The Most Prominent British Footballers Abroad: Bale, Beckham, Charles, Keegan, Waddle

The Rise of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham

In a stunning turn of events, the footballing world has been set ablaze by the incredible performances of England duo Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham since their high-profile moves to European giants Bayern Munich and Real Madrid respectively.

Three months into the season, both players are already topping the goalscoring charts in their respective leagues – Bundesliga and La Liga. It seems they could be on their way to propelling their teams to major silverware this year.

Kane’s Bundesliga Brilliance

Captain of the English national team, Harry Kane, at age 30, has wasted no time making an impact in Germany. Since his summer transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich, he has netted a staggering total of 21 goals in just 15 games. What’s even more remarkable is that he managed to score an astounding record of 17 goals in his first eleven Bundesliga matches alone.

Bellingham Lighting Up La Liga

Jude Bellingham, only twenty years old but immensely talented, is quickly making a name for himself at Real Madrid after leaving Borussia Dortmund. In just fourteen appearances for Los Blancos in La Liga so far this season, he has found the back of the net thirteen times – a truly impressive feat for someone so young.

The British Football Export Legacy Continues…

While Kane and Bellingham may be capturing everyone’s attention right now with their exceptional performances abroad, it’s worth noting that they follow in the footsteps of other British football greats who have made successful moves to foreign leagues.

Owen Hargreaves, Gary Lineker, John Collins, Graeme Souness, David Platt, Trevor Francis, Laurie Cunningham and Glenn Hoddle all had varying degrees of success playing overseas during their careers.

Gareth Bale: The King of British Exports

When it comes to trophies and goalscoring prowess abroad, no one surpasses Wales’ record-breaking forward Gareth Bale. He joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a then-world-record fee of £85 million.

Bale’s time at the Bernabeu was nothing short of extraordinary. In nine years with the club (eight excluding his loan spell back at Spurs), he won an astonishing five Champions League titles – a feat only surpassed by one player in history – Paco Gento. Alongside this remarkable achievement came three La Liga titles, four Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, one Copa del Rey and three Spanish Super Cups.

In 258 appearances for Real Madrid across all competitions, Bale scored an impressive total of 106 goals and provided 57 assists. However, despite his incredible success on the field, his time in Spain was marred by media scrutiny and fan criticism.

The Final Chapter

Bale ultimately ended his career on a high note by joining LA Galaxy FC after leaving Real Madrid. His final club match saw him score a last-minute equalizer in extra time during the 2022 MLS final against Philadelphia Union before winning the MLS Cup on penalties. Two months later following the World Cup with Wales,

A Global Icon: David Beckham

No list of British football exports would be complete without mentioning the iconic David Beckham. His transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003 captivated fans around the world and made headlines everywhere.

Beckham’s three-year stint in Madrid saw him win both La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup before moving on to LA Galaxy, where he clinched three MLS Cup titles. He also had a brief loan spell at Milan where he achieved his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League.

The Legacy of John Charles

In Juventus’ centenary year back in 1997, Wales legend John Charles was voted as their greatest foreign player – an incredible accolade considering the club’s illustrious history that includes legends like Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane. Charles became the first British player to make a move abroad when he joined Turin-based giants from Leeds United for a then-record-breaking fee of £65,000 way back in 1957.