#4 Jurgen Klinsmann
Klinsmann arrived in the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur at the tail-end of his career, already having established himself as a top striker with the likes of Stuttgart, Inter Milan and Monaco. Klinsmann’s excellent performances for both club and country saw him win numerous personal accolades, as well as the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the 1996 European Championship.
Klinsmann was initially criticized by both the media and the fans, partly because he played for the 1990 West Germany team that knocked England out of the World Cup, and partly because of his reputation as a diver.
However, his goalscoring exploits with his strike-partner, Teddy Sheringham, saw him immediately win his detractors over and become a legend at the club. He scored an impressive 30 goals in his debut season, as Spurs finished 7th and he took home the 1995 Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award.
Already a firm fan-favorite, he then returned on-loan from Sampdoria mid-way through the 1997/98 season and scored a further nine goals – including four against Wimbledon in the penultimate game of the season – to help stave off the imminent threat of relegation.
