Greatest British footballers to play abroad - ranked
By Mitch Wilks
British players are known to not be particularly adventurous when it comes to playing football overseas.
More often than not, it doesn't work out at elite level. Language barriers, dietary dissatisfaction, not quite slotting into the new culture that surrounds them, it all plays a part.
Despite Brits being incredibly good at doing the abroad thing - your dad can order a beer in a handful of languages and get the towels down at the pool by sunrise - football is an anomaly. It hasn't stopped some of the best from trying, though. Here's a list of some of Britain's most famed footballing expats.
30. Mark Hughes
'Sparky' had broken through and impressed with Manchester United throughout the 1980s, which earned him a move to Barcelona in 1986.
One underwhelming season and a loan to Bayern Munich later, the Welshman was back with United by 1988.
29. Aaron Ramsey
This is a weird one. Ramsey was electric with Arsenal through the 2010s and a midfielder with technical grace looked nailed on to succeed with a move to Juventus in 2018.
The pre-contract transfer looked a coup for the Old Lady, but Ramsey just cannot break into the side consistently enough to impress.
28. Chris Smalling
Serving as a dismal reminder for life after Fergie for Manchester United fans, Chris Smalling's move to Roma in 2019 was absolutely needed for both parties.
A loan proved successful and was made permanent. United did put nine goals past his side over two legs of a Europa League semi-final, though. Ouch.
27. Jude Bellingham
It's a little early to definitively rank Jude Bellingham as he is - at the time of writing - still a child.
He's a child that is ridiculously good at football, though, and is proving it with Borussia Dortmund. Scoring in a Champions League quarter final in 2021 was another one for the highlight reel. Maybe Birmingham were right to retire his shirt number...
26. Jimmy Greaves
Before that historic World Cup win in 1966 (which injury saw him sit out of), Jimmy Greaves had tried his luck in club football by signing for AC Milan in 1961.
He signed for the Rossoneri that April, but was back in England by Christmas having failed to settle in Italy. Still managed nine goals from 14 appearances, which is a fine record.
25. Bradley Wright-Phillips
In England, Bradley Wright-Phillips is simply the forgotten brother of Shaun.
In the States, however, he's an MLS icon. Wright-Phillips is the record goalscorer for the New York Red Bulls and a two-time MLS Golden Boot winner. It's not abroad at the elite level, but still a very good one that gets overlooked massively.
24. Kieran Trippier
While the English are generally pretty good at going abroad and looking silly, moving to Atletico Madrid has actually been a decent move for Kieran Trippier.
Aside from a pretty hefty gambling ban issued by FIFA, Trippier has slotted nicely into Diego Simeone's rather English approach to the game in Madrid. Needs to win some silverware to make it stick, though.
23. Ashley Young
A past his best Ashley Young being snapped up by Serie A giants Inter in 2020 was the most modern Serie A transfer imaginable.
And while it does still look and sound a bit ridiculous, Young has been the perfect fit for Antonio Conte's side and won the Scudetto for his efforts. Also grew hair after about a decade of being bald by choice, which summarised an overly strange move.
22. Steve Archibald
Scottish striker Archibald had conquered Scotland and England by 1984, thus a big money move to Barcelona beckoned.
He was never considered the first choice for long and was overshadowed by more British imports, but Archibald put together a fine four years in Barcelona and earned himself the 'Archigoles' nickname for his exploits, winning one La Liga.
21. John Collins
John Collins' success with Celtic was enough for Monaco to come calling for his services in 1996.
He won the French championship with the club and reached a Champions League semi-final, but his career's finest hour came back in Scotland when he became - wait for it - the first professional to score in a pair of adidas Predator boots at the top level in 1994. Have that, statistics fans.
20. Michael Owen
Owen's sole season with Real Madrid wasn't exactly the greatest, but 16 goals from 25 starts is a pretty decent firing rate.
He also scored an El Clasico goal which is a bonus. He was never getting in over the likes of Ronaldo and Raul anyway, so he deserves some credit for racking up a healthy number of goals.
19. Owen Hargreaves
Everyone's favourite footballer-turned-YouTuber in 2012, Owen Hargreaves is a curious case, but his English father and 42 England caps let him qualify.
Born in Canada to English and Welsh parents, Hargreaves was signed by Bayern Munich aged 16 and moved to Germany from there, progressing through their ranks and becoming a top young midfielder with the club in the early 2000s. It prompted a 2007 move to Manchester United, by which point his legs were already biscuits.
18. Mark Hateley
English forward Hateley went from the English second division to playing for AC Milan within six months, thanks to an explosive season with Portsmouth in 1984.
The striker earned cult hero status among Milan fans, scoring a header that proved to be the winning goal of a Milan derby in October of that year, giving the Rossoneri their first derby win in six years. He also played in America and Monaco.
17. Trevor Francis
After two loan spells across the Atlantic to the Detroit Express, Trevor Francis made a permanent move abroad in 1982 to join Sampdoria.
Francis was a hit in Italy and enjoyed a productive spell in a resurgent side, helping Sampdoria win the 1984/85 Coppa Italia before spending a season with Atalanta from 1986.
16. Tony Woodcock
Woodcock left English football on a high in 1979, signing for 1. FC Koln off the back of becoming a European champion with Nottingham Forest.
Woodcock starred against Koln in the run to winning the European Cup, and forged a successful career with the club in Western Germany over three seasons. He returned to England in 1982, but headed back to Germany in 1986 to finish his career in Cologne.
