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The Premier League is arguably one of the most exciting leagues in the world at the moment. With several teams vying for supremacy in a highly competitive environment, the league attracts the world's best footballing talent.
The likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool have built some incredible teams over the years. While their rosters often feature the very best of talent that England has to offer, their inimitable dominance has been massively bolstered by a series of marquee signings.
In terms of foreign talent, the Premier League remains unrivaled in the modern era. Coming up with a definitive lineup of the league's best imports is no mean feat. I have decided to go with a 3-4-3 to accommodate the wealth of attacking talent on offer in the Premier League.
A back three is an essential part of this team, because I'm struggling to contain this selection to eleven players. I've uncovered a fair share of old wounds coming up with this list - these players have caused me plenty of misery in my playing days.
This is my eleven and not a fan's lineup - there are bound to be some exceptional players who are going to miss out. This is more a team of players I've played against than a team based on statistics.
Without further ado, let's take a look at an XI of the greatest foreign players to have plied their trade in the Premier League.
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech
Most fans of the game would pick Peter Schmeichel as their go-to Premier League shot-stopper because of his incredible list of achievements. I'm going to go with Petr Cech, however, simply because he played his part in the evolution of goalkeeping.
Kasper Schmeichel made some legendary saves in the Premier League, but you could score against his Manchester United side. Defense wasn't necessarily their defining aspect. With Chelsea, however, you'd need something special to find the back of the net, particularly in Cech's first Premier League season.
Cech's statistics for Chelsea speak for themselves. He holds the record for the fewest appearances to reach 100 clean sheets, and took only 180 matches to achieve the feat. Cech was an excellent person off the pitch and learned several languages to get along with his star-studded Chelsea squad.
His mental resolve sets him apart as one of the Premier League's best-ever goalkeepers. He achieved much of his success after his comeback from injury and remains one of the strongest personalities to ever feature in the Premier League.
Right center-back: Denis Irwin
Denis Irwin was one of the greatest full-backs of his time. The Manchester United great was one of the few defenders who could inspire fear in his opponents with his forward runs.
Irwin is one of the most underrated members of his Manchester United squad. The Irishman's persona on the pitch was instrumental to his side's success and played a pivotal role in shaping the role of football's modern full-back.
Center-back: Nemanja Vidic
Nemanja Vidic's defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand remains one of the most successful in Premier League history. The Serbian defender is a wonderful person off the pitch, but had the uncanny ability to transform into a monster when Manchester United needed his talents.
Vidic read the game very well and his calm demeanor rubbed off on his teammates. The Manchester United defender posed regular headaches at our team meetings and was a nightmare to play against.
Left center-back: Patrice Evra
Harry Redknapp once told us to cross the ball over Patrice Evra's head, because he was small and was unlikely to jump up to reach the ball. Needless to say, our ideas backfired.
Patrice Evra can leap like a salmon. The Frenchman was on another level in terms of competitive aggression and could play anywhere across the defensive line. Evra is one of the most well-rounded full-backs I've come across and is one of the Premier League's all-time greats.
Also Read: Jim Beglin column - 5 Premier League players who can revive their careers this season (2021-22)
Central midfield: N'Golo Kante
N’Golo Kante is football’s spellchecker. He makes up for his team’s mistakes on the pitch and serves as the perfect foil for his more illustrious teammates. Kante is the only current player in my team and his work rate would provide an excellent shield ahead of the back three.
Kante rarely scores goals but is so often involved in his side’s creative process. The French midfielder doesn’t need to share the goalscoring burden because of the firepower Chelsea currently have, and his ability to win the ball back is the primary source of the Blues’ attacking prowess.
Central midfield: Roy Keane
As good as Kante is at pulling off his tackles, my midfield needs more of a physical threat. There’s none better in that department than Roy Keane. You don’t get too many players who are the same both on and off the field. With Keane, you know exactly what you’re going to get.
There always comes a time when the best players in the world need marshaling on the football field. You could never get Roy Keane away from the action – his ability to police match situations gave his teammates the confidence they needed to express themselves.
