Top 10 foreign players in Premier League History

Interesting discussion raging at footballspeak, who will make your Top 10 foreign players in Premier League History?

I wouldn't call 11 comments "raging" myself.

Kimbo wrote:I wouldn't call 11 comments "raging" myself.

Had the same thought myself.

Rosicky wrote:

Kimbo wrote:I wouldn't call 11 comments "raging" myself.

Had the same thought myself.

For a young blogsite, that's really raging!

Our top article has over 40,000 views, but just 9 comments!

Sometimes your articles are far too 'complete' Blue, people have nothing left to comment
This is a complement mate

I saw this title and scribbled down Cantona, Vieira, Bergkamp, Zola, Henry, Fabregas, Drogba, Ronaldo, van Persie, Schmeichel.

Disappointingly similar.

I wasn't sure whether Roy Keane was foreign.

Ginola has to be in there somewhere.

I always pick Schmeichel, Zola, Bergkamp, Cantona & Ginola - These 5 imports raised the standard of the league immensely.

Then Ronaldo, Henry, Drogba, Gallas & Vieira

Unlucky to miss Out: Fabregas, Solano, Ljungberg, Brad Freidel and of course Dirt Kuyt.

If you are looking for a defender/defensive midfielder who made his name in the EPL at Chelsea, I would have said Carvalho or Makelele over Gallas.

Honourary mentions to Anthony Le Tallec, Asier Del Horno, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Jeremy Aliadiadiadiadiere.

Top 10 Frenchies:
Ginola, Vieira, Bobby Pires, Titis, Makelele, Gallas, Cantona, Evra, Petit, Anelka

Nobby Solano > David Ginola

Just saying.

Kimbo wrote:Nobby Solano > David Ginola

Just saying.

For Newcastle?

Fade out wrote:

Kimbo wrote:Nobby Solano > David Ginola

Just saying.

For Newcastle?

In general. He was more productive, more intelligent, better team player, and harder working. Plus he wasn't a diver.

I like Ginola but he gets overrated, I think Robert was better for Newcastle aswell.

Forget Giggs, I think Ginola changed the way a Left-sided midfielder should be played in PL. A right-footed left winger of the highest quality.

Ginola was a sexual predator, he could impregnate every woman in the stadium with a mere shimmy of those snake hips. Why pick him? Cos he's worth it

Definitely in my top 10. Had Jurgen ze German stayed in England longer we'd no doubt be talking him up too I'm sure as he was probably the best finisher the PL has ever seen in his 2 seasons with Spurs. And yes, I am in NO WAY bias.

So, here is the list as per the oracle of football (ie me):

Cantona, Schmickles, Bergkampf, Gorgon Zola, Andrea Silenzi, Gorgeous Ginola, Steffan Freund, Juninho, Cherry Henry and Claudio Pizarro.

@Fade out,

ignoring Ron Atkinson's comments for a moment, surely we all need a a bit of Marcel Desailly in a French ten??

Noah und der Bale wrote:Ginola was a sexual predator, he could impregnate every woman in the stadium with a mere shimmy of those snake hips. Why pick him? Cos he's worth it

Definitely in my top 10. Had Jurgen ze German stayed in England longer we'd no doubt be talking him up too I'm sure as he was probably the best finisher the PL has ever seen in his 2 seasons with Spurs. And yes, I am in NO WAY bias.

So, here is the list as per the oracle of football (ie me):

Cantona, Schmickles, Bergkampf, Gorgon Zola, Andrea Silenzi, Gorgeous Ginola, Steffan Freund, Juninho, Cherry Henry and Claudio Pizarro.

@Fade out,

ignoring Ron Atkinson's comments for a moment, surely we all need a a bit of Marcel Desailly in a French ten??

I was chatting to a Hotsperm fan last week and he was going on about what a joy it was to watch so many players of genuine class at last after years of the likes of Steffen Freund. He seemed surprised to learn what a technical and tactical mastermind Steffen had become (apart from his urbane displays as an analyst on TV), the brains behind the all-singing, all-dancing, free-scoring u17 kinder

Freund was barren as a fussballer, extremely limited. But what he had was old school drive. Definitely a cult hero in terms of his attitude, but yes he was playing in a horrible period for the club in a team that reeked of mundane averageness.

Desailly was past it when he played in PL.

Give it more seasons, I'd replace any one of Petit, Makelele & Gallas with Sagna too.

Perhaps even Nasri, depending on his progression for City. Clichy, if you consider longevity. Keeping an eye on Ben Arfa & Cabaye from Newcastle.

