English players tend to play for their entire professional careers playing for a club in their native country. While superstars like David Beckham and Steve Mcmanaman occasionally broke the norm by stepping out of England, most of the players stick to the script by playing either in the Premier League or in the lower divisions of English football. However, the current crop of footballers have started venturing outside, with youngsters like Jadon Sancho preferring to do their initial football schooling outside England. On that note, let’s take a look at the 5 best English players not playing in the Premier League right now.
5. James Tavernier (Rangers FC)
A relatively unknown name to the mainstream audience, James Tavernier has worked wonders for a resurgent Rangers side in Scotland. A late bloomer, as many would call him, the English right-back had a marvellous season last year, netting a whopping 19 goals and laying out 16 assists across all competitions as Rangers romped to the league title, their first one in a decade. Tavernier already has 13 assists and four goals this season, continuing his red-hot form this campaign. The perfect captain, Rangers fans could’ve asked for.
4. Chris Smalling (AS Roma)
Many criticised him due to his lacklustre performances for Manchester United. Most of the football fraternity, including a hoard of pundits, were quick to write off Chris Smalling when he moved to AS Roma in 2019 in search of redemption. To everyone’s surprise, Smalling was a man reborn at his new club. The former Fulham star needed little time to adapt to life in Italy, putting in sturdy performances from the get-go. The Englishman made an incredible 37 appearances in his debut season, leading Roma to a fifth-place finish. Impressed by his reliability and no-nonsense defending, I Giallorossi made his move permanent at the first time of asking. Smalling now stars regularly for the Italian giants.
3. Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
At the time of writing, Chelsea have five recognised centre-backs in their squad, two of which are bound to become free agents by summer. Considering their paper-thin depth in the defence and Thomas Tuchel’s preference to use three centre-halves, their decision to offload promising youngster Fikayo Tomori surprised everyone in 2021. The English defender has put in some commendable performances for AC Milan in his debut season, cementing his position as a starter. Valued at €45 million, the 24-year-old defender is touted to lead the defensive line for England in the future, provided he continues to maintain his fine form.
2. Tammy Abraham (AS Roma)
Despite having performed consistently for boyhood club Chelsea, Tammy Abraham never really received the credit, and the game time his output deserved. With the Blues not satisfied with the talent they had on their hands, Abraham was shipped off to AS Roma in 2021, just like Tomori. While Chelsea’s big-money signing Romelu Lukaku is yet to find his footing at his old home, his predecessor has been sensational for Jose Mourinho’s Roma side. In just 29 appearances for his new team, Abraham already has 15 goals and four assists to his name. One name that got through for the Blues.
1. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
Wonder-boy Jude Bellingham easily walks into top spot as the best Englishman currently playing his trade outside the Premier League. Bellingham is yet to set foot in the English top-flight, having played for Championship outfit Birmingham City before switching to his current club Borussia Dortmund. In Germany, the 18-year-old has developed a keen sense of maturity that far exceeds his tender age. His decision making, especially under extreme pressure, has been remarkable, to say the least. Having reaped high praise from genius tactician Pep Guardiola for his performance against a formidable Manchester City side, Bellingham has all the time in the world to become an absolute world-beater.
