69 Joe Marston

Nationality Australian
Clubs Preston North End
The first Australian to appear in an FA Cup final – in 1954.

68 Craig Johnston

Nationality Australian
Clubs Middlesbrough, Liverpool
Scored the Double-clinching winner in the 1986 FA Cup Final.

67 Ivan Golac

Nationality Yugoslavia
Clubs Southampton, Bournemouth, Man City
Attacking right-back who become a cult hero at the Dell in the 1980s.

66 Roberto Di Matteo

Nationality Italian
Clubs Chelsea
A goalscorer in two FA Cup finals.

65 Mark Viduka

Nationality Australian
Clubs Celtic, Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Newcastle
Goals combined with clever hold-up play have made the big Aussie successful.

64 Ricky Villa

Nationality Argentinian
Clubs Spurs
Often flattered to deceive at White Hart Lane, but when you’ve scored the greatest Wembley/FA Cup goal of all time (in 1981), who cares?

63 Igor Stimac

Nationality Croatian
Clubs Derby County,
West Ham
The pick of the Derby’s foreign imports, providing the defensive nous behind the Rams’ establishment as a Premier League force. He wasn’t bad for the Hammers, either.

62 Frank Sauzee

Nationality French
Clubs Hibernian
Still known as “Le God” at Easter Road.

61 Carlo Cudicini

Nationality Italian
Clubs Chelsea
The best keeper in the Premier League before being replaced by a better one.

60 Dimitar Berbatov

Nationality Bulgarian
Clubs Spurs, Man United
Has “the best first touch in the Premier League”, according to Alan Hansen.

59 Eidur Gudjohnsen

Nationality Icelandic
Clubs Bolton, Chelsea
A classy, deep-lying forward who formed a lethal partnership with Hasselbaink.

58 Ronny Johnsen

Nationality Norwegian
Clubs Manchester United, Aston Villa, Newcastle
A key member of Man United’s Treble-winning defence.

57 Dietmar Hamann

Nationality German
Clubs Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester City
Great tackling, positioning, passing and a thunderbolt of a shot.

56 Johnny Hubbard

Nationality South African
Clubs Glasgow Rangers, Bury, Ayr United
The only foreigner to score a hat-trick in an Old Firm game.

55 Emmanuel Petit

Nationality French
Clubs Arsenal, Chelsea
Combined perfectly with Patrick Vieira to win a League and FA Cup double.

54 Edwin van der Sar

Nationality Dutch
Clubs Fulham, Man United
The giant Dutchman has been one of
the best goalkeepers of his generation.

53 Roland Nilsson

Nationality Swedish
Clubs Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry
Immaculate right-back who would probably be playing for one of the Premier League’s top sides in today’s game. Rarely put a foot wrong.

52 Alexei Mikhailichenko

Nationality Ukrainian
Clubs Rangers
Sublimely gifted left-winger who arrived at Ibrox fresh from winning Serie A with Sampdoria to win five SPL titles in as many seasons.

51 Marc Overmars

Nationality Dutch
Clubs Arsenal
The rapid winger was a key member of Arsenal’s double-winning side in ’97-98.

50 Arthur Wharton
Nationality Ghanaian
British clubs Rotherham (1889-94), Sheffield United (1894-1895), Stockport (1901-02)
The lowdown
The first black professional footballer was a syphilitic alcoholic who had an affair with his sister-in-law and numerous illegitimate children. But the Ghana-born goalkeeper was also an astonishingly gifted sportsman. Briefly holder of the world 100-yard dash record, Wharton stunned crowds with his displays and many believe only racism denied him a cap for his adopted country.
Finest hour
Although he had played for various top amateur teams, being picked for the Blades against Sunderland put him down in history as the top flight’s first black player.
They said
“I saw Wharton jump, hold the crossbar, catch the ball between his legs and cause three onrushing forwards to fall into the net” – The Sheffield Telegraph. NM

49 Russell Latapy
Nationality Trinidadian
British clubs Hibernian (1998-2001); Rangers (2001-03); Falkirk (2003-)
The lowdown
The ex-Boavista winger was absolutely integral to Hibs, and now Falkirk, far exceeding expectations in the SPL. Life in Scotland has frequently been bumpy for the fun-loving wee man, who hits 40 this year, but his skill, passing ability and joie de vivre ensure his talent will be remembered far longer than his indiscretions.
Finest hour
Not going on the piss with Dwight Yorke, but knuckling down as an elder statesman to earn Falkirk promotion in 2005 – quite an achievement for a man who prefers the sun on his back to the rain in his face.
They said
“Some of the things he does are amazing… the way he controls and passes the ball. He doesn’t need to break his stride” – Falkirk manager John Hughes. GT