Ginola only played for us for two seasons, appearing on seventy occasions in total; which amounts to less than half Robert's appearances and a quarter of Solano's. Both of those two players were excellent for us and produced on a more consistent basis than Ginola. Solano in particular I always felt orchestrated our play in our best days under Robson and I'm not sure there's been a player in the Premier League better than him in terms of technique. However, Newcastle have had a host of wonderful players in my time as a supporter, including Robert and Solano, including Shearer, Lee, Beardsley, Cole, Ferdinand, Albert, Asprilla, Speed, Woodgate, Enrique, Coloccini - players who have, at times whilst playing for us, been amongst the best in their positions in the world; but I consider Ginola the most talented of them all, the best of them all, the player I've most enjoyed watching. He was two-footed, an excellent crosser of the ball, effectively spread the play from one side of the pitch to the other, had a good shot, and was so graceful in his play, gliding past the opposition even when they doubled or tripled up on him, which they always did in his first season with us.

I'm not sure the extent to which he changed the way wingers were perceived in English football. For me taken as an example he belies the notion, the dichotomy, that there are two types of winger: an old-fashioned type who hugs the touchline and predominantly looks to cross the ball vs. a modern player who naturally comes inside and scores and assists from that position. Ginola tended to hug the touchline; he rarely moved into an advanced position inside the opposition penalty area; his assists came from crosses rather than short through-balls; but he could drift inside from the touchline and shoot from distance with his right foot.

A lot of these lists feature Schmeichel, Zola, Bergkamp, Cantona, Vieira, Henry, Ronaldo and Drogba. I'd put Ginola at the top of my list. Then there often seems a sort of arbitrary defender reflecting something of the selector's character or background - a Stam, a Hyypia, a Gallas, a Carvalho. My arbitrary defender will be Philippe Albert, the best ball-playing centre-back the Premier League has had.

Laurent Robert - misunderstood and underrated.

Re. the list.Pizarro?

We are into Best Foreign XIs now...



What is yours? Do leave yr comments here, now we have a raging discussion!!

GInola POTY in 1999. We were incredibly poor back then and he single-handedly kept us afloat

-------Schmeichel
RB*--Cavalho--Stam--Evra
------Vieira/Alonso
Ronaldo--Bergkamp--Henry
----Cantona--Drogba

* Could not think of a RB who has genuinely stood out above the rest. Put Henry and Ronaldo as wide-forwards because I think they deserve a mention along with Drogba and Cantona - wouldn't classify Keane as "foreign".

the quality of players to have played in the EPL Since the prem game into existence really is all together that great, base on the top 10's posted, I mean its been what 20 years and the best includes the likes of drogba,hypia,cantona,Ginola, who are all great players, but really not right up their.

Up their what?

My XI is pretty much like Bluey. But for Essien in place of Keane, Henry in place of Drogba & Bergkamp in place of Zola.

Schmeichel
Sagna - Carvalho - Stam - Evra
Essien - Vieira
Ronaldo - Bergkamp - Ginola
Henry

Actually, I'd also replace Ginola with Pires if you need more playmaking.

Versus a "non foreign" XI (this'll get SOME PEOPLE very opinionated):

-----------------Given----------
G. Nev/Irwin----Ferdinand--Woodgate/King---Cole
Beckham--Keane--Scholes---Giggs
------Shearer----Sheringham--------

Kimbo wrote:Up their what?

He means the lack of WPOTY/Balon d'Or winners I presume, compared to La Liga & Serie A.

I think C.Ronaldo is the only player to have won it whilst at an Prem club?

Noah und der Bale wrote:Versus a "non foreign" XI (this'll get SOME PEOPLE very opinionated):

-----------------Given----------
G. Nev/Irwin----Ferdinand--Woodgate/King---Cole
Beckham--Keane--Scholes---Giggs
------Shearer----Sheringham--------

Not bad. I'd probably go with Campbell and McGrath as CBs, and Le Tiss over Sheringham.

Thing is though that players like Ginola and Cantona never really did it at the top level.

We need some perspective as to where the PL was in their time compared with the rest of Europe.

Players who excelled '05 to '10 eg would deserve a lot more credibility than those from '95 to '00.

You look at English players like Adams, Pallister and Bruce - amongst the best in the league yet pretty embarrassing in European competition.

The ones that were/are special for me would be Stam, Carvalho, Drogba, Asprilla, Albert, Klinsmann, Coloccini, Alonso, RVP.

I particularly like Alonso and Albert - the former for proving that his type of player could flourish over here and the latter for scoring the greatest goal the league has seen.

debaser wrote:

Noah und der Bale wrote:Versus a "non foreign" XI (this'll get SOME PEOPLE very opinionated):

-----------------Given----------
G. Nev/Irwin----Ferdinand--Woodgate/King---Cole
Beckham--Keane--Scholes---Giggs
------Shearer----Sheringham--------

Not bad. I'd probably go with Campbell and McGrath as CBs, and Le Tiss over Sheringham.