The best player from each country to play England

Jayop

Was going to limit this to the Premier League era for two reasons, 1) The mass influx of players from other countries to England only happened properly in the premier league era and 2) A lot of people here wouldn't remember a lot of players too far beyond say the 80's anyway. However it wouldn't be really fair on some of the best Irish and Scottish players from the 60's to the 80's if we didn't include them.

As of late 2016 there was 96 different nationalities who had scored in the premier league. I'd like to discuss who was the best player to feature in England from each of those nations. A lot of the smaller ones may only have had 1/2 players so should be easy to decide. The best players from a lot of European Countries would be much harder to settle.

No real order to do it in,

There's one I think doesn't warrant discussion, Portugal so I'll just say it's done. Feel free to add other contenders, and if one has been decided upon feel free to list another nationality.

Edit : I'm just asking about their performances while playing in England, not their career as a whole or international.

Jayop

1 - Portugal

Candidates - Ronaldo, Deco, Nani, Carvalho,


Can only be one winner in this one imo, it just has to be Ronaldo. I loved watching Deco play when he came to Chelsea although his form soon left him and Nani on his day was breathtaking, that day just wasn't often enough. Carvalho was nails and was imo the better of the pairing between him and Terry.

Winner has to be Ronaldo though.

2 - Brazil

Candidates - Coutinho, Juninho, Oscar, Jesus, Ramires, Silva

For me it's a race between Coutinho and Juninho for this one with Coutinho probably just edging it at this stage. Juninho was unbelievable and such a mad signing in an era of mad Boro signings. Jesus is only there a few months and I had to include him because he's already shown he has amazing talent. In a few years he might be considered the best. Oscar was brilliant for a while but his star faded too quickly. Ramires and Silva were both great but you can't really pick a defensively minded Brazilian, can you?

Discuss...

Jayop

3 - Ireland

Candidates - Roy Keane, Robbie Keane, Liam Brady, Giles, McGrath, Given, Carey, Houghton, Duff, Whelan, O'Leary

I think that's enough candidates. For me I didn't see enough of a lot of them and can barely remember the 80's so I'm going to go with someone from the latest era although I believe that Brady was said to be the best ever Irish player in England. I'll go with Roy. He was astoundingly good for United and deserves the accolade. That said it's an open one for discussion. Remember though, it's just what they did playing for English clubs.

Jayop

Jayop wrote: »

2 - Brazil

Candidates - Coutinho, Juninho, Oscar, Jesus, Ramires, Silva

For me it's a race between Coutinho and Juninho for this one with Coutinho probably just edging it at this stage. Juninho was unbelievable and such a mad signing in an era of mad Boro signings. Jesus is only there a few months and I had to include him because he's already shown he has amazing talent. In a few years he might be considered the best. Oscar was brilliant for a while but his star faded too quickly. Ramires and Silva were both great but you can't really pick a defensively minded Brazilian, can you?

Discuss...

Branco played in a few World Cups, winning 1.

~Rebel~

Is this based on that players performance during their period in England, or their entire career irrespective of how well they did in England? For instance Mario Jardel having a great career all round, but a really disappointing spell in England.

I presume the former, but just double checking..

Jayop

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Branco played in a few World Cups, winning 1.

He played what, one season in England and was fat? I'm only really talking about what they did while at English clubs.

Jayop

~Rebel~ wrote: »

Is this based on that players performance during their period in England, or their entire career irrespective of how well they did in England? For instance Mario Jardel having a great career all round, but a really disappointing spell in England.

I presume the former, but just double checking..

Yeah you're right, the former. I should have clarifies that in OP.

~Rebel~

Jayop wrote: »

2 - Brazil

Candidates - Coutinho, Juninho, Oscar, Jesus, Ramires, Silva

For me it's a race between Coutinho and Juninho for this one with Coutinho probably just edging it at this stage. Juninho was unbelievable and such a mad signing in an era of mad Boro signings. Jesus is only there a few months and I had to include him because he's already shown he has amazing talent. In a few years he might be considered the best. Oscar was brilliant for a while but his star faded too quickly. Ramires and Silva were both great but you can't really pick a defensively minded Brazilian, can you?

Discuss...

Objectively I think Coutinho might be the better player, but I'd have to give it to Juninho - massive impact on the league over multiple spells. Was a complete breath of fresh air in what he brought, to what was quite a stodgy, physically pragmatic league. He and a few others arriving around the same time felt like a whole new era was being ushered in.

For goodness sake, the answer to the Brazil question is Gilberto Silva and it's not even close. You guys have very, very short memories.

HalloweenJack

Italy: Zola.

~Rebel~

peterswellman wrote: »

For goodness sake, the answer to the Brazil question is Gilberto Silva and it's not even close. You guys have very, very short memories.

