The Premier League started in the 1992/1993 season and many world-class foreign players have left their mark in the competition since then. Here we will show who are considered to be the best five foreign players to have ever played in this prestigious tournament. Maybe it’s unfair, but Didier Drogba, David Silva and Dennis Bergkamp, among other soccer stars, are not part of this ranking.
5. Peter Schmeichel
The Danish goalie is considered the best goalkeeper to ever play in the English domestic league. He joined Manchester United in 1991 and during his years with the Red Devils, he showed all his talent with fantastic saves that made him almost unbeatable. He won 14 titles with United, including five Premier League and one Champions League. Amazing!
4. Sergio Agüero
The Manchester City striker is the only player on the list who is still active. He started to find the net as soon as he arrived and became one of the league’s most consistent performers. He is a living legend for City, especially after scoring the unforgettable stoppage-time goal against Queens Park Rangers in 2012 that gave the club its first league title in 44 years. Among other feats, he broke Thierry Henry’s record as the highest-scoring foreign player in 2020. Even England’s favorite Alan Shearer said the Argentine “is the best foreign striker the Premier League has seen”. Agüero clinched 12 titles with City, including four domestic league trophies.
3. Eric Cantona
There’s no doubt that the controversial but also very talented Frenchman marked an era in the Premier League. After joining Manchester United from Leeds United, he became one of the first foreign superstars in the English championship. He played for the Red Devils for more than four years, scoring goals and leading the team to clinch a bunch of titles. In those years, Cantona won nine trophies with the club, including four Premier League. After his stint with United, more foreign players were signed by English clubs to compete in the tournament.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
He is one of the best players in the world today, but he started to show all he was capable of during his time in Manchester United. The Portuguese superstar signed for the Red Devils with only 17 years old and became one of the most dangerous wingers in the championship. During his six seasons with the team, he won 10 titles, including three Premier League, one Champions League and one FIFA Club World Cup. He left United in 2009 to join Real Madrid, where he made a record-breaking career.
1. Thierry Henry
Agüero broke his record as the highest-scoring foreign player in the Premier League, but the Frenchman was more than a goal-scoring machine. Although his mark of 175 goals in 258 appearances for Arsenal is still amazing, he was considered a real nightmare for his opponents due to his pace, skills and clinical finishing. Henry played more than eight seasons for the Gunners (1999-2007 and 2012) and won seven titles, including two Premier League. He left the London-based club for the first time in 2007 to join Barcelona, where he clinched all kind of titles.
