Foreign imports!
Since August 1992, almost 2,300 players from 111 non-British countries have appeared for PL clubs, the latest being the Tanzanian Mbwana Samatta for Aston Villa last February.
France has ‘supplied’ the most foreigners to PL clubs, total 211. A further 183 have come from the Republic of Ireland, there have been 143 Spaniards, 133 Dutchmen, 79 Brazilians, 76 Italians, 74 Portuguese, 70 Argentineans, 69 Germans, 68 Norwegians, 63 Danes and Swedes, 57 Belgians, 51 Australians, 45 Nigerians and the Americas and 43 Jamaicans.
Seventeen countries have been represented in the PL by one player: Albania – Lorik Cana (Sunderland, 2009-10); Angola – Manuch (Manchester Utd, Hull, 2008-09); Armenia – Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester Utd, Arsenal, 2016-20); Burkina Faso – Bertrand Traore (Chelsea, 2015-16); Central African Republic – Frederic Nimani (Burnley, 2009-10); Cuba – Onel Hernandez (Norwich, 201920); the Faroe Islands – Gunnar Nielsen (Manchester City, 2009-10); Gambia – Modu Barrow (Swansea, 2014-17); Gibralter – Danny Higginbottom (Manchester United, Derby, Southampton, Sunderland, Stoke, 1999-2012); GuineaBissau – Mesca (Fulham, 2013-14); Kenya – Victor Wanyama (Southampton, Tottenham, 2013-20); Malta – Dylan Kerr (Leeds, 1992-93); Oman – Ali Al-Habsi (Bolton, Wigan, 2007-13); Pakistan – Zesh Rehman (Fulham, 2003-06); the Philippines – Neil Ethridge (Cardiff, 2018-19); The Syechelles – Kevin Betsy (Fulham, 2001-02) and the Tanzanian Samatta.
Ten countries have had two players appear in the PL: Belarus, Bolivia, Burundi, Cyprus, Equitorial Guinea, Estonia, Grenada, Kosovo, Lithuania and Venezuela.
The four main Scandinavian countries have been represented by 228 players; China and Japan have supplied 15 each; 57 have come from Australia and New Zealand; 305 have come from South American and Caribbean countries; 102 have ventured over from Africa and Asia; there have been nine Bulgarians, 10 Canadians, 24 Croatians, 26 Czechs, 25 Grecians, 10 Hungarians, 17 Icelanders, 16 Israelis, 13 Koreans, 10 Mexicans, 17 Moroccans, 17 Poles, 14 Romanians, 8 Russians, 37 Senegalese, 29 Serbians, 17 Slovakians, 29 Swiss, 16 Turks, 21 Uruguayans and 4 Zimbabweans.
All I can say is that many more will follow in the years to come.
Foreign Fact - On Boxing Day 1999, Chelsea’s starting line-up against Southampton in the Premiership did not contain a single British-born player. It was goalkeeper Ed De Goy (Holland); David Ferrer (Spain), Celestine Babayaro (Nigeria), Frank Leboeuf (France), Emerson Thome (Brazil); Dan Petrescu (Romania), Didier Deschamps (France), Roberto Di Matteo (Italy); Tore André Flo (Norway), Gus Poyet (Uruguay) and Gabriele Ambrosetti (Italy). Chelsea’s manager at the time was the Italian Gianluca Vialli.