Top 5 French players who have played in the English Premier League
It is no surprise that the Premier League possesses some of the best football talent in Europe when one considers its accessibility and immense commercial value.
England's top-flight has witnessed an influx of players from outside the United Kingdom in the previous century and the numbers have exponentially increased in the last few decades. Gone are the days where an almost-exclusive group of Scottish, Welsh and Irish players ran out to ply their trade for clubs within the country.
Before the turn of the new millennium, more money was spent on foreign talent than homegrown players (182 million compared to 158.2 million in 1999). As a result, imported stars from European nations like Germany, Spain, Italy, and France have inevitably played significant roles in the evolution of the Premier League.
French players, in particular, have shared a special relationship with the English top division, with Arsene Wenger's Invincibles era and Alan Pardew's 2013 revolution serving as two of the many instances of their impact in the league.
Without further ado, here is a rundown of the top five French players to have played in the Premier League in no particular order:
Honourable mentions: David Ginola, Claude Makelele, Marcel Desailly
#1 Patrick Vieira (1996-2005, 2010-2011)
Often considered the most complete central midfielder in his prime, Patrick Vieira served as the soul of Arsene Wenger's superb Arsenal squad between the mid-1990s and early 2000s.
The Frenchman relocated to England from Italy, where he played for AC Milan, for a fee of £3.5 million and was Wenger's first signing after he replaced Bruce Rioch as manager at the north London club in 1996.
The Senegal-born man established himself as a versatile box-to-box midfielder who brought a whole new dimension to the Gunners' gameplay. He possessed a unique blend of technical ability, personality, dynamism and cunning intelligence that made the midfield an unconquerable battlefield for his opponents.
The midfielder went on to win three Premier League titles and four FA Cups during his nine-year stint at Highbury and the Emirates and famously captained Arsenal's spectacular 'Invincibles' squad, that established an unprecedented 49-game unbeaten run, in the 2003-04 season.
Vieira left for Juventus in 2005 but returned to the Premier League when he signed for Manchester City five years later. He helped the English giants win the FA Cup before retiring in 2011.
Arsenal have since struggled to find a replacement for the Frenchman and many believe that a player of his calibre is exactly what the club has been missing from their squad in the last decade.
Also check out: Premier League Premier League Table Champions League table