Since the inception of the EPL more than 30 years ago, some of its most famous and memorable stars have come from overseas. Thierry Henry and Eric Cantona from France, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba from Ivory Coast and most recently, Erling Haarland from Norway, the list goes on. In fact, the league has featured players from 113 different countries. These include more than 50 players from Australia.
Australia’s love of sport and gambling
Now the Land Down Under is famous for its love of sport, and for placing a wager on the outcome. Australia’s prowess at cricket and rugby is well known, but the Socceroos have traditionally struggled to compete with the best on the world stage. Still, they have qualified for this year’s World Cup and fans will be flocking loyally to the top Aussie betting sites and online casinos in Australia for real money wagers on their team to at least spring a surprise or two in the groups stage, and potentially to qualify for the knockout phase.
That might sound optimistic for what is, after all, considered a footballing minnow, but Aussies love placing a bet against the odds. Also, the nation has a track record of producing a couple of players in every generation who can turn a game on its head single handedly. Still not convinced? Let’s meet some Aussie players who made a habit of doing exactly that against Premier League opposition.
Mark Schwarzer
Schwarzer was a constant feature of the socceroos for 20 years, but is also recognised as one of the finest goalkeepers ever to play in the Premier League. A useful fact for sports quizzers is that he was the first ever non-English player to play in 500 EPL games. He passed the landmark in 2013 at the age of 40 during his two year stint with Fulham. He transferred to Chelsea just before turning 41 and had two seasons there before finally hanging up his boots.
Harry Kewell
Kewell is remembered as one of the Everton greats, but it was Leeds who first recognised his potential and signed him as a teenager. 181 appearances and 45 games later, he moved to Liverpool where he became the first, and so far only, Australian to win a Champions League medal before finally arriving at Goodison Park.
Mark Viduka
The captain of Australia’s most successful World Cup team in 2006 was a veritable goal machine in the Premier League. Like Kewell, he started his career in Leeds, where he enjoyed four successful seasons and made 130 appearances, before moving first to Middlesborough and then to Newcastle.
Lucas Neil
The centre back from Sydney had the unenviable task of replacing Viduka as Socceroos skipper, a role made doubly difficult due to his lack of popularity among the uncompromising fans. They simply didn’t think he was worth his place as a player, never mid as captain. Premier League fans were justifiably shocked by the attitude, as Neil proved to be one of the toughest defenders in the league between 2000 and 2010.
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