We’ve taken a look at some of the biggest British footballers playing abroad to find out how they are performing overseas so far this season.
It’s becoming ever more common for British footballers to move on to the continent and ply their trade in foreign leagues.
The likes of Gary Lineker, Steve McManaman and David Beckham all made headlines when they swapped our rainy isles for a sunnier European climate.
More recently, Gareth Bale enjoyed great success, winning no fewer than five UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid.
But for every success story, there are those who struggled.
Michael Owen played just one season in Madrid before returning to England, while Paul Gascoigne’s spell in Italy with Lazio was marred with off-field incidents and poor form.
So with more top British stars than ever moving overseas, we at SportsCasting have provided a round-up of how they’re getting on.
British Footballers Playing Abroad
There are dozens of English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish footballers playing abroad this season.
For the sake of this article, we are sticking to the more well-known names to make the switch.
British Players In Germany
Germany has become a popular destination for British stars.
Young English talents like Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham moved to the Bundesliga in order to kickstart their careers.
At present, several top names are plying their trade in Germany.
Harry Kane – Bayern Munich
England skipper Harry Kane has been incredible for Bayern Munich.
Since joining from Tottenham in 2023, he has scored a ridiculous 105 goals in 108 games.
This season, he already has 20 in just 12 appearances.
The stats suggest Harry Kane will win the Ballon d’Or, we we’d struggle to argue against it.
Jarell Quansah – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah swapped Anfield for Leverkusen over the summer.
The 22-year-old has made nine appearances so far in all competitions scoring one goal.
For a youngster struggling to nail a starting spot with Arne Slot’s Reds, this looks to have been a great move so far.
Jobe Bellingham – Borussia Dortmund
Following the same path as his brother Jude, the younger Bellingham has also joined Borussia Dortmund.
However, the 20-year-old has struggled for minutes at BVB, and has been linked with a shock January move away.
He has managed two assists in 11 games, but is yet to earn a regular starting spot.
Carney Chukwuemeka – Borussia Dortmund
Also at Dortmund is ex-Chelsea midfielder, Carney Chukwuemeka.
The 22-year-old has made 23 appearances for Dortmund since joining last season.
While by no means a star, he has established himself as a solid squad player and features regularly.
British Players In France
One very uncommon, France is also growing as a place filled with British talent.
While not boasting any current England starters, there are plenty of familiar names in Ligue 1 at present.
Angel Gomes – Olympique Marseille
Capped four times by England, Angel Gomes broke through at Manchester United before spending most of his senior career overseas.
After spells with Boavista and Lille, he has now joined Marseille, where he’s made nine appearances this season, scoring one goal.
CJ Egan-Riley – Olympique Marseille
Also at Marseille is defender CJ Egan-Riley.
The 22-year-old joined from Burnley over the summer, and has made five appearances for the French side.
A product of Manchester City’s academy, Egan-Riley also had a spell in Scotland with Hibernian FC.
Ben Chilwell – RC Strasbourg
Ex-Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell is also playing in France currently.
The 28-year-old won 21 caps for England while at Stamford Bridge.
After a season with Crystal Palace, he joined Strasbourg in the summer window.
But having made just four appearances, it seems he’s struggling for minutes over in France as well.
Charlie Cresswell – FC Toulouse
Young defender Charlie Cresswell swapped Leeds United for Ligue 1 last season, and is doing well so far.
Still only 23, he’s made 42 appearances for Toulouse in two seasons, scoring six goals and adding three assists from central defence.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles – Olympique Lyon
Arsenal academy graduate Ainsley Maitland-Niles has spent a large chunk of his career on the continent.
He’s played for Roma in Italy as well as current club Lyon, either side of a disastrous spell with Southampton that ended in relegation.
At Lyon, he’s performed better, though. With 84 appearances in three seasons he’s become a mainstay of the Ligue 1 side.
Tyler Morton – Olympique Lyon
Another English player at Lyon is Tyler Morton.
Morton joined from Liverpool over the summer, and the 22-year-old midfielder has since played 10 times, scoring one goal.
Having been unable to break into the Liverpool first team and spending time on load with Hull and Blackburn, he now seems to be finding his feet in France.
British Players In Italy
While Germany and France have featured English stars, Italy’s Serie A has become the home of a number of Scottish players.
