5 South African players with most appearances in Premier League history
Football brings people together from all over the world and the Premier League is a perfect example of this fact. Since 1992, 117 of the 211 FIFA-affiliated countries have seen at least one of their players play in the Premier League.
Countries like Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Malta, Curaçao and Suriname have also been represented in the Premier League in the past.
Africa is a major talent pool for many of the top European leagues, including the English league. South Africa are 10th on the list of African countries to have had players play in England's top-flight, with 15 representatives in total.
South Africa's representatives in the league were all full internationals who represented their country regularly. These players spent different amounts of time in the league.
Without further ado, here is a list of the five players from South Africa with the most appearances in the Premier League.
#5 Shaun Bartlett (123 Premier League appearances)
South African striker Shaun Bartlett moved to English top-flight side Charlton Athletic in 2000 on an initial loan deal from Swiss club FC Zurich. The widely-travelled striker joined the club on a permanent deal for around £2 million after completing a one-year loan move.
Bartlett has fond memories of his time in England as he scored 24 goals in 123 appearances for Charlton, including a memorable volley against Leicester City. The striker won the Premier League Goal of the Season award in the 2000-01 season with the volley and ended up with seven goals from 18 appearances.
Bartlett remained with Charlton in the Premier League until he was released by the club in 2006. He scored his last goal in the league in December 2005 in a London Derby against West Ham United.
Bartlett was a full international for the Bafana Bafana and scored 28 goals in 74 appearances for his country. He now works as a football manager back in his home country.
#4 Aaron Mokoena (124 Premier League appearances)
Combative midfielder Aaron Mokoena moved to the Premier League from the Belgian Jupiler League in 2005 when he left KRC Genk to join Blackburn Rovers. The midfielder also featured for Portsmouth in the English top-flight.
Mokoena was known for his brilliant tackling skills, with Blackburn manager Mark Hughes entrusting him with the task of protecting the backline. He played as a lone holding midfielder for the team in a three-man midfield, allowing his midfield partners to roam around the pitch. He made 101 league appearances for them.
After four years with Blackburn Rovers, the South African midfielder decided to move on and signed a three-year deal with Portsmouth. He made another 23 league appearances for Pompey before his contract was terminated due to the club's financial troubles.
Mokoena was captain of the South African national team from 2006. He led the country at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup on home soil. He made over 100 appearances for Bafana Bafana.
#3 Mark Fish (124 Premier League appearances)
Defender Mark Fish signed for Bolton Wanderers in 1997 from Lazio after rejecting a move to Manchester United in favour of one to the Italian capital a year earlier. He also played for Charlton Athletic in his time in the Premier League.
Fish was an excellent defender who was a mainstay for the Bolton Wanderers' team, playing 22 league matches as his side was relegated in his first season at the club. The defender distinguished himself as a quality player for Bolton in the second division, attracting numerous suitors.
He moved to Charlton Athletic three years later for £700,00 and went on to become a regular in the team. He played 102 times in the league for Charlton before leaving the club in 2005.
Fish was part of the South African side that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996. The defender made a total of 62 appearances for his country before his retirement.
#2 Lucas Radebe (197 Premier League appearances)
A cult hero in Yorkshire, Lucas Radebe famously joined Leeds United from Kaizer Chiefs in 1994 as part of the deal by the club to sign Philemon Masinga. Masinga was the player the club wanted, but they were forced to sign Radebe along with him in order to keep him happy. Leeds United paid £250,000 to secure the services of both players.
Radebe struggled initially at the club and made only 25 league appearances in total after two seasons in the Premier League. The defender enjoyed a change in fortunes when George Graham became the side's coach. Radebe went on to rack up 197 league appearances for Leeds United in the top-flight and became the club captain in 1998.
Did you know
Both Lucas Radebe (Leeds United) and Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth) have captained English Premier League outfits. Not only did they feature in the EPL but they were selected to captain their teams. Let that sink in.
#Soccerzela https://t.co/MAcqbFNHgU
Radebe was a successful South African international who captained his country to the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups. He was also part of the South African team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996.
#1 Steven Pienaar (214 Premier League appearances)
Steven Pienaar is a household name in the blue half of Merseyside. The South African midfielder joined Everton on a season-long loan in 2007 from Borussia Dortmund. The loan was eventually made permanent for £2 million. He also turned out for Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland in the Premier League.
Pienaar was an impressive player who could play as an attacking midfielder or on the wing. He completed a move to Tottenham Hotspur for £3 million in 2011, but his time at the club was blighted by injuries. He rejoined Everton on a six-month loan in January 2012 before the Toffees paid £4.5 million to secure his services permanently.
He was released by the club in 2016 and joined Sunderland on a free transfer. He played for one season at the Stadium of Light before he was released. He made 189 top-flight appearances for Everton, 15 for Sunderland and 10 for Tottenham. He scored 22 goals and made 40 assists in total in the Premier League.
'Goal Of The Day'📁 'Goal Of The Day'
└ 📁 Everton
└ 📁 2012
└ 📁 Steven Pienaar
└ 📁 'Worldie At Villa Park'
#GoalOfTheDay @Everton https://t.co/UE7wR1GJ5v
Pienaar was a star for the South African national team. He was part of the squad that played at the 2002 FIFA Worl Cup as well as the 2010 World Cup on home soil.