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It is no surprise that the Premier League possesses some of the best football talent in Europe when one considers its accessibility and immense commercial value.
England's top-flight has witnessed an influx of players from outside the United Kingdom in the previous century and the numbers have exponentially increased in the last few decades. Gone are the days where an almost-exclusive group of Scottish, Welsh and Irish players ran out to ply their trade for clubs within the country.
Before the turn of the new millennium, more money was spent on foreign talent than homegrown players (182 million compared to 158.2 million in 1999). As a result, imported stars from European nations like Germany, Spain, Italy, and France have inevitably played significant roles in the evolution of the Premier League.
French players, in particular, have shared a special relationship with the English top division, with Arsene Wenger's Invincibles era and Alan Pardew's 2013 revolution serving as two of the many instances of their impact in the league.
Without further ado, here is a rundown of the top five French players to have played in the Premier League in no particular order:
Honourable mentions: David Ginola, Claude Makelele, Marcel Desailly
#1 Patrick Vieira (1996-2005, 2010-2011)
Often considered the most complete central midfielder in his prime, Patrick Vieira served as the soul of Arsene Wenger's superb Arsenal squad between the mid-1990s and early 2000s.
The Frenchman relocated to England from Italy, where he played for AC Milan, for a fee of £3.5 million and was Wenger's first signing after he replaced Bruce Rioch as manager at the north London club in 1996.
The Senegal-born man established himself as a versatile box-to-box midfielder who brought a whole new dimension to the Gunners' gameplay. He possessed a unique blend of technical ability, personality, dynamism and cunning intelligence that made the midfield an unconquerable battlefield for his opponents.
The midfielder went on to win three Premier League titles and four FA Cups during his nine-year stint at Highbury and the Emirates and famously captained Arsenal's spectacular 'Invincibles' squad, that established an unprecedented 49-game unbeaten run, in the 2003-04 season.
Vieira left for Juventus in 2005 but returned to the Premier League when he signed for Manchester City five years later. He helped the English giants win the FA Cup before retiring in 2011.
Arsenal have since struggled to find a replacement for the Frenchman and many believe that a player of his calibre is exactly what the club has been missing from their squad in the last decade.
Also check out: Premier League Premier League Table Champions League table
#2 Eric Cantona (1992-1997)
Eric 'The King' Cantona made his debut on English soil in February 1992 when he signed for Leeds United after former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness famously rejected a Merseyside move for him the previous year.
The Marseille-born forward helped the Peacocks to the final Football League First Division title before it was replaced by the Premier League as the country's top-flight. He netted six goals for the club that term but a series of disappointing results the next season saw him join fierce rivals Manchester United at the end of the year to become one of Sir Alex Ferguson's premier signings.
The enigmatic Frenchman became one of the most important figures at Old Trafford in the early 90s and has often been credited with revolutionising the way football was played at the club. His charismatic presence, coupled with his tenacity, technical skill and ability to win games when called upon, earned him his iconic status at Manchester.
Cantona registered 70 goals and 56 assists for the Red Devils in the English top-flight and went on to win four league titles and two FA Cups. He retired at the tender age of 30 in 1997, much to the surprise and disappointment of the United faithful.
#3 Robert Pires (2000-2006, 2010-2011)
If Robert Pires' influence on Arsene Wenger's powerful Arsenal side of the early 2000s does not earn him a place in this elite group of Frenchmen in the Premier League, perhaps his status as the club's sixth greatest player of all-time and his inclusion into the FIFA 100 by Brazilian icon Pele will help do the trick.
The Metz Academy graduate was brought to north London for a fee of £6 million in 2000 and faced varying degrees of criticism in the initial stages of his stint. However, it wasn't long before the 1998 World Cup winner rediscovered his form for the Gunners as he enjoyed immense goal-scoring success under Wenger's tutelage.
The Reims-born midfielder possessed rare quality, an explosive touch and was not half bad in front of goal as he registered 62 goals in 198 appearances for the club in the Premier League and helped them to two league titles and two FA Cups.
His efforts for Arsenal earned him a series of individual awards such as Player of the Tournament for the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and FWA Player of the Year for the 2001–02 season, during which he netted 19 goals in the English top-flight. He was also included in three PFA Teams of the Year, a testament to the impact he had in England.
Pires left the Gunners for Villarreal in 2006 but returned to the Premier League by signing a six-month contract with Aston Villa. He made nine appearances for the Villans in the 2010-11 season but secured no goals or trophies in that time.
#4 N'Golo Kante (2015-present)
What seemed like a forgettable transfer by Leicester City in the summer of 2015 metamorphosised into a title-winning guarantee as the Foxes reaped the harvests of spending £5.6 million on Caen midfielder N'Golo Kante that season.
Football's 'nice guy' made history alongside the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy by securing one of the unlikeliest Premier League wins ever. The midfielder's incredible form has been one of the primary reasons for the Foxes' success under Claudio Ranieri that season, proving that he is more than capable of handling the physicality of the English top-flight despite his small frame.
Not a man to neglect his responsibilities, the Frenchman's ability on the ball and his omnipresence on the field made him the finest defensive midfielder in England and it wasn't before long before Chelsea came knocking on the doors of the King Power Stadium.
The west London giants paid £32 million for the services of the Paris-born midfielder and the impact were immediate. The former Leicester City man transformed a team that previously finished with the worst tally of the Roman Abramovich era into a unit that won their fifth Premier League title with an impressive 93 points in a single season.
In recent years, the diminutive Kante has been played out of his usual position under Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard but he continues to prove himself as an indispensable player who can carry out the defensive work of multiple players and uplift the quality within a team without even finding the back of the net.
#5 Thierry Henry (1999-2007, 2011-2012)
Often dubbed as the greatest ever foreign player to have graced Premier League pitches, Thierry Henry arrived at Highbury a relative unknown but left the Emirates as one of the most-feared and classiest strikers of his generation.
The Paris-born forward left Juventus and moved across the English Channel in 1999 for an estimated fee of £11 million. At north London, he reunited with former manager Arsene Wenger, who was determined that the former Monaco man was the right successor to Nicolas Anelka. The French tactician transformed Henry from a traditional left-winger to a striker, a decision that the Gunners were rewarded for immensely in the years that came.
Remembered for his sublime goals and skill, Henry registered a staggering 176 goals and 76 assists in 258 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, winning the division's Golden Boot a record four times. He helped the London giants to two league titles, including a double and the famed 'Invincible' campaign, as well as two FA Cups. He also helped the side to the 2006 Champions League final as captain but failed to get the better of eventual winners, Barcelona.
Arsenal's record goal-scorer was named PFA Players' Player of the Year twice, the FWA Footballer of the Year three times, and was also included in the UEFA Team of the Year five times.
Henry left the Gunners for Barcelona in 2007 but returned for a brief loan spell in 2012, during which he scored a solitary league goal for the club. The now 42-year-old will forever be remembered as one of the deadliest strikers in Premier League history and a true legend in the eyes of the football faithful.
