With a growing number of English players plying their trade overseas in recent times along with an increase in players going abroad on loan to gain first team experience in some of Europe’s other top leagues, there has been much commentary in footballing circles about the concept of English players playing abroad and how this impacts both their development and their chances of getting into the various England sides at youth and senior level. At the time of writing this has become prevalent on the international scene spurring a lot of debate as to whether the likes of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham will make Gareth Southgate’s final 23 man squad for the European Championships, with many pundits of the opinion that the England manager will lean towards domestic based talent rather than those based in mainland Europe and beyond.
Bearing this in mind, today we will take a look at some of the top English talent that currently play their football outside of the UK & Ireland, particularly looking at those based permanently abroad rather than those on loan from the Premier League, and in turn putting together a best XI of English players currently playing abroad. Gareth Southgate if you are reading this - take note!! 👇👇
by @MaddFM_
Kevin Keegan. Trevor Francis. Glenn Hoddle. Ray Wilkins. Gary Lineker. Chris Waddle. David Platt. Gazza. Paul Ince. Steve McManaman. David Beckham. Michael Owen. Jonathan Woodgate. Owen Hargreaves. What do all these footballing legends have in common? They all had mixed spells of success at clubs overseas and it is these household names that have paved the way for today’s generation of English players that have been recently or currently playing across some of the biggest leagues in Europe outside of the Premier League. Going back to when Herbert Kilpin became the first professional English footballer to play overseas when he turned out for FC Torinense in Italy (before more notably becoming one of the founding fathers of AC Milan Football Club), we have seen a slow but steady increase in the number of big name footballers making the move abroad - from the days when Francis (Sampdoria), Wilkins (AC Milan), Platt (Bari/Sampdoria/Juventus) and Ince (Inter) were tearing it up in Serie A through to more recent times when Real Madrid started their own English legion signing the likes of McManaman, Beckham, Owen and Woodgate to join their Galacticos. More recently however it has been the Bundesliga where English players seem to have enjoyed most success, where we saw Owen Hargreaves’ performances for Bayern earn him a place in England’s World Cup squad in 2002 and 2006; several successful players on loan in Germany such as Ademola Lookman, Reiss Nelson and Reece Burke and of course now where we have seen the aforementioned Sancho and Bellingham lighting up the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund.
This of course bodes the question - should more English players follow suit and pursue a career outside of the Premier League? In doing so, do they run the risk of being overlooked when it comes to their international chances? There’s only one way to find out as we take a look at some of the best English players currently based overseas at present, looking at how their careers are progressing abroad and most importantly - how good they are in Football Manager.
English Abroad - Best XI
Goalkeeper - Jonathan Bond (LA Galaxy)
Keeper is a tricky one. Barring Joe Hart’s brief loan spell at Torino a few years back, very few English goalkeepers have ventured overseas in the past 30 years and currently the best #1 based abroad is former Watford and West Brom shot-stopper Jonathan Bond, who has just recently made a move to the MLS with LA Galaxy and looks set to compete with Jonathan Klinsmann (son of Jurgen) for the #1 jersey in Los Angeles. Having played for Wales at U17 and U19 level before then turning out for England U20 and U21s, Bond has largely been a backup keeper throughout his development and at 27 now needs to nail down a first-choice spot in order to reignite his career. Fingers crossed MLS is the place to do it 🤞.
Backup: Etienne Green (AS Saint-Étienne) - a man who was named after the club he now plays for, what more could you ask for #narrative.
Defender (Right) - Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
Unquestionable. Currently challenging for a La Liga title with Atletico Madrid, Kieran Trippier oozes class and despite the recent surge of English right-back options, Trippier has every chance of not only making Southgate’s final 23 but could also be in contention for a first team place depending on how and where Kyle Walker is deployed in this England side. Having come through the ranks at Man City before shining at both Burnley and Tottenham, Trippier is still on the right side of 30 and waltzes into our first XI.
Backup: Easah Suliman (Vitória Guimarães) - one of two Englishmen in the Vitória ranks, the former Aston Villa man is a decent lower league RB option as backup for Trippier.
Defender (Left) - Ashley Young (Inter Milan)
Is he 35? Yes. Is he still kicking it in Italy and about to win a Serie A title after playing over 20 games with Inter Milan this season? Yes. Ashley Young is in.
