Premier League XI of best ever foreign imports revealed!
Sergio Aguero has broken Thierry Henry’s record to become the Premier League’s all-time top foreign goalscorer.
The Argentine striker’s second goal in Manchester City’s 6-1 win against Aston Villa was his 176th in the English top flight.
The 31-year-old managed the feat in three fewer games than Arsenal legend Henry, only needing 255 appearances to the Frenchman’s 258 to make history.
However, the two icons have already cemented their legacies as among the best foreign imports ever to grace the Premier League.
But which stars would join the lethal pair in a Prem best XI? Here SunSport gives the rundown…with no honourable mentions!
GK: Peter Schmeichel
The Dane is widely acknowledged as the best goalkeeper in Premier League history and takes up the gloves for this list.
Signed for a paltry £505,000 from Brondby in 1991, which Sir Alex Ferguson described as the “bargain of the century”, Schmeichel won five Premier League titles with Manchester United and kept 128 clean sheets in 310 top-flight games.
RCB: Vincent Kompany
The Belgian defender captained Manchester City during the most successful period in the club’s history with four Premier League titles while wearing the armband.
Kompany, another snippet at around £7million from Hamburg in 2008, signed off his career at the Etihad in style with a long-ranged winner against Leicester that helped Pep Guardiola’s side beat Liverpool to the crown last season.
CB: Nemanja Vidic
The Serbian was named the Premier League Player of the season for the second time in 2011 before Kompany won it the following year and the two now get to share a spot in the best ever foreign XI.
A five-time title winner, Manchester United swooped to land Vidic for just £7m as well in 2006, with the 38-year-old forming one of the all-time great partnerships alongside Rio Ferdinand.
The Serbinator also chipped in 15 goals in hi 211 appearances.
LCB: Virgil Van Dijk
One of only two players still actively playing in the Premier League, the 28-year-old Dutch defender’s inclusion is likely to spark debate considering how short his stint in England’s top-flight has been.
But Van Dijk, who convinced Liverpool to splash out a then-record £75m to sign him following two standout years at Southampton, is on course to make history on Merseyside.
The current Premier League POTY and Ballon d’Or runner-up has arguably been the Reds most important player as they look set to finally end their 30-year wait to win the title.
CM: Patrick Viera
The legendary French midfielder captained Arsenal from 2002 until he left in 2005 while playing a huge role in the club’s historic 2003/04 ‘Invincibles’ campaign.
From a relatively unknown to a three-time title winner, Viera, a £3.5m signing from AC Milan, is rightly viewed as one of the Premier League’s greatest ever foreign players.
CM: David Silva
In the last season of an incredible decade at Manchester City, the Spaniard became the quickest player to reach 200 Prem wins in only 289 appearances with a 3-1 win at Everton in September.
A four-time title winner, 34-year-old Silva joined the Etihad outfit for £27m from Valencia and was instrumental in their transformation into one of the world’s best.
RM: Cristiano Ronaldo
Despite reaching the pinnacle of his powers at Real Madrid, the Portuguese superstar still won almost every individual and team honour possible during his time at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo claimed the first of his five Ballon d’Or crowns at Manchester United in 2008 and is the only player ever to earn successive POTY accolades.
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The 34-year-old, who Fergie made the then most expensive teenager in British football history after signing him for £12m from Sporting Lisbon, was sold for a then-world record £80m fee to Madrid in 2009 following four title wins.
CAM: Eric Cantona
While viewed as a striker, King Eric’s playmaking abilities sees him line-up just behind Aguero and Henry, even if it means an entire formation change to have him included.