The best Premier League XI with 11 different nationalities 

Leicester City v Manchester United - The FA Community Shield
David de Gea

The Premier League is one of the most diverse leagues in the world. In fact, there are 64 countries represented in the English top flight, which is more than any of the other top European leagues.

This diversity is one of the main reasons why fans from all over the globe tune in every weekend to watch Premier League matches. It's one of the reasons that make it such a fiercely competitive league, and one of the most followed sporting tournaments in the world.

Here we take a look at how a Premier League starting XI of players with only one player per nationality would look like.


GK: David De Gea (Spain)

No real debate on this one. Hugo Lloris and Thibaut Courtois might be world class, but De Gea is on another level.

One can only imagine where Man United would be without him. Week in, week out, his ability to pull off mind-boggling saves continues to baffle fans and rivals alike.

He's been named in the PFA Team of the Year 4 times already and won United's Player of the Year award three times in a row, which is no mean feat for a goalkeeper.

The outrage that his omission from FIFA's "The Best" Goalkeepers list sparked speaks for itself. With Manuel Neuer missing since April after a foot injury, you could make a case for De Gea being the best goalkeeper in the world right now.

Choosing a Spaniard in goal means having to forsake on the likes of Morata, Alonso, Silva and Fabregas elsewhere on the pitch, but its totally worth it.

RB: Antonio Valencia (Ecuador)

Antonio Valencia
Antonio Valencia

United's Ecuadorian winger-turned-right back is possibly one of the best in the Premier League at the moment.

Under Louis van Gaal, injuries forced him to play as a fullback, and despite early criticism, he managed to make the position his own. His playing style as a traditional winger, who rarely cuts in to shoot, certainly made the transition easier.

He's vastly improved his defensive attributes under Mourinho. The Portuguese boss even refrained from signing a new right-back this summer even though Valencia is now 32 years old.

His incredible goal against Everton earlier this season proved that he's not bad at shooting either. His incredible physicality, pace and crossing make him a nightmare for both wingers and fullbacks.

There aren't many Ecuadorians in the league right now, and that makes this a very easy decision to make.

CB: David Luiz (Brazil)

Chelsea v Sunderland - Premier League
Luiz won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2017

David Luiz has got a lot of stick from fans in his career, but the fact that a manager like Conte, who places a lot of emphasis in defensive discipline, places his trust in him says something about his abilities.

His stats so far this season have been pretty impressive, with 35 clearances, 23 interceptions, and an 86% passing accuracy.

Luiz is strong in the air and can also play the ball out from the back. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year after Chelsea's successful title-winning campaign last year.

If you could just ignore his occasional mistake, you have a pretty good centre-back on your hands.

CB: Nicolas Otamendi (Argentina)

Manchester City v Burnley - Premier League
Nicolas Otamendi

Otamendi joined City in the summer of 2015 for a hefty fee of £28.5 million. He's been very shaky in defence for the most part, even though he's almost always been the first choice, but this season has been different

He's played every league match so far with an impressive 92% pass accuracy and even has a couple of goals to his name. His tackle success rate of 79% is also pretty solid.

He's finally begun to win the trust of both Guardiola and the fans, and based on current form, he's one of the best centre-backs in the league right now.

Choosing him means no Sergio Aguero up front, but thankfully, there are no lack of options when it comes to strikers in the Premier League.

LB: Ben Davies (Wales)

Everton v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Davies has become an important player for Pochettino following Danny Rose's injury

Davies might have played second fiddle to Danny Rose for most of his Spurs career, but an injury to the Englishman gave him a chance to impress Pochettino this season, and he's grabbed it with both hands.

He's been solid in defence, and provides a useful attacking outlet, with 2 goals and 2 assists to his name so far, although he's primarily played as a wingback.

Rose's return from injury might give him competition for playing time, but Pochettino's constant fullback rotation policy will ensure that he gets sufficient minutes.

Rose, Alonso and Mendy are viable options, but it makes sense to keep England, Spain and France open for other positions. And the way Davies is progressing, he might soon surpass these other excellent left backs.

CDM: N'Golo Kante (France)

N'Golo Kante
N'Golo Kante

Paul Pogba makes a strong case for himself, but his compatriot edges him very narrowly.

Kante's rise from Ligue 2 obscurity to Premier League superstardom has been absolutely incredible, and he's already had a career that most professional footballers only dream of.

