t normally see, the tackles, the headers won, the leadership that oozed from this special player and spread to his teammates that really puts Vieira on this list and made him one of the best Premiership players ever.
Midfielder: Robert Pires
Another Frenchman makes the list and this time it is Robert Pires. The French left-winger spent six years in England, all with Arsenal, and amassed a fine total of 62 goals in 189 Premiership matches. A tally of 43 assists also exhibits Pires’ ability to deliver the telling passes that made Arsenal so dangerous. While he struggled to adapt to the English game at first, Pires became a force on the wing for Arsenal though he could also play in the hole behind the front two. He is most renowned for his technique, his great finishing ability, and his playmaking skills.
Pires hit his greatest heights during the 2003/04 season when he and Thierry Henry combined for 57 goals in all competitions and led Arsenal to that memorable, record-breaking undefeated league campaign. Pires had his tough times at the club including some spells of below par form and a not-so-happy departure from the club after being substituted after 12 minutes of the 2005/06 Champions’ League final, but overall Pires was a major cog in one of the Premiership’s most successful and attractive sides during his six-year stay at Highbury.
Midfielder: Gianfranco Zola
Zola came to Stamford Bridge in late fall of 1996 and while some players usually need a period of transition to acclimatise to a new league and new country, Zola needed no such thing as he instantly began producing many magical moments that would eventually lead him to be selected by Chelsea fans as their best player ever.
Zola’s numbers speak for themselves with 80 goals in 312 appearances in total for the club including 229 league appearances with 59 goals. It’s no surprise that many of Zola’s goals were of the dazzling variety as he learnt the tricks of the trade from the best, Diego Maradona, from his time at Napoli. He won six titles in his time at Chelsea, most notably two FA Cups (1997, 2000), a League Cup (1998), and a Cup Winners’ Cup (1998).
Forward: Eric Cantona
No list of best Premiership foreigners could be without its King. And making the top 11 is ‘Eric the King’. Cantona’s exploits during his four and a half years at Old Trafford (after a stint with Leeds) have ensured he will always have icon status amongst Manchester United supporters. And while the flying karate-kick on a fan, along with many unique quotes at press conferences may have earned him enemies and cult popularity at the same time, it was Cantona’s contributions on the pitch that would prove to be his most important exploits.
His personal stats tell quite the story, 143 appearances for Manchester United in the league and 64 goals. However, with Cantona like Vieira and others of their special ilk, it wasn’t about numbers as much as it was about his ability to lead, and his burning desire to win. He led United to four Premiership titles in his time with the club and inspired a revival of sorts for United. His finishing and playmaking were sublime, but it was much more. With his trademark collar up, Cantona was a symbol of a brand-new United that was back to dominate the English game and with him at the club that is exactly what they did.
Forward: Dennis Bergkamp
Deft touches, defense-splitting passes, and incredible finishing ability, were some of the football skills that Dennis Bergkamp possessed. The quintessential cerebral footballer, Bergkamp oozed class and always seemed cool and under control on the pitch as he pulled the strings for Arsenal mostly as a support striker.
Bergkamp scored 87 goals in 315 league matches for the Gunners, but perhaps even more incredible than his strike rate as a second striker was his assist total, 166 during his Arsenal career which puts him amongst the top three in Premiership history.
However, even past all that, Bergkamp’s signing and subsequent greatness inspired Arsenal out of the doldrums. His transfer from Inter Milan in June 1995 brought about a new era for the club after a period of little success in the 1990’s. His classy performances and then Arsenal’s improvement helped bring other world class players to Highbury and the result was three Premiership titles and four FA Cup victories in his distinguished career for Arsenal.
Forward: Thierry Henry
Henry would have to be included in the shortlist of best ever player in Premiership history. A striker feared by most opposing defenders due to his explosive pace and devastating finishing, Henry’s total of 174 goals in 254 League appearances is remarkable for the modern game. Far from being only a goalscorer, Henry’s 77 assists in his League career for Arsenal attest to how complete a forward he was for the Gunners.
Transferred from Juventus in 1999, Henry had an awful spell in Italy, but after coming to England where he was reunited with former Monaco manager Arsene Wenger, he thrived in his new surroundings.
His personal accomplishments at Arsenal are too numerous to list here though he did become the club’s all-time leading scorer with 226 goals, he also won three Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year awards (2003, 2004, 2006) and two PFA Player of the Year awards (2003, 2004). In regards to team honors, Henry led the Gunners to two Premiership titles along with three FA Cups among other titles.
It may be later on that Arsenal realize what they have lost as Henry left the Gunners this summer in favor of Barcelona. Simply put, Henry’s game developed greatly in England with Arsenal where his goals and performances put him into the category of world-class footballer.
(Editor’s Note: For the purposes of this article, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh players have been omitted from the foreign category to make this more of an overseas selection.)
The Best Ever Foreign Premiership XI
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The one and only
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His name is Hyypia u DC!!!!ronaldo07 wrote:lol @ hypia
i can pick better 11 than the editor
And the only thing you can pick is your nose and if you don't stop doing that soon you will have NO brain at all!!........But then again with some of your comments I'm not sure you have a brain at all...you may have already picked it dry!!!!
