With the immense wealth of the Premier League, English players often choose to stay on home soil, enjoying lucrative wages and the adulation of the domestic media rather than testing themselves in unfamiliar environments.
However, history has proven that those who dare to leave the “comfort zone” are often the ones who reach heights their peers at home can never touch.
rom Ballon d’Or-winning legends of the 70s to the Gen Z superstars currently dominating La Liga and the Bundesliga, here is the journey of the 10 names who redefined what it means for an English player to go abroad.
1. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid & Dortmund)
If you need the perfect example of “leaving early to succeed”, look no further than Jude Bellingham. Instead of joining a Premier League giant at 17, Jude chose Borussia Dortmund. In Germany, his character was forged in fire, eventually becoming the youngest captain in the club’s history.
But the peak truly arrived when he landed at Real Madrid in the summer of 2023. In his very first season, Bellingham turned the Santiago Bernabéu into his own personal playground.
With the La Liga Player of the Year award, a Champions League trophy, and a La Liga title, Jude proved that an English player can absolutely become the leader of the greatest club in the world.
2. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
The script seemed cruel at first. When Harry Kane left Tottenham for Bayern Munich at age 30, he was chasing guaranteed silverware. Yet, in a twist of fate, his debut season (2023/24) saw Bayern go trophyless for the first time in over a decade as Bayer Leverkusen made history. The “Kane Curse” narrative was ruthless.
However, true legends are defined not by how they fall, but how they rise. Instead of crumbling, Kane used that heartbreak as fuel for a spectacular resurrection. He didn’t just continue to score; he evolved into a deeper, more complete playmaker-striker hybrid.
With the European Golden Shoe already in his collection and a renewed Bayern side built around his brilliance, Kane silenced the doubters. He proved that the trophy drought was merely a delay, not a denial, of his undeniable greatness in Germany.
3. Kevin Keegan (Hamburger SV)
To understand the magnitude of English players going abroad, we must rewind to 1977. Kevin Keegan left Liverpool at the peak of his powers to join Hamburger SV. In Germany, he was initially isolated by his teammates, but with an iron will, Keegan conquered everything.
He led Hamburg to a Bundesliga title and reached the European Cup final. Keegan’s unprecedented achievement was winning two consecutive Ballon d’Ors (1978, 1979) while playing in Germany.
To this day, no English player – not even Beckham or Rooney – has been able to replicate this individual feat on foreign soil.
4. David Beckham (Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, Milan, PSG)
Beckham was not just a player; he was a cultural phenomenon.
When he left Man Utd for Real Madrid in 2003, he ushered in a new era for English exports. Although his early days in Madrid were turbulent, Beckham ended his Spanish journey with an emotional La Liga title.
Later, his odyssey to LA Galaxy (USA), AC Milan (Italy), and PSG (France) made him the first English player to win league titles in four different countries. Beckham proved that an Englishman could be both a world-class footballer and a brand icon with global influence.
5. Gary Lineker (Barcelona)
After winning the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup, Gary Lineker joined Barcelona under Terry Venables. There, he wrote his name into the history books of El Clásico with a hat-trick against Real Madrid – a feat very few foreign players have ever achieved.
Lineker scored 42 goals in 103 games for Barça, winning the Copa del Rey and the Cup Winners’ Cup. His composure, elegant style of play, and linguistic ability helped Lineker become one of the most beloved English players in Catalonia, shattering the stereotype that Englishmen couldn’t adapt to the technical Spanish game.
6. Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Spurned by Chelsea, Tomori moved to AC Milan and immediately became a new idol at the San Siro. His speed, anticipation, and aggression were the perfect pieces for the Rossoneri defense.
He was a key factor in helping Milan win the Scudetto in the 2021/22 season after more than a decade of waiting. In Italy – the cradle of legendary defenders – for a young English player to be recognized as a top center-back in the league is an incredibly proud achievement.
7. Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
Before Bellingham, it was Jadon Sancho who bravely left Man City for Dortmund at age 17. Sancho’s dazzling success in Germany, with a flurry of goals and assists, created a “domino effect”.
Sancho proved to young English talent that instead of sitting on the bench in the Premier League, the Bundesliga is the promised land for development. Although his time at United had its ups and downs, what Sancho displayed in the yellow and black shirt remains the gold standard for English players flourishing abroad.
8. Chris Smalling (AS Roma)
Once the butt of jokes at Old Trafford, Chris Smalling found redemption at AS Roma. In Serie A, where the pace is slower and positional intelligence is prized, Smalling experienced a powerful renaissance.
Roma fans loved him so much they dubbed him “Smalldini” (a portmanteau with the legendary Maldini). The 2022 UEFA Conference League title was a fitting reward for Smalling’s courage to change environments and rediscover himself.
9. Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich)
Unlike the other nine, Hargreaves didn’t “go abroad” – he was born in Canada and came through the Bayern Munich academy. He was a strange breed of English player: possessing the discipline of a German and the fighting spirit of an Englishman.
With 4 Bundesliga titles and 1 Champions League with Bayern, Hargreaves is statistically one of the most successful English players in terms of trophies won on foreign soil.
10. Glenn Hoddle (AS Monaco)
Arsène Wenger once called Glenn Hoddle a genius. When Hoddle moved to AS Monaco in 1987, he mesmerized French audiences with impossible passes and exquisite individual technique.
Arsène Wenger (centre) with new signings Mark Hateley (left) and Glenn Hoddle (right). Image: Getty
He helped Monaco win Ligue 1 and was voted the Best Foreign Player in the league. In an era when English football was still obsessed with “kick and rush”, Hoddle at Monaco was the most beautiful image of a British artist conquering the hearts of football purists in France.