Scott McTominay – SSC Napoli
few British footballers playing abroad have done better than this man.
Scott McTominay’s Ballom d’Or odds have been slashed since the former Manchester United man moved to Napoli.
Still only 28, he is reaching the peak of his career and playing the best football of his life.
In two seasons with Napoli, he’s made 45 appearances, scoring 16 goals and providing seven assists from defensive midfield.
Lewis Ferguson – Bologna FC
McTominay’s Scotland teammate Lewis Ferguson is also playing in Serie A.
The Bologna midfielder joined from Aberdeen in 2022, and has since appeared 97 times.
He’s scored 14 goals and registered six assists for the Italian outfit.
Billy Gilmour – SSC Napoli
Another Scot in Napoli is Billy Gilmour.
The 24-year-old left Brighton last season, having come through the Chelsea academy.
Now in Naples, he has played 37 times for the Serie A side, scoring one goal.
Che Adams – Torino FC
Ex-Southampton striker and Scotland international Che Adams scored 48 times in almost 200 appearances for the Saints.
He joined Torino in 2024, and has gone on to make 47 appearances, scoring 11 goals.
Adams has one so far this season, and has earned 43 caps for Scotland since making his international debut in 2021.
Fikayo Tomori – AC Milan
It’s not just the Scots that have been excelling in Italy, though.
AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori is now entering his sixth season with the Rossoneri after leaving Chelsea in 2020-21.
He has now played 186 times for Milan, scoring seven goals and becoming a key member of Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – AC Milan
Another former Chelsea player, Ruben Loftus-Cheek joined Tomori at AC Milan in 2023.
The midfielder recently returned to the England squad, with fans calling Thomas Tuchel biased after Loftus-Cheek’s recall.
But having made 76 appearances for Milan, scoring 11 goals, he has shown good enough form to justify his inclusion.
Jamie Vardy – US Cremonese 1
And rounding off the top British names in Italy at the moment is a certain Jamie Vardy.
The Leicester City legend and 2016 Premier League winner spent more than a decade in the East Midlands, scoring an incredible 200 goals in 500 games for the Foxes.
Now 38, the veteran striker is playing for US Cremonese in Serie A.
He is yet to score, having made just three league appearances, but the rags-to-riches story of the former non-league star has cemented his place in footballing folklore.
British Players In Spain
And last but not least, some of the biggest British footballers playing abroad are in Spain.
With La Liga offering perhaps the best climate and some of the biggest clubs in the world, it’s no surprise to see top talent leaving the Premier League for a spell in Spain.
Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid
Jude Bellingham’s £88 million move from Dortmund to Real Madrid was one of the biggest transfers in recent years.
The 22-year-old England midfielder spent three seasons in Germany after leaving boyhood club Birmingham City in 2020.
Having made 132 appearances for Dortmund, he’s now played more than 100 games for Real Madrid.
In that time, Bellingham has netted 39 goals and registered 28 assists.
So far this season, he has one goal in seven games for Los Blancos.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – Real Madrid
Things haven’t gone so well for Trent Alexander-Arnold, though.
The Liverpool academy graduate made 354 appearances for the Reds before joining Madrid on a free transfer over the summer.
But despite playing 10 times in all competitions, Trent admitted he’s been struggling at Madrid.
Currently out with a hamstring injury, he will hope to regain his form and fitness quickly.
Conor Gallagher – Atlético de Madrid
On the other side of Madrid, Conor Gallagher has been excellent for Atletico.
Still only 25, the ex-Chelsea midfielder moved to Spain ahead of last season.
He’s since made 62 appearances, scoring five goals and becoming a key figure in Diego Simeone’s side.
Marcus Rashford – FC Barcelona
And the last British footballer playing abroad on our list is Marcus Rashford.
The Manchester United forward is currently on loan at Barcelona, aiming to kickstart his career after a few difficult years.
After Rashford’s La Liga debut was postponed, there were question marks over if he could perform for his new club.
But he certainly seems to have done that, registering 11 goals/assists in just 12 games for Barca.
The 27-year-old netted twice as his side beat Newcastle 2-1 in the Champions League last month, and he bagged another brace against Olympiakos on Tuesday.
Rashford is flourishing in Spain, and has made an instant impact at the Nou Camp.
