As England prepare to face the Socceroos for the first time in seven years, we are taking a look at some of the best Australians who have played in the Premier League.
- Nearly all of Australia’s finest footballing exports have featured in the Premier League
- As England welcome them for only the eighth meeting between the two nations, we list the Top 10 Australians who have played in the Premier League
Top 10 Australians Who Have Played in the Premier League
10. Stan Lazaridis
Perhaps one of the more distinctive players to ever grace the Premier League, Stan Lazaridis’ long legs and short torso was reminiscent of one Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc.
That isn’t to say Lazaridis wasn’t an exceptional player, in fact the Australian was a mainstay for both Birmingham and West Ham throughout the late 1990’s and into the nearly naughties.
He is said to have been lovely bloke off the pitch, but he will be remembered fondly for his neck, or lack thereof. The addition of Andy Impey a few years later on the opposite flank at West Ham saw them deploy a pair of neck-less wing backs for a short period.
After 166 appearances in the Premier League and 60 for the Socceroos, he returned to his native Australia with Perth City, although he tested positive for a banned substance in 2008 which ultimately cut his career short.
9. Robbie Slater
Although Robbie Slater only featured 84 times in the Premier League, he manages to nudge his way in at number nine having been one of the few Australians to actually lift the trophy.
Having spent just one title-winning season at Blackburn in 1994/95, Slater then featured for West Ham, Southampton and Wolves before returning to Australia with Northern Spirit.
Now one of the fittest 58-years-old we’ve ever witnessed, he described himself as a lunatic when speaking to the Ligue 1 podcast while remisnicing on his stint at Lens.
He said: “Because it’s a working-class town, a working-class area, they love fighters and in me they’ve got a fighter.
“Not only a fighter but they’ve got something very different, not just to Lens but to France had seen in this red-headed kangaroo who ran around like a lunatic, and they loved that.”
8. Mark Bosnich
Last summer Mark Bosnich posed for a photo in the back of a police car, both hands clutching a ‘Maccas’ order as its known colloquially in Australia.
The former Manchester United keeper had just been scooped up by Queensland police, who he said helped him find his way to McDonalds and eventually back to his hotel.
That comical post on Twitter (now known as X) is what Mark Bosnich was all about as a player. A larger than life character, who Sir Alex Ferguson once described as a “terrible professional.”
They say you must be mad to be a goalkeeper.
And look at Mark Bosnich…
The ex-Man United stopper took 10g of cocaine a day and filmed sex tapes with his teammates.
But none of Bozza’s benders compare to the time he woke up behind bars on his wedding day…
Our story begins… pic.twitter.com/UoWuRytKl7
— The Upshot (@UpshotTowers) August 15, 2023
Ferguson added in biography: “We played down at Wimbledon and Bosnich was tucking into everything: sandwiches, soups, steaks. He was going through the menu.
“I told him, ‘For Christ’s sake, Mark, we’ve got the weight off you. Why are you tucking into all that stuff?’
“We arrived back in Manchester, and Mark was on mobile phone to a Chinese restaurant to order a takeaway. Is there no end to you? I just couldn’t make an impact on him.”
In a direct retort to Ferguson’s criticism, Bosnich said “I was the only player he signed twice” at Manchester United. Although he will be remembered for his antics off the pitch, he does boast a Premier League medal from United’s 18-point margin in 1999/2000.
7. Mile Jedinak
Unfortunately for Mile Jedinak, if this list had been for the ‘best beards in Premier League history’ he may well have been number one.
Nevertheless, the former Australia and Crystal Palace captain proved a loyal general for the Eagles between 2012 and 2016, lifting them from the Championship in his first year after being voted player of the season.
He will be remembered fondly by Palace fans for his ability inherent knack of striking the ball with pace and power, which saw him rack up 10 goals in 165 appearances.
The Premier League hasn’t lost him entirely – he is now an assistant coach under compatriot Ange Postecoglou for table toppers Tottenham.
6. Brett Emerton
Another former Blackburn Aussie, Brett Emerton spent nine seasons at Ewood Park to register a total of 247 Premier League appearances.
A constant amongst a startling period of change at Blackburn, Emerton played under under five different managers who deployed him in a variety of positions. His technical ability and high-octane playing style suited him to multiple positions, but he is best remembered a creative midfielder.
5. Lucas Neill
What is it with Australians and Blackburn Rovers? Must be the Lancashire weather.
