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The premier league is the most enthralling league in the world. Players from all around the globe have the graced the English soil over the years. From Germany to Ghana, the Premier League has witnessed some of the greatest players to ever play the game.
Amongst these multitudes of nations, there lies a certain nation on the Iberian Peninsula that has certainly provided the Premier League fans with the most skillful players, most of whom have weaved a certain magic while gracing these shores. It is none other than Spain about whom we are talking about.
Spain has been a superpower when it comes to the footballing talent. The Spanish footballers are known to exhibit total football which is all about the fluidity of the game. Throughout all these years, many Spanish players have stepped on the field to represent the English clubs and it is fair to say a lot of them succeded.
Here we look at the top 10 Spanish players to have graced the British shores and to put it into context, this list is completely based on the performance of an individual in England and not their overall legacy:
#10 Mikel Arteta
The sole reason for Arteta's presence on this list of great Spanish players is his longevity in the Premier League accompanied by a calm and composed playing style. Arteta played for 2 Premier League teams – Everton and Arsenal. The Spaniard was one of the best defensive midfielders and grabbed many eyeballs for his superb displays.
Arteta spent 6 years at Everton where he actually established himself as a creative hub of the team. The Spaniard won the Everton player of the year award twice and attracted interests from top European clubs on a yearly basis.
Arteta finally got his reward with a move to the Emirates in 2011 and quickly became a fan favorite. The legendary French manager often entrusted Arteta with the penalty duties and the Spaniard duly obliged.
During his 5 year stay with the Gunners, Mikel won 2 FA cups as well as two Community Shields. He was tipped to be their new manager following Arsene Wenger's departure but the instead the Job went to Unai Emery.
Arteta's stay in the premier lasted a mammoth 12 years during which he showcased him calm and composed approach on the field very often. Born in the Basque country, Arteta came from the home of great footballers. He started his career alongside Xabi Alonso at Antiguoko.
#9 Cesar Azpilicueta
The Chelsea fullback who has performed consistently year after year for the blues. Azpilicueta belongs to a rare class of players who never have an off day, the Spaniard's consistency has been highly appreciated by the London club as Cesar has been a mainstay in the blues setup for the last 6 seasons.
The Chelsea full-back is one of the most versatile defenders around as he is well capable of playing in numerous positions. Azpilicueta has a fitness level to crave for and the Spaniard has showcased his supreme fitness by playing about 280 games in just 6 seasons for the blues.
Azpilicueta has won 2 premier league titles with Chelsea as well as 1 fa cup title. The Spaniard was also part of the Chelsea side that won the Europa league in 2012-13.
#8 Juan Mata
The magician who now plays for Manchester United is one the classiest players in the premier league right now. Mata has been a great signing for Manchester United and remains one the best moments in an otherwise disappointing David Moyes era. The Spanish international moved to Manchester United from Chelsea and rest as they say are pleasant moments.
Mata enjoyed a splendid period of success at Chelsea, winning 2 Chelsea player of the year awards in a row. The midfielder from Spain has lightened up the field every time he steps out and it is his trickery and presence of mind that makes him a worthy member of this list.
The Spaniard was tipped to achieve great heights while at Valencia and has done his bit to be counted as a great player. 2 FA cups, 2 Europa Leagues, 1 UEFA champions league, 1 League cup and 1 community shield sum up an impressive trophy cabinet for Juan Mata with English sides.
#7 Pepe Reina
The Spanish goalkeeper spent 9 years at Liverpool and is deservingly called their best goalkeeper in the premier league era. Reina played around 400 games for the Merseyside club and was the mainstay between the sticks for the Reds.
Reina played a second fiddle to Iker Casillas in the Spain national camp but his potential was never doubted. The Spaniard won 3 successive golden glove awards in the premier league from 2005-08, which just tells us the level of Reina's performance in the toughest league of the world.
It is a shame that we never got to see Pepe Reina lift the elusive Premier League title but a missing trophy can't deny the fact that the Spaniard will go down as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the premier league era.
#6 Diego Costa
The hard-hitting striker who now plays for Atletico Madrid was once a Chelsea player who donned the famous number 9 jersey and scored lots of goals on weekly basis. Diego Costa remains as one of the great premier league strikers for Chelsea and it was his goals that helped the north London outfit in winning the premier league in 2015 and 2017 with his scoring rate proving to be the deciding factor.
Often known for his bad temper, there is no denying in the fact that Diego Costa gave the premier league defenses a hard time during his stay with the blues. During his 3-year spell with the blues, Costa scored many important goals which took Chelsea over the line.