Backup: Chima Okoroji (SC Freiburg) - father from Nigeria, Mother from Liverpool, born in Munich and his middle name is Sean - you love to see it.
Defender (Centre) - Chris Smalling (AS Roma)
Once dubbed to be the next Rio Ferdinand after his £7m move from Fulham to Manchester United, Chris Smalling had a hard time in England but is highly regarded in Italy since he made his loan move to Roma permanent in 2020 and is one of the first names on Paulo Fonseca’s team sheet. Although he has 31 England caps to date, his time in an England jersey may be at an end however as English players abroad goes he brings a wealth of quality and experience to the back line.
Backup: Reece Oxford (FC Augsburg) - arguably one of English football’s forgotten men since permanently moving to Germany following multiple loan spells, Oxford was tipped for greatness as a youngster in the West Ham academy and quickly rose up through the ranks as well as being capped for England at all underage levels. Still only 21, time is more than on his side and his FM attributes make him a decent value option for most mid-table sides.
Defender (Centre) - Jonathan Panzo (Dijon FCO)
London-born Jonathan Panzo was one of the first of England’s current crop of youngsters to make an early move abroad when he left the Chelsea youth side to join Monaco. Having been capped for England at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U21 level, his recent move to Dijon in search of first team football might make a Senior cap slightly out of reach however should he impress in Ligue 1 then hopefully a move to a bigger club will materialise accordingly. In FM terms he is a solid CB option for most clubs and at 20 years old still has his best years ahead of him, for now he will more than suffice in accompanying Chris Smalling at Centre Half.
Backup: Ryan Shawcross (Inter Miami) - an ex-Man Utd trainee being managed by an ex-Man Utd trainee for a club owned by an ex-Man Utd trainee - pure poetry.
Midfielder (Centre) - Ronaldo Vieira (Sampdoria)
Surely the greatest name in football. Ronaldo Vieira started his career at Benfica as a teenager before successfully joining the ranks at Leeds following unsuccessful trials at Man City. He quickly became a first-team regular under Garry Monk before Sampdoria paid a reported £6.5m for his signature as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Lucas Torreira. Despite establishing himself in the first team, he has since joined Verona on loan helping them to break into the Top 10 in Serie A where at the time of writing they sit 5 points clear of his parent club. If you are looking for a cut-price DMC in FM21, Ronaldo Vieira should be in your shortlist.
Backup: Clinton Mola (VFB Stuttgart) - another Cheslea fledgling to leave the nest, Mola is currently on the books at Stuttgart where he has already made 8 first team appearances since moving to Germany in Janary 2020. His potential in FM and IRL are clear to see and he is one to keep an eye on as his career progresses in Germany.
Midfielder (Centre) - Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
Safe to say the GOAT of English players playing abroad at present. There is not much we can say about Jude Bellingham here that hasn’t already been said - there is a reason Dortmund made him the most expensive 17-year-old player in history when they paid £25m to sign him from Birmingham and after recently becoming the youngest ever Englishman to score in the Bundesliga as well as making his full England debut, he will give Gareth Southgate some difficult decisions to make should he continue his good form for both club and country.
Backup: Angel Gomes (Lille OSC) - not many English players abroad could keep ex-Man Utd wonderkid Angel Gomes out of our side, the lad has bags of potential in FM and is currently on loan at Boavista since signing permanently for Lille in 2020.
Attacking Midfielder (Right) - Marcus Edwards (Vitória Guimarães)
Our second Vitória Guimarães player is Marcus Edwards and he is a player and a half. Having come through the ranks at Tottenham he also made the brave decision to move overseas from a young age but so far it looks to have been a solid decision as he continues to shine in Portugal’s Liga Nos. 7 goals and 9 assists last season have put him on many clubs’ radar and his skill and ability were famously summed up by Mauricio Pochettino when he likened him to a young Lionel Messi during his Spurs days. In FM he is fast, creative, skillful and he can score and create goals - expect him not to last at Vitória for much longer.
Backup: Mohamed Ali-Cho (Angers SCO) - am I biased because the French born winger who was raised in London has been a vital part of my own FM21 save at Angers? You better believe it - this kid has bags of potential and will hopefully be seen lighting up Ligue 1 in the very near future.
