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Serving as home to some of the world's finest footballers has helped the Premier League to boost not only its quality, but also its reputation, attracting more viewers as a result. This has helped the English top flight maintain its role as the pacesetter for other divisions across Europe over the last couple of seasons.
Fans have had the pleasure of watching some incredibly talented players run riot for their respective clubs in the Premier League in recent years. Stepping up at vital moments, scoring brilliant goals and leading their sides to important victories, these superstars captured the hearts of football fans around the world.
What's more interesting, however, is that some of these players didn't just impress playing for certain clubs, they also shone when they came up against them in the English top flight. In this article, we'll discuss five players who came back to bite the hand that once fed them:
#5 Jermain Defoe - 9 goals
Jermain Defoe enjoyed a decent spell during his time in the Premier League, representing the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Sunderland, Portsmouth and Bournemouth. He has an impressive record of 163 goals and 29 assists to his name in 495 appearances in the English top flight.
The attacker ranks fifth on this list after scoring nine goals against clubs he had formerly played for in the the division. It is worth noting that Jermain Defoe has announced his retirement from the game earlier this week. The Englishman goes down with two trophies in his cabinet - the Carling Cup and the Scottish Premiership title.
#4 Louis Saha - 12 goals
From representing the likes of Newcastle United and Fulham to later being snapped up by Manchester United, Louis Saha really made his time in the Premier League worthwhile. The attacker is best known for his time at Old Trafford, although he has also played for clubs like Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland.
The Frenchman was able to record 12 strikes against clubs he had initially played for in the English top flight. Overall, his record in the division stands at 84 goals and 19 assists in 288 appearances.
Thanks to his time with Manchester United, Louis Saha claimed a number of trophies in England before calling time on his career in 2013. These include two Premier League titles, one Champions League crown, one Carling Cup and one Community Shield.
#3 Andrew Cole - 12 goals
Andrew Cole played in England throughout his football career, starting from the youth level to the professional level. The Englishman had the privilege of representing several Premier League clubs during his playing days. Some of them include Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Blackburn and Newcastle.
Andrew Cole occupies a respectable spot among players who have scored the most goals against clubs they formerly represented in the English top flight. He has a record of 12 goals to his name against his former sides, the same as ex-Manchester United forward Louis Saha.
Cole is highly regarded as one of the most prolific goalscorers in the history of the Premier League, with a record of 187 goals and 53 assists to his name in 415 games.
#2 Peter Crouch - 12
Former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch also ranks among the players with the highest number of goals scored against the former clubs in the Premier League. The 41-year-old had the same number of efforts as Andrew Cole and Louis Saha - 12.
Although Peter Crouch was mostly recognized for his time with Liverpool and Stoke City, the Englishman also represented numerous clubs in the division. Some of them include Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Burnley, Southampton and Aston Villa.
#1 Nicolas Anelka - 18
Nicolas Anelka started his Premier League career in 1997 when he joined Arsenal from Paris Saint-Germain. He spent approximately two-and-a-half years with the Gunners before leaving for Real Madrid in July 1999.
The Frenchman later returned to England to represent the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Bolton. As it stands, Anelka is the player who has scored the highest number of goals against the clubs he had initially played for in the Premier League. His record stands at a staggering 18 goals, six more than his closest rivals.
The striker bid farewell to English football in the summer of 2014 when parted ways with his last English club, West Brom. Anelka bagged 126 goals and 55 assists in 364 appearances during his time in the Premier League. He also won the EPL title twice, first with Arsenal in 1998 and then Chelsea in 2010.
