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Since its inception in 1992, the Premier League has enthralled one and all, not only in England and the British Isles but throughout mainland Europe and eventually, the world over. Today, it is one of the most lucrative sporting leagues on the planet with outrageous TV deals providing a massive financial fillip to teams and players in England. As a result, clubs from England have been able to attract some of the best players from around the world.
In the first season of the Premier League, there were only 13 non-British players registered in the competition. Now, 27 years later, that number has hit nearly 500 and will continue to rise with the influx of foreign managers and backroom staff adding to outside influence on the English game. For example, only nine managers in the current top flight, or 45% of them, are British. The other eleven are all foreigners. This is in stark contrast to the inaugural Premier League season, where every single manager was British; including the likes of Brian Clough and Sir Alex Ferguson.
There is no doubt, however, that the acceptance of managers and players from abroad has only enriched the game in England. This is especially notable in the case of Arsene Wenger, who, when he arrived at Arsenal in 1996, changed everything about the way football was played in England, from the players' training routines and dietary routines to the team's playing style, phasing out the era of 'kick and rush' football and bringing a more refined and aesthetic facet of the game to English shores.
For this list, we will be looking at the foreign players who had the greatest impact on English football, and by foreign, we will be considering players who do not hail from the Home Nations, i.e. England, Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, so the likes of Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane will not be considered for this list. Before we get started, here are a few honourable mentions:
Peter Schmeichel
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Dennis Bergkamp
Patrick Vieira
David Silva
Yaya Toure
Nemanja Vidic
So, without further ado, here are the five who made it, in no particular order.
Also check out: EPL fixtures EPL table UCL schedule
#5 Sergio Aguero
"Manchester City are still alive here......Balotelli.....AGUEROOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
On the 13th of May 2012, Martin Tyler, on commentary duty at the Etihad Stadium uttered, nay, exclaimed those now immortal words, which signified the conclusion of the greatest title race of the Premier League era and it only seemed fitting that the man to bring it all to a head was the one who had led City's charge since the beginning of the season; Sergio Aguero.
The only player on this list who still plays in the Premier League, Aguero has captured the imagination of English fans ever since he arrived at City in the summer of 2011 from Atletic Madrid. A small man (he is only 173 cm tall), Aguero is not a traditional, hold the ball up type of centre forward. In fact, he is a goal poacher extraordinaire, using his exceptional reading of the game and intelligent movement to reach the right place at the right time to finish off passing moves. His dimuntive frame enables him to slip through gaps that most others would struggle to find and his marvellous finishing ability only underlines his status as one of the greatest goalscorers the league has ever seen.
Aguero is City's all-time leading goalscorer and currently sixth on the Premier League's all-time scoring chart, with 173 goals so far. It would not be a stretch to say that by the end of his time in England, he could well breach the 200 goal mark, and break into the top three.
#4 Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona was one of the 13 foreign players involved in the inaugural season of the Premier League, playing for Leeds United before his transfer to Manchester United in November 1992.
Cantona may not have been a particularly prolific striker as his career record of 165 goals in 440 games shows. Nevertheless, he played a vital role in the success Manchester United had in the 1990s and despite his excellent technical ability, what he was best known for was the aura he possessed, both on and off the field.
Cantona was an eccentric and explosive character, which often led to him leaving clubs prematurely. Indeed, in a 14-year long playing career, he played for eight different clubs, with his five-season spell in Manchester the longest time he spent at a club at a time, which speaks to how comfortable the Frenchman felt at the club.
Cantona played a vital role in helping bring through the class of '92, providing a role model for the likes of Giggs, Beckham and Scholes to look up to and though controversy often dogged him, his work ethic in training and confidence on the pitch made him a fantastic example for the younger players.
#3 Didier Drogba
The only African player on this list, Didier Drogba is a true Chelsea and Premier League great. His eight-year stint at the club between 2004 and 2012 is what has cemented him as a legend of the game, both in England and his home country of the Ivory Coast.
Drogba was brought to England by Jose Mourinho and in many ways was the quintessential Mourinho centre-forward. As Drogba was a fairly unproven striker in 2004, Mourinho showed a great deal of courage to convince chairman Roman Abramovich to buy him from Marseille, famously telling the Russian oligarch when he raised concerns about the Ivorian's ability.
"Mr Abramovich - pay. Pay and don't speak."
Mourinho used Drogba's strength and ability to out-muscle and bully opposition defenders to great effect. In addition, he could take on shots himself, or play in team-mates.
Drogba's record in his first spell at Chelsea is one to be envied; 157 goals in 341 appearances, including exactly 100 league goals is a commendable return for any top striker. However, his most notable attribute was his penchant for delivering on the big occasion. His record of 10 goals in 10 finals, leading to 10 trophies, just serves to highlight his elite mentality. Drogba was also the man who scored the equaliser in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final for Chelsea against Bayern Munich and also stroked home the winning penalty in the shootout.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo
Arguably one of the two best players to ever grace a football pitch along with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo truly achieved greatness at Real Madrid and with Portugal but he was set on the path to all-time greatness by Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Ronaldo was first noticed by United in a pre-season friendly, when he was playing for his boyhood club, Sporting CP. As a 17-year-old, Ronaldo toyed with the likes of Wes Brown and John O'Shea, both who were, by that time, established Premier League defenders. The story goes that after that game, all the United players begged their manager to sign the teenager, which he did, in 2003, when Ronaldo was just 18-years-old.
Ronaldo spent six years in Manchester, which he has often described as some of the best years of his life, also saying in interviews that Sir Alex was like a father to him, especially after the death of his real father, early on in his United career. Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 games in England, including 42 in the 2007/08 season, which ended with United lifting the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
For United fans of a certain age, Ronaldo is the reason their loyalties lean towards the Red Devils and he has provided them with some of the greatest footballing memories of their lives.
#1 Thierry Henry
Arguably the greatest foreign player to ever pull on a Premier League jersey, Thierry Henry was brought to England by fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger in July, 1999. Signed from Italian giants Juventus for £11 million following disagreements with the club's hierarchy, even Henry would not have been able to predict the kind of career he would enjoy in North London.
Starting his career as a winger, Henry was converted to a striker by Wenger, and proved to be a star. His record of goal involvements for Arsenal is unbelievable, as he ranks fifth on the Premier League all-time goal scoring chart, with 175, and 11th for most assists, with 74. In his eight full seasons at Arsenal, Henry hit double figures for goals in every single season, including 2006/07, his last campaign there, in which he scored 10 goals in just 17 games. His overall record for Arsenal saw him score 226 goals in 369 games and his best goal-scoring season coincided with the 'Invincibles' season, in which Arsenal lifted the league title while going unbeaten all season.
Henry often did things on the pitch that were almost impossible, most notably his goal against Manchester United, where he flicked the ball up facing away from goal, before swivelling and volleying it into the top corner, from 30 yards out. His silky touch and ability on the ball made him a joy to watch for the purist and often left opposition fans in despair.
An all-time Premier League legend, Henry's status among Arsenal and indeed, English fans will never be in doubt.