How does memory come into it? It's not like he was forgotten... and the chap i'm choosing came to England 7 years before him. For there on, it just looks like a difference of opinion... I mean, I completely agree that Silva was great. He allowed a brilliant team to do their best work in front of him. I'd admit i'm probably blinkered towards preferring attacking players though.

brevity

France: Henry

Harry Palmr

Netherlands

Arjen Robben,
Robin van Persie
Dennis Bergkamp
Ruud Gullit
Marc Overmars
Jaap Stam
Edwin Van Der Sar

A few others might have crept in but the list is long enough as it is! Has to be Bergkamp for me, the cunning and the brilliant combined at his best.

Jayop

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Netherlands

Arjen Robben,
Robin van Persie
Dennis Bergkamp
Ruud Gullit
Marc Overmars
Jaap Stam
Edwin Van Der Sar

A few others might have crept in but the list is long enough as it is! Has to be Bergkamp for me, the cunning and the brilliant combined at his best.

Cheers for using the format. That's possibly the best bunch from one country but that's another argument. I'd have added VanNistelroy (sp?) in the mixer as well but it would be down to Bergkamp and VanPersie for me.

Has to be Bergkamp though. Glorious player.

Harry Palmr

Ah yes Horseface should have been in there. :pac:

I'd do Spain but it would just be a list of Liverpool players

eagle eye

France: Thierry Henry

Argentina: Sergio Aguero

Czech Republic: Petr Cech

Croatia: Luka Modric

Denmark: Peter Schmeichel

Germany: Dietmar Hamann

Netherlands: Dennis Bergkamp

Spain: Very tough but I'll go with David Silva

Jayop

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Ah yes Horseface should have been in there. :pac:

I'd do Spain but it would just be a list of Liverpool players

And none would be the best.

Jayop

Ah lads. If you're going to nominate someone give the other contenders. Like for me I'd have Cantona head and shoulders for France.

eagle eye

Jayop wrote: »

Ah lads. If you're going to nominate someone give the other contenders. Like for me I'd have Cantona head and shoulders for France.

Lol, loved Cantona but it's not even close. Thierry Henry is far and away the best Premier league player to ever come out on France. Second would be his former teammate Patrick Viera.

Quazzie

Jayop wrote: »

Ah lads. If you're going to nominate someone give the other contenders. Like for me I'd have Cantona head and shoulders for France.

Cantona better than Henry?? Not even close.

RayCon

Was only gonna type one nomination.

Holland - Bergkamp.

~Rebel~

eagle eye wrote: »

Lol, loved Cantona but it's not even close. Thierry Henry is far and away the best Premier league player to ever come out on France. Second would be his former teammate Patrick Viera.

Even going a step further, Thierry Henry is the best premier league player full stop imo. Some other greats in there as well of course, Ronaldo, Suarez, Shearer etc, but Henry did it for a long time, and did it with incredible style and panache.

bucketybuck

eagle eye wrote: »

Germany: Dietmar Hamann

I'd make far batter cases for Klinsmann, Ballack or Jens Lehmann.

eagle eye

bucketybuck wrote: »

I'd make far batter cases for Klinsmann, Ballack or Jens Lehmann.

Well Ballack was in my thoughts but he only had one really good year in England imo.

Lehmann not a chance although he was a decent keeper.

Klinsmann had a great season with Spurs but he only played one and a half seasons in the Premier league so I couldn't put him ahead of man who was consistently top level for a long time.

galwaylad14

Spain just has to be Torres. He was absolutely brilliant at Liverpool, an amazing goals record and scored every type of goal. The guy was just electric, his mixture of pace, power and skill along with his lethal finishing made him virtually unstoppable. Loved watching him.

Wasn't the same player at Chelsea but didn't go terribly badly either and won a hatful of trophies there.

SM01

Henry from France with every other contender a country mile behind.

R00ster

Best Burundian: Gael Bigirimana.

Incidentally, his only international game was voided due the fielding of an illegible player. Him.

WinnyThePoo

South Korea: Park Ji sung, Lee Pyong pyo,

Nigeria: Jay Jay okocha, kanu, Jon obi

Liberian: George Weah jnr

Ukraine: rebrov, shevchenko

Peru :nobby.. Pizarro

Latvian : Marian pharas

Algeria: Benarbia

Denmark :Graveson

tastyt

Sweden....ibra

Australian.....cahill


Heres a tough one.......Scotland????

Duncan Ferguson I suppose?? Talent has really dried up for them over the past 20 years

Deeper Blue

If it's based on overall performances and titles won over the course of their career in the PL then surely Fabregas is the best Spaniard.