Lucas Neill is probably best remembered for his god-awful soul patch, but the former Socceroos captain is their third-most capped player.
He was, much like Emerton, a hugely important component for the Riversiders throughout the naughties, making a total of 188 league appearances and scoring five goals.
The 9 Australians 🇦🇺 with over 100 Premier League Appearances:
Mark Schwarzer (514)
Lucas Neill (279)
Harry Kewell (274)
Brett Emerton (247)
Mark Viduka (240)
Tim Cahill (226)
Mark Bosnich (206)
Stan Lazaridis
Mathew Ryan (124)#Australia #Socceroos https://t.co/gkKHqVjJCE pic.twitter.com/4wzI7Gq4LJ— Soccer Facts (@Soccer_Stats) October 13, 2023
Although a cult hero at the time, he left in less than favourable circumstances after flirting with a host of top clubs, including Chelsea and Liverpool, which led to him being booed on his return.
He eventually swapped the North West for the capital, moving to West Ham in 2007 where he would spend two years before moving onto Everton. He made a total of 279 Premier League appearances.
4. Mark Schwarzer
Australia’s most capped international player enjoyed a long and fruitful Premier League career spanning nearly two decades and four different clubs.
Undeniably of the most reliable shot stoppers ever seen in the English top-flight, his Premier League journey began with Middlesbrough where he would go on to set the record for the longest-serving foreigner at one club, surpassing Dennis Bergkamp’s record of 315 matches.
Schwarzer featured in European cup finals for both Middlesbrough and Fulham, and would later stand in as a back-up in his 40’s for Chelsea and Leicester. He still holds the record for the all-time oldest player at both clubs, eventually retiring at the age of 43.
3. Harry Kewell
Often hailed as one of, if not the greatest footballing export from out of Australia, Harry Kewell is a name that sends nostalgia rushing through the veins.
Kewell’s Premier League career started at Leeds United after making his way through the youth team and into the first XI.
Despite Leeds’ financial collapse and subsequent relegation towards the end of his eight-year stint, Kewell was integral to their short-lived success on the continent. In the 1999–2000 season, was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year and was included in the PFA Team of the Year.
Inter Milan had a bid of £25 million rejected that season for Kewell, but it wouldn’t be long before he made the switch to Liverpool three years later.
The Reds fought off significant interest from around Europe despite offering less money. His career on Merseyside never really took off despite Rafa Benitez showing faith in him on his countless returns from injury.
A career that may well have been much more prolific had it not been for a succession of spells on the sidelines.
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2. Mark Viduka
A teammate of Kewell’s at Leeds for three years, Mark Viduka was cut from a mould that ceases to exist in this day and age.
A towering presence with a sensible but widely effective playing style, Viduka scored 92 goals in 240 appearances, including 59 in 130 for Leeds.
🥳 Happy birthday, Mark Viduka! pic.twitter.com/g4hUfYsn9z
— Leeds United (@LUFC) October 9, 2023
Rarely does a player come along with such a vast range of qualities; he was impossible to knock off the ball, hugely intelligent when linking the play, highly technical and a sumptuous finisher.
One of football’s biggest ‘what-ifs’ remains what would’ve become of Viduka had he secured a move to a bigger team in 2004, rather than Middlesbrough; the likes of Manchester United and both Milan teams were reported interested parties.
1. Tim Cahill
And so, we arrive at the best Australian to have ever played in the Premier League, Tim Cahill.
Cahill’s straight-laced style and unrelenting work ethic made him an asset to Millwall initially, but Everton is where he really made his mark.
Across 320 top-flight appearances for both clubs, Cahill was largely seen floating in between opposition lines, waiting for an opportunity to surge into the box for a trademark goal. Quite possibly the greatest header of a ball ever seen in the Premier League, he ranks in the overall charts with the eight-most despite standing at just five-foot-ten.
“I head a ball like someone kicks a ball,” once said Cahill, with 21 of his 58 goals for Everton coming courtesy of his crown.
Luckily for Cahill, or perhaps because of him depending on which way you look at it, the jump in popularity of ‘soccer’ in Australia coincided with his rise to prominence.
After being nominated for the Ballon D’or, Cahill’s defining year saw him dovetail the Socceeroos to their first World Cup qualification in 32 years.
He would go on to score their first ever goal at a World Cup during those finals in 2006 – a campaign that remains their best ever after reaching the round of 16.
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