Gazza's baggy Roman shellsuit, John Charles plundering black-and-white goals in Turin, King Kev's floodlit perm dazzling Volksparkstadion terraces, Glenn Hoddle's miniscule Monegasque shorts. They were all trailblazers and trendsetters, their tales relayed through continental dispatches and espresso-fuelled Saturday morning showreels. Yet what was once an exotic European escapade for Britain's star footballers is now a well-trodden pilgrimage, as an increasing number of players eye opportunities further afield.
Eight of England's most recent World Cup squad are currently playing abroad - from Munich to Madrid, and Milan to the Middle East - while Scotland have even more overseas, predominantly in Serie A. So while we acknowledge and applaud the groundwork put in by those early jetsetters, this week we're looking at the best British exports since the turn of the century. I've ranked my top 10 below - you can have you say in the comments, too.
Kieran Trippier was seemingly deemed surplus to requirements at Tottenham after the north London outfit's Champions League final defeat by Liverpool in 2019, but the defender managed to renew his career under Diego Simeone in Spain. The right-back became Atletico Madrid's first English player in almost a century, and then helped Los Rojiblancos win only their second La Liga title since the turn of the millennium, breaking the Barcelona and Real Madrid stranglehold. It was the first trophy of his career, and Trippier returned to the Premier League after his Spanish sabbatical renewed, refreshed and ready to enjoy a successful spell at Newcastle.
John Charles, three-times winner; Jimmy Greaves, with Milan in 1961-62; and Gerry Hitchens, with Inter the following season, were the only British players to clinch a Scudetto before Juventus' Aaron Ramsey ended a wait that stretched back more than half a century in 2020. Ramsey's Turin expedition, though, was inconsistent and expensive, and while Ashley Young then helped Inter win a first title in 11 years, his San Siro stay lasted only 18 months. So the Scudetto winner we're plumping for here is Milan stalwart Fikayo Tomori.
The England defender lifted the prize in 2021-22, earning a spot in the Serie A team of the season on the way. And, despite ups and downs under various bosses since, the 28-year-old is now into his seventh season with the European giants. A quietly impressive feat.
Jadon Sancho's career may not have continued on the trajectory many expected when he departed Germany in a £73m move for Old Trafford, four years after initially leaving Manchester, but his time at Dortmund was an undoubted success. It was brave, as a 17-year-old, to reject Manchester City and move to a new country, but the young winger was vindicated with rapid progress at Dortmund. In his second season, Sancho scored 12 goals and added 18 assists in 34 Bundesliga games, the following term he netted 17 times.
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