France would of course be Henry by a distance.

~Rebel~

eagle eye wrote: »

Well Ballack was in my thoughts but he only had one really good year in England imo.

Lehmann not a chance although he was a decent keeper.

Klinsmann had a great season with Spurs but he only played one and a half seasons in the Premier league so I couldn't put him ahead of man who was consistently top level for a long time.

I'm with ya on Didi - won pretty much everything there is to win in the club game except for the league title, and was a key player in those few seasons they came close.

Spain is a tough one... Torres, Silva, Xabi Alonso, Fabregas... If Torres had left England at the time he went to Chelsea, he'd have it for me, but those few bad years in blue detract from his impact in England somewhat. Toss up for me between Alonso and Silva... Silva maybe just shading it for being a key man year on year. Alonso had one really poor year in 07/08 that we all forget about a bit.

JPA

WinnyThePoo wrote: »

Algeria: Benarbia

Denmark :Graveson

Riyad Mahrez and Peter Schmeichel?

R00ster

Belgium : Hazard or Kompany? Kompany probably shades it at this moment IMO. If Hazard will probably overtake him in a few years if he stays at Chelsea.

JPA

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Italy: Zola.

Yep. Poor selection from such a footballing nation.

Di Canio, Carbone, Di Matteo. Ravenelli was great but short lived.
A dearth of defenders for a country know for defending.

Jayop

tastyt wrote: »

Sweden....ibra

Australian.....cahill


Heres a tough one.......Scotland????

Duncan Ferguson I suppose?? Talent has really dried up for them over the past 20 years

Ah here lol. In the premier league era the best Scottish player is Darren Fletcher by a country mile. But we're not doing PL so you'd have the likes of Law and Dalglish

Mushy

WinnyThePoo wrote: »

South Korea: Park Ji sung, Lee Pyong pyo,

Nigeria: Jay Jay okocha, kanu, Jon obi

Liberian: George Weah jnr

Ukraine: rebrov, shevchenko

Peru :nobby.. Pizarro

Latvian : Marian pharas

Algeria: Benarbia

Denmark :Graveson

:eek:

Costa Rica...Wanchope

Charlie19

Czech Republic

Patrick Berger, Peter Cech, and Thomas Rosiciky

sonic85

Japan - Junichi Inamoto, Hidetoshi Nakata, Maya Yoshida, Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki

South Korea - Lee Young Pyo, Park Ji Sung, Lee Dong Gook, Seol Ki Hyeon, Son Hyeung Min

South Africa - Quinton Fortune, Shaun Bartley, Benni McCarthy, Lucas Radebe, Aaron Mokoene

Muff_Daddy

Danny Higginbotham - Gibralter

BorneTobyWilde

Australia has to be Harry Kewell

Panthro

Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine

Didier Drogba Ivory coast

Panthro

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Australia has to be Harry Kewell

Kevin Muscat says @!?!£€®©✓[]
(Always was a bit of a fool though, poor aul Kevin)

Tim Cahill
Mark Viduka
Hell even Mark Schwarzer can all say "hello".

sonic85

Norway - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, John Arne Rise, Tore Andre Flo, Henning Berg, John Carew, Brede Hangeland, Morten Gamst Pedersen

Finland - Jari Litmanen, Sam Hyypia, Mikael Forssell

Muff_Daddy

Mkhtiryan - Armenia

Kinkladze/Ketsbia - Georgia

Tugay - Turkey

Berbatov - Bulgaria

Petrescu - Romania

Dzeko - Bosnia

Vidic - Serbia

Jovetic - Montenegro

Hleb- Belarus

gitzy16v

Eusebio...Ive no idea what the question was..Not Portugal?....Messi then...Is there an answer to this question?

Panthro

Langdon Donovan USA
Tim Howard a close second
Tim Howard a close third
(Get it?!)

sonic85

Morocco - Mustapha Hadji, Youssef Chippo, Hassan Kachloul, Nordin Amrabat, Sofiane Boufal, Nabil El Zhar, Youssef Safri, Marouane Chamakh, Adel Taarabt

Hadji was a touch of class

BorneTobyWilde

There was a good australian keeper too.
Can't think of his name, played for Villa, and united I think.

gitzy16v

sonic85 wrote: »

Morocco - Mustapha Hadji, Youssef Chippo, Hassan Kachloul, Nordin Amrabat, Sofiane Boufal, Nabil El Zhar, Youssef Safri, Marouane Chamakh, Adel Taarabt

Hadji was a touch of class

NO...JUST NO

gitzy16v

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

There was a good australian keeper too.
Can't think of his name, played for Villa, and united I think.

Coke head Mark Bosnich...great goalkeeper all the same.

WinnyThePoo

Bosnich?