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No room for Marco Boogers there Vertu??
Author of the original list is definitely a Liverpool fanboy. Even most Pool fans I know don't rate Risse that highly.
Desailly/Carvalho/Toure >>> Hyypia
----------------------Schmeichel
Petrescu------Desailly-----Stam------Gallas
Ronaldo----Cantona------Gullit------Pires
-----------Henry---Bergkamp
Subs:
Cech
Toure
Zola
Van Nistelrooy
Vieira
Author of the original list is definitely a Liverpool fanboy. Even most Pool fans I know don't rate Risse that highly.
Desailly/Carvalho/Toure >>> Hyypia
----------------------Schmeichel
Petrescu------Desailly-----Stam------Gallas
Ronaldo----Cantona------Gullit------Pires
-----------Henry---Bergkamp
Subs:
Cech
Toure
Zola
Van Nistelrooy
Vieira
I don't know where you pixies came from, but I like your pixie drink.
Could have included Klinsmann and Ginola, but neither of them had any success in their time in England. Klinsmann really only made a cameo appearance for one season (and another half a season later on).
Even though that 1 season was as good as any season from Bergkamp, Zola or even Henry, those others did it on a consistent basis.
And Ginola again just didn't have the success. Great player though.
Even though that 1 season was as good as any season from Bergkamp, Zola or even Henry, those others did it on a consistent basis.
And Ginola again just didn't have the success. Great player though.
I don't know where you pixies came from, but I like your pixie drink.
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delfino_1936
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for the first time i actually agree with a yid....good to see Henry, denis, Robert, Patrick, William were in there....also Toure put in there by TDGv2 which i think is a much better choice than Sami Hyypia...i like the team the editor put out especially cause there are a lot of Arsenal players
but i agree with TDGv2 David Ginola should at least get a mention if he aint on the bench....he was a gun, i liked him even if he played for the pussy whites
but i agree with TDGv2 David Ginola should at least get a mention if he aint on the bench....he was a gun, i liked him even if he played for the pussy whites
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mattieg1200
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Caramelas13
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getborn Posted: 26 Jul 2007 13:31 Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4-4-2 inc. welsh and irish
gk: schmiecal
dc: stam
dc: desailly
rb: ferreira
lb: gallas
dm:viera
am:cantona
rm: ronaldo
lm: giggs
fc: henry
fc: bergkamp
subs:
m: roy keane
f: gianfranco zola
gk: petr cech
d: ricardo carvahlo
- He's not that good.-
mattieg1200
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wat a joke! he did sweet F! all with chelsea....vertu1 wrote:massimo taibi
stepanovs
Boumsong
huth
ramon vega
veron
dani
tomas brolin
karel paborsky
shevchenko
morientes
subs: kezman, Rebrov
"In his life, a man can change wifes, political parties or religions but it cannot change his favourite football team." Eduardo Galleano
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REALLY have a good look at the rest of the team their all crap you trippa its called a jokedelpiero7 wrote:wat a joke! he did sweet F! all with chelsea....vertu1 wrote:massimo taibi
stepanovs
Boumsong
huth
ramon vega
veron
dani
tomas brolin
karel paborsky
shevchenko
morientes
subs: kezman, Rebrov
I speak nothing but the truth
Re: The Best Ever Foreign Premiership XI
Then it aint a foreign XI is it. Especially contradicting himself by saying about it's an overseas selection. Have you tried walking from England to Ireland.getborn wrote:(Editor’s Note: For the purposes of this article, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh players have been omitted from the foreign category to make this more of an overseas selection.)
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FerrariTifosi27
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FerrariTifosi27
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oh well it's just a suggestion, he was playing some quality football in the epl. he scored some crackersThe one and only wrote:if van nistelrooy cant make it carbone shouldnt even make the benchMilanista #22 wrote:Benito Carbone should be in there, he was playing his best football with Derby County
agreed.Caramelas13 wrote:getborn Posted: 26 Jul 2007 13:31 Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4-4-2 inc. welsh and irish
gk: schmiecal
dc: stam
dc: desailly
rb: ferreira
lb: gallas
dm:viera
am:cantona
rm: ronaldo
lm: giggs
fc: henry
fc: bergkamp
subs:
m: roy keane
f: gianfranco zola
gk: petr cech
d: ricardo carvahlo
put him in for lack of a better option.
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what about denis irwingetborn wrote:agreed.Caramelas13 wrote:getborn Posted: 26 Jul 2007 13:31 Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4-4-2 inc. welsh and irish
gk: schmiecal
dc: stam
dc: desailly
rb: ferreira
lb: gallas
dm:viera
am:cantona
rm: ronaldo
lm: giggs
fc: henry
fc: bergkamp
subs:
m: roy keane
f: gianfranco zola
gk: petr cech
d: ricardo carvahlo
put him in for lack of a better option.
I speak nothing but the truth