Some Brits left their shores and found eternal love and legend. Others found everything but.
By These Football Times
In the early days of his time in Barcelona, Steve Archibald made a significant impact, winning the hearts and minds of colleagues and fans alike
One of England’s greatest talents, the success of Trevor Francis abroad highlights why he is so much more than the first million-pound footballer
Emile Heskey learned the hard way in the A-League: it can be hard to feel on top of the world when you’re living Down Under
Gascoigne was an enigma; a strange contradiction in the way that he could exhibit moments of footballing beauty despite being something of an utter lunatic
While the Gálacticos era will be remembered for the wondrous play of Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo and Roberto Carlos, there is a place at the table for McManaman
Whether or not it manifested itself in quite the manner he’d planned, a season at Torino transformative Denis Law to become the legend he’s remembered as
Lauded by Maradona, loved by the fans and mentor to Vialli and Mancini: like much of his playing career, Graeme Souness was brilliant at Sampdoria
In MLS, Bradley Wright-Phillips, who had struggled and laboured without much success in the UK found his home and unequivocally triumphed
Chris Waddle has been popular no matter where he has played, but perhaps never more so than his time in the south of France for Marseille
Gary Lineker learnt the language, integrated himself into Barcelona, understood the politics, and went about proving himself a world-class goalscorer
Michael Robinson’s influence in Spain reached way beyond its original remit: there are few other Brits to have ventured abroad and become such an icon
Owen Hargreaves could have had it all and, in some ways, he did – there’s just a niggling feeling that it could’ve been so much more
He may not have added silverware in the north of Italy, but in overcoming oppression Paul Ince experienced something much more commendable: love
Wherever Beckham went, he was respectful of the club, the culture and the team, proving to be a revered figure in Madrid, Milan, Los Angeles and Paris
Mark Hughes didn’t score goals galore at the Camp Nou, nor lift numerous trophies in Munich, but he was shaped into a fine player and manager thanks to it
“Glenn Hoddle is a great man and an even better footballer, and, if you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe Cruyff, Wenger and Platini instead”
Although Cunningham won hearts at Real, nagging injuries and media pressure prevented him from becoming the superstar that his incredible talent deserved
Vinny Samways’ career is something of an oddity. He remains far more renowned in Spain than England, revered today as one of Las Palmas’ greatest players
Whether it is fan belonging to Leeds, Juventus, Roma or Cardiff, John Charles’ love will never be misplaced or destroyed. Like his memory, are eternal
“The football was so different. The mentality was so different” Kevin Keegan