15. Graeme Souness
Believe it or not, that daft pundit from the telly that doesn't like Paul Pogba very much was once a complete midfielder himself.
Souness was once everything he now hates. After winning the lot with Liverpool, he packed a bag and headed to Italy in 1984 to join Sampdoria. His experienced head was key among a youthful squad and their Coppa Italia success that season.
14. Gerry Hitchens
After lighting it up with Cardiff and Aston Villa in the late 1950s and early 60s, Gerry Hitchens secured a move to Inter in 1961.
He finished top scorer in his first and only season with the club, becoming the first Englishman to win the Scudetto in doing so. His career stayed mostly in Italy after that, with a return to England not coming until 1969.
13. Laurie Cunningham
The man that started the trend, Laurie Cunningham was the first Englishman to ever play for Real Madrid when he signed in 1979.
Cunningham scored a brace on his debut for Los Blancos and was instrumental in them winning a league and cup double that season. He played for a handful of clubs in Spain as well as France and Belgium, flying the flag for Brits to ply their trade abroad.
12. Paul Ince
After developing into a key player in the heart of Manchester United's midfield in the early 1990s, Paul Ince swapped Manchester for Milan in 1995 after a scuffle with Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ince clocked up two seasons for Inter and made a good account for himself despite them failing to capture the Scudetto. So much so that his ties with the club saw Inter willing to sign son Tom on a free in 2014, who strangely refused the offer and has since played lower tier English football.
11. Jadon Sancho
Moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2017 instead of staying at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola felt blasphemous from Jadon Sancho, but it was absolutely the right move.
Sancho has rekindled the flame in Brits playing abroad and has encouraged young talents to move away from England in search of better development to the first team. He has been increasingly instrumental for Dortmund and is likely to recoup them a mammoth transfer fee.
10. David Platt
Scorer of everyone's favourite volley at Italia 90, David Platt moved to Italy with Bari a year later after impressing with Aston Villa.
He scored 11 goals in his debut season as his side were relegated, and earned a move to Juventus to stay in Serie A. A transfer to Sampdoria followed a season later, where Platt found his groove once again. A four year stint in Italy was a successful one.
9. Paul Lambert
Having become one of the finest players in Scottish football, Paul Lambert took a risk and moved to Germany in 1996 to sign for Borussia Dortmund.
In his only season with Der BVB, Lambert was a key player and became instrumental in them winning the 1996/97 Champions League with standout performances against Manchester United and Juventus. Short but sweet, Lambert's time abroad was a big success.
8. Gary Lineker
Fresh off the back of a Golden Boot-winning 1986 World Cup, Gary Lineker switched Merseyside for Barcelona and left Everton in a £2.8m deal.
Lineker enjoyed a fine start to life, bagging 21 goals in his first season including a hat-trick against Real Madrid, but eventually tailed off when playing out of position later on and leaving in 1989. He left England again in 1992 for a two year spell in Japan. Do they have Walkers there, Gary?
7. Glenn Hoddle
Touted by many as the finest English player to emerge from his generation, it's no surprise that Arsene Wenger recruited Glenn Hoddle to play for Monaco in 1987.
Hoddle's technical grace could thrive in the French league and it did. He helped the side to a first Ligue 1 title in six seasons and a European quarter final, while also being named the Foreign Player of the Year in 1987/88.
6. David Beckham
Mr Worldwide himself - no, not Pitbull - Becks is cover star for British footballers abroad.
While not the most successful, Beckham thrived after leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2003 as his celebrity status boomed. Success in Madrid was followed up by a historic move to LA Galaxy, as well as stints with AC Milan and finally Paris Saint-Germain. He did it for the culture.
5. Steve McManaman
Alright, he's not the most enjoyable of pundits, but he was damn good as a player, specifically outside of England.
Real Madrid snapped up Steve McManaman on a free in 1999 and he quickly became instrumental in their pursuit of domestic and European success. He scored an iconic volley as Real won the 1999/00 Champions League final and continued to impress before the Galacticos era halted his momentum.
4. Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan had literally won the lot with Liverpool throughout the 1970s, thus taking the risk of moving abroad was rather unnecessary.
It paid off, though. Keegan was a hit in a three year spell with Hamburg, despite a rocky start that saw him struggle to find his favourite cereals and bond with the team. Two Ballon d'Or awards and a Bundesliga later, imagine how he'd have done with his favourite cereal. Frightening.
3. Chris Waddle
The man who rocked one of football's most absurd yet equally brilliant mullets, Chris Waddle made the absolute most of a three year stint with Marseille.
Nicknamed 'Magic Chris' by fans, Waddle was unplayable as the side won three straight league titles and reached the final of the 1991 European Cup - a dream for many with English clubs still lagging behind in European competition following the Heysel disaster.
2. Gareth Bale
Before golfing took over, Gareth Bale was actually incredible for Real Madrid.
Signing in 2013, he formed a terrifying front three with Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo and scored in both the Champions League and Copa del Rey finals in his first season. His excellence continued as Madrid dominated Europe, and he reminded everyone of his abilities in the 2018 Champions League final with a disgusting overhead kick goal against Liverpool. Class.
1. John Charles
John Charles' time came before most, but his successes in European football cannot be ignored.
Charles kicked off his senior career with an incredible eight year spell with Leeds, before moving to Italy in 1957 and signing for Juventus. Charles was a hit in Turin, scoring 108 goals in 155 games and finishing top scorer in his first season of an immense five year stay. He returned to Italy with Roma in 1963, but it was his Juve spell that makes him the most successful British export ever.