Under the radar expats
A growing number of British players are heading abroad to build careers. Tom Scarborough picks out some of the most interesting cases
Steven LENNON
In 2007, Rangers youth prospect Steven Lennon appeared on the brink of first-team stardom when he scored a stunning hat-trick in a 5-0 thrashing of Glasgow rivals Celtic in the Scottish Youth Cup final. The highly-rated teenager developed into a troublesome 20-something, appearing only three times for Rangers’ senior side before eventually leaving for Dundalk in 2010.
Adapting away from his selfconfessed drinking and gambling culture, Lennon found his feet in Iceland, first with Fram, then FH.
Last season, Lennon matched the league record for most goals scored by a foreign player – 17 goals in just 18 appearances. His form fired FH to a second-placed finish in the Urvalsdeild and a qualifying spot in the inaugural Europa Conference League set to begin this summer.
George SAUNDERS
South America’s only professional British player began his career in Arsenal’s youth ranks. A family move to Spain saw Saunders snapped up by Villarreal, where he quickly acclimatised to the playing style and language. A later spell at Espanyol culminated with Saunders representing Catalonia Under-17s, alongside Bojan Krkic, Thiago Alcantara and Jordi Alba.
Opportunity arose when a friend recommended Saunders to Colombian club America de Cali. Eight years later and Saunders remains in Colombia, now with top-tier Envigado in Medellin.
Saunders was coined
“El Britanico” by the Colombian press and he deems it his “destiny” to be in the City of Eternal Spring.
Jay BOTHROYD
Ex-Coventry City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cardiff City and QPR forward Jay Bothroyd moved to Japan in 2015. His first port of call was J2 League outfit Jubilo Iwata, where 20 goals in 32 appearances earned him the league’s Golden Boot and inspired Jubilo to second place and a return to the top flight.
A move to Sapporo followed, where Bothroyd has remained since 2017, and he is now closing in on 100 appearances for the Consa.
Bothroyd’s sole England cap came during a friendly against France in 2010, and he claims another of his career achievements is scoring more goals in Japan than Gary Lineker, following the striker’s stint at Nagoya Grampus in the early 1990s.
Adam MITTER
At first glance, Adam Mitter’s CV would appear more akin to a gap year itinerary. The Shrewsburyborn centre-back has played in Sweden, Australia, India, the Philippines, Canada, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. The globetrotter usually spends a season at one club, before moving onto another country.
Mitter’s popularity speaks for itself. He’s amassed a culthero status in Asia, building an Instagram following of over 20k. One Indonesian fan was overcome when bumping into Mitter on the street, weeping: “This is the best day of my life!”
Currently the defender resides in Rayong, a Thai coastal province, where he is a regular starter for the city’s top-flight side.
Mo ADAMS
Born in Eritrea in eastern Africa, Mo Adams moved to Nottingham as an eight-year-old where he was courted by the academies of both Forest and Derby. Unable to secure a professional contract, Adams played at non-league Boston United before earning a place at New York’s Syracuse University. After college, the midfielder was selected as a first-round pick by Chicago Fire in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.
Alongside team-mate and FIFA World Cup winner, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Adams made 25 appearances over two seasons for Chicago Fire, before a move south to Atlanta brought the 24-year-old a US Open Cup victory, his first MLS goal and appearances in the CONCACAF Champions League.
John JOHNSON
After a single appearance for boyhood club Middlesbrough, Johnson joined League Two’s Northampton Town, where he spent four seasons and notched up 150 outings for the Cobblers.
Johnson traded the East Midlands for the Deccan Plateau in 2013 when ex-Northampton team-mate Ashley Westwood invited the defender to join him at Bengaluru FC, based in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.
Johnson enjoyed a triumphant spell there, securing two I-League titles and reaching the AFC Cup final in 2016 (Asia’s equivalent of the Europa League), where Bengaluru lost 1-0 to Iraqi outfit Al Quwa.