The blues tried to replace costa by signing another Spanish international, Alvaro Morata but it is fair to say that Morata couldn't fill in the boots. Costa provided a dynamic approach to the Chelsea set-up and his sheer will on the field helped him become the player he is.
Though Costa stayed in the premier league for just 3 seasons, he won it 2 times and succeeded to entertain everyone.
#5 Fernando Torres
El-Nino might be the most loved player at Liverpool for his goalscoring exploits with the Merseyside club. Torres was amongst the best strikers in the world when at Liverpool and was one the most feared frontman in the premier league. With many goals to his name, Torres can rightly be termed as a Liverpool legend.
The Spanish international might not have had a great spell at Chelsea but his frequent moment of brilliance have been adored by the north-London club. Fernando Torres famously scored in Chelsea's semi-final tie against Barcelona at Camp Nou in 2012 as his goal ended Barcelona's hopes and took Chelsea straight to the final where they defeated Bayern Munich to lift their first ever UEFA champions league trophy.
Over the years many great strikers have graced the premier league but Fernando Torres remains one of a kind. He famously got the better of Nemanja Vidic who many consider as one of the greatest premier league defenders of all time.
#4 Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas stands 2nd on the all-time assists league in English premier league history, this is a testament to Fabregas's stature in the premier league. The Spaniard has played for 2 top teams in England namely Arsenal and Chelsea.
Fabregas came through the famous La Masia academy of Barcelona and moved to England in 2005. Fabregas was signed by Arsene Wenger and rest as they say is history. The Spanish midfielder turned out to be one of the best in his positions and helped Arsenal win the 2005 fa cup. He moved back to Barcelona in 2011 to end his terrific spell with the gunners.
Fabregas returned to England in 2014 for his second spell in the premier league as he joined arsenal’s cross-city rivals – Chelsea. Fabregas excelled with the blues as the Spaniard won the premier league- a competition he failed to win with Arsenal in 6 seasons.
One thing that was common between Fabregas's both the spells was his quality in the big matches and his ability to find a teammate in a goalscoring position. Cesc Fabregas will go down as one of the greatest midfielders in the premier league era.
#3 David De Gea
The Spanish international is probably the best goalkeeper in the world let alone the premier league. The big Dave has spent 7 seasons with the red devils and it is fair to say that he has established himself as one of the great goalkeepers to play for Manchester United. He is often mentioned in the same breath as Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Saar- two legends of the premier league.
David de Gea won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year a record three times in a row, an award for the best player in the concluded season. To this date, De Gea has won the award 4 times which is the most by an individual The Spaniard has some of the best saves to his name and has been a priceless asset for Manchester United.
David de Gea will probably go down as the greatest Spanish goalkeeper to ever play in the premier league. Real Madrid has tried hard to lure the Spaniard back to the Spanish capital but Manchester United are well aware of the talent they have in their hands.
#2 Xabi Alonso
A FIFA world cup winner, multiple times UEFA champions league winner, UEFA EURO winner(twice) and the list continues as Xabi Alonso has achieved success wherever he played. The Spanish midfielder is often termed as one of the greatest central midfielders of his generation owing to his terrific record in three top leagues namely The Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga.
Alonso spent 5 years with Liverpool and was part of the lineup that accomplished the famous champions league triumph in Istanbul. A midfield maestro, Alonso established himself as a top midfielder during his tenure with the reds and excelled alongside Liverpool legend Steven Gerard in the middle of the park.
Xabi Alonso played more than 200 times for Merseyside club before moving to Real Madrid and rest as they say is history. The Spaniard left a huge void in Liverpool's midfield which the Reds failed to fill for many years.
#1 David Silva
And the greatest Spanish player to ever play in the premier league has to be David Silva. The elegant midfielder is one of the most technically gifted footballers around: David Silva has spent more than 8 years in the blue half of Manchester and will probably go down as the greatest player in their history. Silva has helped Manchester City in winning 3 premier league titles and has been a major driving ever since his arrival from Valencia.
Silva has been a regular starter for the Spanish national side and was part of the legendary team who won the 2010 world cup in South Africa and 2 back-to-back EURO titles in 2008 and 2012 respectively.
A predominantly left-footed player, Silva is an intelligent footballer who serves the purpose of a playmaker very well. The Spaniard has been used in a number of positions throughout his career but his best performances have come from the number 10.
David Silva was part of the Manchester City side who famously won the premier league in 2012 on the very last with a dramatic Kun Aguero goal in the dying moments of the match.
With around 350 games for Manchester City, David Silva has been an excellent servant for the Citizens and the premier league.