48 Kazimierz “Kazi” Deyna
Nationality Polish
British club Manchester City (1978-81)

The lowdown
With Man City’s early-’70s glamour a distant memory, beleaguered Maine Road supremo Tony Book injected some Eastern European glitz in the form of “Poland’s Greatest Ever Player”. Having scored 45 goals for his country in 102 games (including captaining the Poles to within a whisker of the 1974 World Cup Final), Deyna scored six goals in the final eight games of the ’78-79 season, returning messiah Malcolm Allison labelling him “the most outrageously gifted striker I’ve ever coached”. Sadly, a series of injuries meant his and City’s fortunes’ plummeted. Deyna was killed in a car crash in 1989.
Finest hour
His appearance in Escape To Victory whilst at City.
He said
“I’m used to rain and sleet back in Poland, so I’ll feel right at home in Manchester.” JS

47 Youri Djorkaeff
Nationality French
British clubs Bolton Wanderers (2001-04); Blackburn Rovers (2004)

The lowdown
Born in Lyon of an Armenian mother and a Kalmyk father, himself a France international, Djorkaeff was a key part of the squad that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. A gifted forward-cum-attacking-midfielder, he was top-scorer in France for Monaco in 1994, then moved to PSG, Inter and Kaiserslautern before joining Bolton.
Finest hour
Although his final season at Bolton brought most goals, Djorkaeff’s most significant season was probably his first, as he arrived in January and struck four goals to help keep Bolton up in their first season back in the Premier League.
He said
“This place is unique with all the different nationalities and accents here. We speak Spanish, French, English, everything, but there is a tremendous team spirit.” JW

46 Cesc Fabregas
Nationality Spanish
British club Arsenal (2003-)

The lowdown
Poached from Barcelona’s youth team, Fabregas became the youngest ever player to represent Arsenal at 16 and 177 days, playing like a seasoned campaigner from day one. While still a teenager he achieved the previously unthinkable, replacing Patrick Vieira. Though lacking the physical presence of his predecessor, the Catalan’s passing range, vision and, as he has shown last season, eye for goal are on another level, and he is still just 20.
Finest hour
His display against Juventus in the 2006 Champions League quarter-finals, when he subdued Vieira – the moment most Gunners fans realised what Wenger already knew: the king was dead, long live the king.
They said
“There’s something superhuman. He passes brilliantly, scores lots of goals and conjures non-standard solutions to standard situations” – Alexander Hleb. DB

45 Sami Hyypia
Nationality Finnish
British club Liverpool (1999-)

The lowdown
Was Gerard Houllier’s tenure at Liverpool one of success or underachievement? Whatever side of the fence you are on, the Frenchman must be commended for bringing – at the paltry price of £2.5m – Sami Hyypia to the club in 1999. The big Finn has been a rock in the centre of defence, dominating centre-forwards in the air, while starting attacks on the deck.
Finest hour
The crazy Champions League run of 2005 saw many heroic performances, but Hyypia’s steely resolve in Turin that helped Liverpool to a winning 0-0 draw against Juventus was as vital as any.
They said
“When people mention foreign players, it’s always your Zolas or Bergkamps – no one mentions defenders. But for nine months of consistency, Sami has to be every bit as good as those guys” – Jamie Carragher. LM

44 Roy Wegerle
Nationality American British clubs Chelsea (1986-88); Luton Town (1988-90); QPR (1990-92); Blackburn Rovers (1992); Coventry (1992-95)
The lowdown
The gifted South African, who represented the USA after marrying an American, was one of the finest strikers in the English game during his time at QPR in the early-’90s, despite having struggled to make an impact at West London rivals Chelsea when he first came to the country as a 22-year-old in 1986.
Wegerle, whose brother Steve also had a brief stint in England with Coventry in 1975, was first spotted by
ex-Loftus Road legend Rodney Marsh playing for the NASL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies. He came to QPR for £1m in 1990 after shining in a Luton Town side desperately struggling against relegation.
It was an inspired piece of business by Don Howe. Following in a long line of famous players (Marsh, Stan Bowles, Tony Currie) to wear QPR’s No.10 shirt, Wegerle lit up countless Loftus Road afternoons with his seemingly effortless style. Not by chance, a side including Ray Wilkins, Les Ferdinand and Andy Sinton established QPR, formerly a mid-table side, as one of English football’s most entertaining outfits.
With his elegant skills topped off by an equally impressive mullet, Wegerle looked set for bigger things and it was no surprise that a cash-happy Blackburn Rovers were soon trying to lure him to Lancashire. In 1992, with Jack Walker’s revolution in full swing, they got their man as Kenny Dalglish took Wegerle to Ewood Park in a deal worth £1m.
However, despite helping Rovers gaining promotion to the promised land, Wegerle was never more than a bit-part player at Rovers and eventually moved to Coventry as part of an exchange deal that involved Kevin Gallacher moving in the opposite direction.
Wegerle briefly shone in a poor Coventry side, but as injuries took their inevitable toll, one of football’s great nomads eventually headed back to the States in 1995 to see out the remainder of his playing days.

