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Association football is one of the most popular sports in Russia. The nation has produced a number of great football players, including only Ballon d'Or winning goalkeeper Lev Ivanovich Yashin and Rinat Dasayev. The Russians are known for their athleticism and aggression on the pitch.
The English Premier League is one of the most popular club competitions in Europe. The league attracts top players from around the world and currently 329 foreign players are plying their trade in the Premier League. A number of Russians have also showcased their talents in the English top division.
Right on that note, let's take a look at three of the best Russian players to ever play in the Premier League
#1 Andrei Kanchelskis (Manchester United, Everton, Manchester City and Everton)
Andrei Kanchelskis is arguably the greatest Russian to ever play in the Premier League. He also holds the record for most appearances made by a Russian in the English top division.
He first moved to England to join Manchester United from Shakhtar Donetsk in 1991. He played 123 league games during his spell with the Red Devils, scoring 28 goals in the Premier League.
He helped the club win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one Football League Cup, along with two FA Charity Shields and one UEFA Super Cup. The Russian attacker also won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award during the 1994-95 season.
Kanchelskis moved to Everton in 1995, where he scored 20 goals in 52 league appearances spanning across two seasons. He also spent brief spells at Manchester City and Southampton FC before joining Saudi Professional League club Al Hilal SFC in 2003.
The Kirovohrad-born player moved back to Russia in 2004 and played for Dynamo Moscow, FC Saturn Ramenskoye and Krylia Sovetov. He then announced his retirement from professional football in 2006.
#2 Andrey Arshavin ( Arsenal)
Andrey Arshavin is among the most popular Russians to ever play in the Premier League.
Arshavin started his professional career with Zenit St. Petersburg in 1999 before moving to England to join Arsenal in 2008. He played 105 games during his time with the Gunners, scoring 23 goals in the Premier League. The attacker scored some memorable goals during his spell in the English top-flight, including four goals in a single game against Liverpool at Anfield.
The now 40-year-old left Arsenal to join his boyhood club Zenit on-loan in 2012 and later permanently in 2013. He spent two years with the St. Petersburg-based club before spending short spells in Russia and Kazakhstan prior to his retirement in 2018.
#3 Alexey Smertin( Chelsea, Portsmouth, Charlton Athletic and Fulham)
Alexey Smertin was among the first signings of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea. The Russian joined the Blues from Bordeaux for a reported fee of £3.45 million in 2003.
However, he was loaned out to Portsmouth for the 2003-04 season, where he put in some impressive performances. Smertin returned to Stamford Bridge in 2004 and made 16 appearances during the Blues' 2004-05 Premier League winning season.
The midfielder struggled to establish himself as a starter in Chelsea's set-up and was loaned out to Charlton Athletic for the 2005-06 season. He left Chelsea permanently to join Dynamo Moscow in 2006.
The Russian returned to England to play for Roy Hodgson's Fulham in 2007 before hanging up his boots in 2008.
