7 Best English Players in La Liga History (Ranked)

England have exerted a significant influence over Spanish football for the best part of a century. The Wolverhampton-born Fred Pentland was famously in charge of the Athletic Club side which won the second-ever La Liga title in 1930. The record for the oldest player in the competition’s history is still held by an Englishman. Harry Lowe was 48 when he made up the numbers for Real Sociedad in the 1934-35 season.

Conor Gallagher became the latest English player to ply his trade on Spanish shores. The former Chelsea academy product completed his move from west London to Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid for a fee of around £33.5m in August 2024 and was greeted with an incredible presentation. Not all of his compatriots have been so well received at the end of their stay in Spain.

The midfielder will be the 23rd Englishman to feature in La Liga, with the success levels of those to make the move mixed. Jonathan Woodgate’s ill-fated spell with Real Madrid, which rarely improved after scoring an own goal and getting sent off on his debut, represents the ultimate nadir. Here are the English exports that have enjoyed rather more success in the Spanish top flight.

Ranking Factors

• Impact – How well the player fared in the division.
• Ability – The quality of the player.
• Achievements – The trophies, or lasting legacy of a player in La Liga.

7

Michael Owen

Real Madrid

2001 Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen spent a solitary season in La Liga with Real Madrid following a 2004 move from boyhood club Liverpool, where he had established himself as one of the best strikers on the planet. Moving to the club during its ‘Galacticos’ era, Owen found it tough to settle in Madrid and often played second-fiddle to the legendary Brazilian striker, Ronaldo, failing to score for the club until October.

The jet-heeled finisher found his feet towards the end of his only season in Spain, finishing the campaign with 13 league goals in 36 appearances, but Madrid failed to win a single trophy across the campaign, and Owen soon found himself surplus to requirements with the addition of Robinho in summer 2005. He signed for Newcastle in August 2005, but never regained his Liverpool form.

6

Kieran Trippier

Atletico Madrid

Kieran Trippier’s short stint with Atletico Madrid was a successful one, with the right-back helping the club to the La Liga title in 2020-21, the only major trophy of his career. He joined the Spanish club after four years with Tottenham in 2019, having been part of the Spurs side that lost the Champions League final in the same year.

His brief time with the club was affected by a 10-week football ban for breaching the English FA’s betting rules, although he was still a major part of the club’s title success in that campaign. Trippier joined Newcastle United in January 2022 after falling out of favour in the Spanish capital.

5

Laurie Cunningham

Real Madrid & Sporting Gijon

The first-ever British player to sign for Real Madrid, Laurie Cunningham was a trailblazer for English players abroad as he made a name for himself during his brief time at the Bernabeu. Signing from West Bromwich Albion in 1979, Cunningham immediately helped Los Blancos to a league and cup double in his debut campaign, although injury limited his influence in his remaining seasons with the club.

Cunningham won another Copa del Rey in 1981-82 but was soon shipped out on loan spells to Manchester United and fellow La Liga outfit Sporting Gijon, the latter of whom he played 30 times for. He later played for Rayo Vallecano in the second division on two separate periods, helping the club secure promotion to the top flight in 1989, before his untimely, tragic death in a car accident while playing for Rayo in the same year at the age of 33.

4

David Beckham

Real Madrid

One of the best English footballers of all time, David Beckham joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2003, following a well-publicised falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Despite United agreeing on a deal to sell Beckham to Barcelona, the winger decided instead to join Madrid.

Beckham’s move was one of the famous Galacticos-era signings at the Spanish giants. However, he did not have it all his own way at the Bernabeu, only winning La Liga once during his stint with the club, in his final season in 2006-07. Real went through multiple managers and system changes during Beckham’s time in Spain, meaning that he could never settle fully into the team, and he never quite hit his best form at the club, although he still made over 100 appearances, scoring 13 goals. He joined LA Galaxy in the MLS in 2007, after being informed that his expiring Real Madrid contract would not be renewed.

3

Gary Lineker

Barcelona

Signed by Terry Venables for Barcelona from Everton in 1986 after winning the Golden Boot at the World Cup of the same year, Gary Lineker had a fruitful three-year stint with Barcelona, despite the club never claiming the La Liga title during his time at Camp Nou. One of the greatest attackers of his era, Lineker was known for his clinical nature in front of goal, and this continued during his time with Barca, as he scored 42 goals in 103 league appearances, despite often being deployed on the right wing by manager Johan Cruyff.

Highlights for Lineker at Barcelona included a hat-trick in El Clasico in his debut season, and victories in the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup of 1989. He left the club in 1989 to join Tottenham Hotspur.

2

Steve McManaman

Real Madrid

Spending four years as a Real Madrid player following one of the best free transfers in football history, Steve McManaman was just the second English player to appear for the club after Laurie Cunningham, and was the first Premier League player to make the move. The winger joined during a period of upheaval for Los Blancos, as financial uncertainty had led to many high-profile departures in the weeks surrounding his arrival, including Clarence Seedorf, Davor Suker and Christian Panucci.

McManaman hit the ground running, winning the Champions League in his debut campaign and scoring a goal in the showpiece fixture. He later added another continental triumph, as well as two La Liga titles before his departure in 2003, thanks in part to the arrivals of stars such as Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Luis Figo which saw his impact diminished. He joined Manchester City in 2003 but still remains respected by Real Madrid to this day thanks to his professionalism and versatility.

1

Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid

One of the most expensive English players of all time, Jude Bellingham has justified his price tag in his short time with Real Madrid after a sensational debut campaign in 2023-24 that saw the Birmingham City youth graduate finish as the club’s top league goalscorer, as well as winning a La Liga and Champions League double. Having signed for €103m (£88.5m) from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, Bellingham instantly endeared himself to the Real Madrid faithful with his technical ability and presence on the pitch, as well as his remarkable experience and maturity despite still only being 21 years old.

Bellingham scored 10 goals in his first 10 league games for the club, a tally that matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s record, despite playing as a midfielder. Two goals on his Clasico debut, including a 30-yard opener and last-minute winner, further raised his stock. The Englishman’s opening season in Madrid was so impressive, that he elbowed his way into the conversation about this year’s Ballon d’Or winners.

Stats via Transfermarkt. Correct as of 22nd August 2024.