5 Former British Premier League Stars You Never Knew Played Abroad

The most high profile transfer involving a Brit moving abroad since David Beckham's move to Real Madrid back in 2003, Gareth Bale's record breaking switch to the Spanish giants attracted interest all over the world. Everyone had an opinion, whether or not he was worth £86 million, why no one in England had made a bid, how he was going to fit into an already very talented attacking crop of players at the Santiago Bernabeu. You could not escape the news. But what about everyone else? What about the players who have previously been, and I use this term loosely, superb talents, who have been scuppered by injury or just plain forgotten about? Players who used to regularly turn out for some of our biggest clubs, even some full internationals, who have made their way outside of Britain's borders and, to a large extent, succeeded. One of the major things that was highlighted when Bale eventually completed his protracted transfer to Madrid, was the lack of British players that were willing to chance their luck in foreign climbs, with the Premier League one of the most lucrative leagues in the world to play in. The suggestion that British players are reluctant to move abroad was dealt a heavy blow when Bale not only switched countries but also transferred for a world record fee. With that in mind, here is a list of five players who used to be well established names in the Premier League and who have tried their hand at playing in foreign leagues in the last year or so, and certainly without the fan fair that shrouded Bale's move, which only served the purpose of adding fuel to the rumours that British players don't like playing abroad, when the reality is that when they do happen, very little is said about it.