Attacking Midfielder (Left) - Noni Madueke (PSV)
If Edwards gives us quality on the right then we are spoiled for choice looking at another former Tottenham graduate that made a move overseas at a young age. Since moving to PSV, Noni Madueke has gone from strength to strength in the Eredivisie and his 7 goals & 6 assists in 21 games have put him very much in the spotlight across European football as well as propelling him into the England U21 Euro squad. Still only 18 at the start of FM21, he is a quality pickup for most top sides across Europe and definitely has the tools to go far in football.
Backup: Demarai Gray (Bayer Leverkusen) - like Gomes, it’s almost hard to believe that Demarai Gray isn’t getting into our English Abroad XI especially considering he has a Premier League winner’s medal. Perhaps timing isn’t on his side having only recently moved to Bayer Leverkusen with only a handful of games under his belt this season, but nevertheless he is another example of a quality player flying the flag overseas and hopefully he can go on to bigger and better things in the Bundesliga.
Deep Lying Forward (Centre) - Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
Sancho as a Striker anyone? I like the idea of the former Man City graduate playing just behind the main Striker, finding pockets of space, running the channels and overall causing havoc for the opposition defence. In FM he has all the attributes needed to make this happen - as mentioned above there are many who think Sancho will be overlooked for England’s Euro 2020 squad based on Dortmund’s poor form and the fact that Sancho plays overseas. Surely it would be a travesty to leave a player of his quality watching from his own sofa this summer?
Backup: Brandon Thomas (Osasuna) - born in Majorca to a Spanish mother and English father, Brandon burst on the scene with Osasuna when he terrorised Barcelona in a 2-2 draw following his move from Rennes in 2019. His opportunities have been limited since, largely due to a nasty injury however a loan move to Leganes will hopefully help him to find some form before returning to Osasuna in the summer.
Striker (Centre) - Stephy Mavididi (Montpellier HSC)
A former Arsenal and Juventus striker who has been understudy to the likes of Giroud and Ronaldo - need I say more? Stephy Mavididi bit the bullet a few years ago leaving London for Turin and although things didn’t really work out at Juventus where he earned one solitary first team appearance under Max Allegri, Mavididi has reignited his career at Montpellier in Ligue 1 this season scoring 9 goals in 20 appearances and very much looks to be back on track towards becoming a top quality goalscorer in one of the top 5 leagues in Europe. His FM profile is slightly harsh in terms of technical attributes but as a main focal point or target man, he can definitely do a job for us looking at the quality and creativity of the players around him.
Backup: Danny Loader (FC Porto) - Reading to Porto is probably a road less travelled in footballing terms but that’s exactly what Danny Namaso Loader did when he decided to leave the Royals for the Portuguese champions in 2020. Having won the U17 World Cup for England alongside Phil Foden and the aforementioned Sancho, we want to see the lad do well as he awaits his first team debut for FCP, and you’ll do well to keep an eye on him in your FM21 save as well to see if he is available and/or how his progress develops.
English Abroad XI - not bad at all..
That as they say is that! Not a bad side with some definite quality, particularly our wider players as well as Bellingham and Sancho who are the current poster boys of English footballers abroad. Although history would suggest that the majority of English players overseas haven’t overly succeeded and eventually return to England in order to either rejuvenate their careers or break into the England squad, the modern game means that more and more players are taking and seizing their chances across the other European leagues, and from a Football Manager perspective it is always an intriguing topic to see how these players perform outside of the UK. Of course this isn’t limited to English players only - Ryan Gauld (Farense), Aaron Hickey (Bologna), Rabbi Matondo (Schalke 04), Fraser Hornby (Reims) and of course Aaron Ramsey (Juventus) and Gareth Bale (R. Madrid) are all among some of the more well known Scottish/Welsh players who are also currently shining among Europe’s top leagues, and hopefully this will only increase further to positively influence these players’ ability and contribution to their international sides. The biggest of shout-outs also goes to 34 year old Adam Le Fondre who is currently plying his trade down under at Sydney FC and enjoying a loan spell in India at Mumbai City - the lad loves a bit of FM and clearly has good taste 🔥🔥.
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