Finest hour
On October 20, 1990, QPR went to play high-flying Leeds United at Elland Road and found themselves 2-0 down inside the first 20 minutes. Many would fold, but Wegerle was undaunted. He picked the ball up inside the Leeds half and, in the flash of an eye, beat four men before slotting the ball home from the edge of the area. He later popped up with the winner to crown a stunning comeback.

They said
“He’s a player who can lift spectators out of their seats in awe at what he has done, and then leave them gasping at his next trick. He is a type of player not seen in England since the days of Best, Marsh and Osgood” – The Sunday Times. RE

43 Jay-Jay Okocha
Nationality Nigerian British clubs Bolton Wanderers (2002-06), Hull City (2007-08)
The lowdown
It is testimony to Jay-Jay Okocha’s talent
that there is a nagging sense that it remained unfulfilled. With all due respect to Bolton, do true greats play for them in the modern era? And in the mid-’90s, it looked as though he could be one of the all-time greats.
Nigeria had the world at their feet; Okocha was the pick of a squad packed with the likes of Kanu, Sunday Oliseh and Taribo West. They came within a minute of beating Italy in the last 16 of USA 94, but won Olympic gold in 1996, beating Brazil 4-3 in the semis and Argentina 3-2 in the final. They were dynamic, exciting, and seemed poised on the brink of greatness... but that was as good as it got.
After an epic 3-2 win over Spain in their France 98 opener, Nigeria had their eyes on
a potential quarter-final against Brazil, but were hammered 4-1 by Denmark in the last 16. Okocha called it the biggest regret of his career.
At club level, he developed a reputation for inconsistency. He
got his chance at 17 with Borussia Neunkirchen and moved on to Eintracht Frankfurt, but it was at Fenerbahce where he really began to shine, scoring a goal every other game to win a move to PSG. There he stagnated before Sam Allardyce made him one of many unlikely heroes to be offered a second chance at Bolton. He cheerfully seized it.
His ball-juggling, impishness and obvious love of the game were an instant riposte to those who hated Allardyce’s pragmatism. He and the bluff Bolton manager clearly shared a deep mutual respect, famously celebrating Bolton’s 2003 relegation escape by dancing together on the pitch, Allardyce honouring a promise to repeat the Nigerian’s soft-shoe shuffle celebration if the Trotters stayed up. Quite rightly so, given Okocha’s goal against main relegation rivals West Ham – a 20-yard blisterer into the top corner after a 40-yard run on the break. Other showreel clips include flicking the ball over an Arsenal player’s head and swapping inch-perfect 50-yard passes from wing to wing with Youri Djorkaeff.
Okocha left for Qatar in 2007 but lasted just a season before returning to England with Hull –a decision, he said, inspired by God and a desire for competitive football.

Finest hour
The two exquisite free-kicks he scored for Bolton in their 5-2 win over Aston Villa in the first leg of their 2004 League Cup semi-final victory.

They said
“I’ve been associated with this club for 17 years and I’ve never seen anyone better. He’s better than Nat Lofthouse if we’re talking about talent”
– Sam Allardyce after that semi-final. JW

42 Anders Limpar
Nationality Swedish
British clubs Arsenal (1990-94), Everton (1994-97), Birmingham (1997)

The lowdown
Desperate to inject some flair into a functional side, Gunners boss George Graham snapped up the mercurial Cremonese wideman after some sparkling displays in Serie A. Limpar’s quicksilver dribbling and devastating finishing (including a winner at Old Trafford) provided the springboard for Arsenal’s ’91 title triumph. Limpar eventually sowed the seeds of his own destruction by criticising Graham to a gaggle of Swedish hacks but went on to play a vital role in Everton’s 1995 FA Cup triumph.
Finest hour
His 40-yard lob in a 4-0 rout of Liverpool at Highbury in April 1992. “A goal from the Gods,” he claimed.
They said
“He had a tattoo on his back saying ‘Nobody’s perfect’. That summed up his team ethic” – David Seaman. JS

41 Lubomir Moravcik
Nationality Slovakian
British club Celtic (1998-2002)

The lowdown
If Larsson was the ruthless executioner, Moravcik was his grinning accomplice. Signed without fanfare as a
33-year-old from MSV Duisburg, the impish playmaker enjoyed a rapturous four-year Indian summer at Parkhead, as dazzling and delightful as it was unlikely.
Finest hour
His first two goals for Celtic, coming in only his second appearance and part of an historic 5-1 demolition of Rangers in 1998, take some beating. However, single-handedly bamboozling Juventus to inspire Celtic to a
4-3 victory in 2001 must edge it – it even prompted Zinedine Zidane to describe Moravcik as the best attacking midfielder he had ever seen.
They said
“Lubo is the most-two footed player in Europe, his talent is amazing” – Martin O’Neill. GT