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In the 25+ years since its inception, the Premier League has become a truly global competition, with players from literally all across the globe plying their trade for England’s biggest football clubs. The likelihood is that for most countries, at least one player has been seen on the Premier League stage at some point.
The countries from the continent of Asia are no different, and while there haven’t quite been as many fantastic Asian imports to the Premier League as there have been African or South American, we’ve still seen a good number of quality Asian talent gracing England’s shores.
Here are the 5 best Asian players to grace the Premier League.
#5 Shinji Kagawa
There was a lot of hype around Japan’s Shinji Kagawa when he joined Manchester United in the summer of 2012 from Borussia Dortmund, and the fact that he cost the Red Devils somewhere around £17m suggested that the club had high hopes for him, too. Unfortunately, the Premier League only saw glimpses of his tremendous talent.
A skilful midfield playmaker, Kagawa debuted in August 2012 and scored his first goal for United in his first home game for the club, and despite being sidelined midway through the season with a twisted knee, he was still able to complete 20 matches in the league, scoring 6 goals – including a hat-trick against Norwich, making him the first Asian player to complete that feat in the Premier League.
As the 2012-13 season ended, Kagawa became the first Japanese player to win the Premier League title, but the midfielder then fell out of favour at Old Trafford as boss Sir Alex Ferguson retired and was replaced by David Moyes.
He made just 14 starts in 2013-14 – registering 3 assists but no goals – before returning to Dortmund at the end of the season. Still, his contributions in his first season can’t be ignored and if anything, he should go down as an example of wasted potential on United’s behalf.
Also check out: Premier League Premier League Table Champions League table
#4 Sun Jihai
One of the most famous Chinese footballers of all time, Sun Jihai played a total of 9 seasons in England, with 6 of them coming in the Premier League with Manchester City. Of course, this was a pre-Abu Dhabi owned City, and Sun’s first season at the club – 2001-02 - actually saw him win the First Division title as Kevin Keegan led the Citizens back to the Premier League.
Just a few months later, Sun became the first East Asian player to score a Premier League goal, as he headed in during a win against Birmingham City, and over the next 6 seasons, he became a cult hero at the ground that would eventually become known as the Etihad Stadium. The defender eventually ended his City career in 2008, after making 130 appearances for the club and scoring 3 goals.
Following the end of his City career, a move to Sheffield United failed to work out and so 2009 saw him return to his native China – but following his retirement in 2015, Sun returned to England to become a club ambassador for City, and was even inducted into English Football’s Hall of Fame for his “ambassadorial role” in introducing the Premier League to a Chinese audience.
#3 Shinji Okazaki
Japan’s top active national team goalscorer with a total of 50 goals, Shinji Okazaki famously won the Premier League as part of football’s ultimate underdog side – Leicester City – in the 2015/16 season.
That season was his first one in England, as he made a £7m move to the King Power Stadium in the summer of 2015 following a run at Bundesliga side Mainz that saw him score 29 goals in 70 appearances.
While Okazaki’s part in Leicester’s eventual title victory wasn’t as monumental as that of Jamie Vardy or Riyad Mahrez, the Japanese striker certainly did his bit. He made 36 Premier League appearances during the season, scoring 5 goals – including winners against Everton and Newcastle, the latter of which was a spectacular overhead volley.
Okazaki won the Asian International Player of the Year award for his exploits that season, and while his influence waned over his subsequent 3 seasons in the East Midlands, he was still able to score a further 9 goals for the Foxes and remained a popular part of their side throughout his time at the club.
#2 Park Ji-sung
The most successful Asian player in Premier League history when it comes to his trophy haul, Park Ji-sung spent a total of 7 seasons at Manchester United during their glory years under Sir Alex Ferguson. The midfielder made 134 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 19 goals, and ended up winning an incredible 13 trophies during his time at Old Trafford.
Signed from PSV Eindhoven for a fee of just £4m, Park had his fair share of ups and downs at United, but he became widely acclaimed for his insane work ethic and stamina on the field – earning the nickname ‘Three Lungs’ for his all-action, non-stop style of play.
Capable of being deployed in practically any area in midfield, Park became renowned for his reliability in big games – and Ferguson even stated that he regretted not starting the Korean in the 2008 Champions League final.
Perhaps the best example of the respect Park gained in the game came when the legendary Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo stated in his autobiography that the Korean was the one player who he’d never been able to get the better of, labelling the midfielder “nuclear powered” due to his incredible stamina.
#1 Son Heung-min
He might not have won as many trophies as Park Ji-sung – in fact, he’s still waiting for his first at club level – but it’s hard to deny Son Heung-min as the best Asian player in the history of the Premier League. The Tottenham forward is practically unstoppable on his day, and the amount of important goals he’s provided for Spurs over the last few seasons are rivalled only by Harry Kane.
Son joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015 for a fee of £22m – becoming the most expensive Asian player in football history in the process – and while he struggled to make an impact during his initial season at the North London side, since the beginning of 2016/17 he’s gone from strength to strength.
Son has scored spectacular goals – his solo runs against Chelsea and Burnley, for instance – and crucial ones too, such as his three against Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the 2018-19 Champions League, and with 47 Premier League goals to his name he’s by far the top Asian scorer in Premier League history.
He’s also been named Premier League Player of the Month twice – becoming the first Asian player to win the award – and was named Tottenham’s Player of the Year in 2018-19. Simply put, Son is a phenomenon and at 27 years old, we may not have seen the best of him yet.