Last season, he became only the second player since 1993 to win back-to-back English top flight titles with two different clubs (after Eric Cantona).

He was Chelsea's Player of the Season last year and was also nominated for the Ballon d'Or. He finished 9th in The Best FIFA Men's Player this year. He also made the PFA Team of the Year in both his title-winning campaigns.

Injury has hindered his start to the season, but he's still Chelsea's best midfielder by quite some distance.

CDM: Nemanja Matic (Serbia)

Huddersfield Town v Manchester United - Premier League
Nemanja Matic

Mourinho has now signed the Serbian thrice - twice with Chelsea and once at United.

There are few people more physically imposing than Matic in the Premier League. His incredible physicality, calmness on the ball, and his no-nonsense style of defending make him one of the best defensive midfielders in the league.

He's been an instant hit at United, providing a calming presence in midfield that the Red Devils have lacked since the retirement of Paul Scholes.

£40 million for a 29-year-old seemed an initially high fee but based on his performances so far, it's turning out to be worth the investment.

CAM: Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)

Manchester City FC v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final: Second Leg
Kevin De Bruyne

The best attacking midfielder in the league right now, if not in Europe, De Bruyne has been at the heart of every attacking move that City have orchestrated and leads the assists chart along with teammate David Silva. His 6 assists so far is also the joint highest in Europe.

He might not be the fastest creative midfielder, but his dribbling, passing and shooting make him very dangerous in the final third.

Against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, his fierce left-footed pile driver served as a reminder that letting him go was one of Mourinho's biggest mistakes during his time at the club.

De Bruyne has been devastatingly efficient against every team he has faced so far, and his playing style is a perfect fit for Pep Guardiola's philosophies.

Having De Bruyne means there's no place for Hazard, but based on current form, there's absolutely no debate here.

RW: Leroy Sane (Germany)

Crystal Palace v Manchester City - The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round
Sane celebrates a goal against Palace in the FA Cup

The German winger has been sensational so far this season, with 6 goals and 5 assists in the league.

He's been an integral part of City's goalscoring rampage, participating in both creating, and finishing off attacking moves. His pace, hazy dribbling, and finishing allow him to be lethal whether he plays down the right or the left.

Guardiola initially started off the season by playing two strikers up front (Jesus and Aguero), but after the Argentine striker's injury, he reverted back to a 4-3-3 formation. Since then, Sane has struck up a very productive partnership with Sterling, with the duo wreaking havoc in every defence they have come up against so far.

He has only 8 caps for Germany but based on his performances so far this season, it's only a matter of time before he becomes a regular

The low number of Germans playing in England also makes this a very easy decision to make.

LW: Sadio Mane (Senegal)

Everton v Liverpool - Premier League
Sadio Mane

Liverpool's season began to fizzle out as soon as Mane was injured, and that proves how important he is in the Reds' attacking lineup.

United had tried to sign him a season before he arrived at Merseyside, but Klopp managed to get his man for £34 million in the summer of 2016. The transfer fee also made him the most expensive African player in history.

While playing for Southampton, he set an impressive record for the fastest Premier League hat-trick when he scored thrice in the space of 2 minutes and 56 seconds in a 6-1 win over Aston Villa.

He's already been named in the PFA Team of the Year and won Liverpool's Player of the Year in his debut season at Anfield.

His blistering pace, dribbling, and an uncanny instinct in front of goal make him a nightmare for every fullback he comes across. He scored 3 goals in just 5 league appearances, and every Liverpool fan will be waiting with their fingers crossed for him to return as soon as possible.

ST: Harry Kane (England)

Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Harry Kane with his second Golden Boot award

One of the last few traditional strikers remaining in the game, Kane relies on his predatory instinct to score goals.

The fact that he leads the race for the Golden Boot with 8 goals despite not scoring in August speaks for itself. Spurs have also struggled without him, losing 3-2 to West Ham and 1-0 to United.

Kane initially struggled to break into the first team, spending loan spells at Leyton Orient, Norwich and Leicester. But ever since he became a regular, his rise to the top has been exponential, having been named in the PFA Team of the Year thrice already (he's only 24).

He's also won Premier League Player of the Month 5 times, twice of which have come this year.

He scored 13 times for club and country in September, which equalled a record set by the likes of Ronaldo and Messi for the most number of professional goals scored in a calendar month.

He became only the fifth player to win back-to-back Golden Boots, and you wouldn't bet against him to make it a hat-trick this season.

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Edited by Amit Mishra