Roy Keane was a natural leader and a player who always gave his all on the pitch. Anyone on this list could potentially become the team’s captain, but Roy Keane is the only player who commands the position.
Central midfield: Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira has always been a combatant and it would be thoroughly interesting to watch him play alongside Roy Keane, given their history. They worked together at the Euros and would be virtually unstoppable in the same midfield.
Vieira was part of Arsenal’s revolution under Arsene Wenger and was one of the Gunners’ best players at the time. The French midfielder never managed to win the Champions League, but it comes as no surprise that Arsenal managed an ‘Invincibles’ season with the inspirational Vieira in their midfield.
Attacking midfield: Dennis Bergkamp
There have been several players in the Premier League who’ve been exceptionally skillful, but only a handful of them were true game-changers. Dennis Bergkamp’s reading of the game would seem impossible, at times. Some of the goals he scored were just ridiculous.
Bergkamp was a nightmare to play against, particularly when he lined up alongside Henry and Vieira. He’s the arrowhead in my midfield, and his knack for creating chances out of nothing made him an irreplaceable asset for the Gunners.
With Dennis Bergkamp, it didn’t matter if his back or side was towards goal. Bergkamp’s stunning piece of magic against Newcastle United has gone down in history as one of the best goals in Premier League history.
Forward: Thierry Henry
I was at West Ham when Arsenal’s Invincibles conquered the Premier League, and I distinctly remember being 2-0 up against them at half-time. Thierry Henry decided to take matters into his own hands, however, and scored an absolute thunderbolt as Arsenal came back to secure a 2-2 draw.
Thierry Henry was a man playing a kids’ game and ran rings around everybody in his prime. Henry could score goals even when he was not in form, and his competitive attitude and winning mentality made him a compulsive winner. When you look at the current Arsenal side, you often wonder what they’d be like if they had that kind of attitude.
Henry has given me nightmares over the years, and I both hated and loved playing against him. Keeping a clean sheet against the Arsenal great usually indicated an excellent performance but that very rarely happened. Thierry Henry is one of the best players I’ve ever played against and was a phenomenon at Arsenal.
Forward: Didier Drogba
There are so many players to choose from when it comes to a Premier League striker, but I’d reckon Didier Drogba was the best at what he did. Drogba was a terrifying opponent – he could keep scoring. One way or another, Didier Drogba frustrated the living daylights and has caused a lot of heartache in my playing career.
As a striker, Drogba brought forth a level of dexterity that football, in general, didn’t have. If the ball was at his feet, you could be sure that there’d be a shot at the end of the move. Drogba’s a lovely character off the field but you put him on the pitch in a Chelsea shirt, and he’s all about scoring goals.
Forward: Eric Cantona
Manchester United would not be the success they are today if it hadn’t been for Eric Cantona. The forward transformed Manchester United and was one of those rare signings that permanently changed the club’s fortunes. Manchester United have achieved incredible feats over the years and Cantona was the mortar between their bricks.
Eric Cantona did have a larger-than-life persona but ensured that he made his team great. The Manchester United star was unassuming in many ways and was a no-nonsense player. Cantona scored a goal against me in the first game after his ban, and it was often inevitable that he would be on the scoresheet.
Substitutes
Cristiano Ronaldo is an obvious pick on my bench - he was a phenomenal player in a phenomenal team. If I was picking a foreign XI for La Liga, Cristiano Ronaldo would be the first name on my list. Ronaldo did great things at Manchester United, but went on to hit his peak at Real Madrid and has now become an all-time great.
Gianfranco Zola was an exceptional addition to Chelsea’s squad and was a wonderful player in his prime. Vincent Kompany also narrowly missed out on a spot in the team. The Belgian defender was one of the first members of Manchester City’s revolution and is a bonafide legend.
Bench: Peter Schmeichel, Vincent Kompany, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gianfranco Zola
Also Read: Fabrizio Romano's Transfer Roundup: Arsenal transfer news, Update on Harry Kane's future and more
