The huge continent of Asia has produced its justifiable share of nice footballing expertise over time, with a good few gamers coming to play within the Premier League.
Japanese and South Korean stars make up nearly all of them, however others have made their mark on the English prime flight too.
Right here, we run by means of the perfect Asian gamers in Premier League historical past…
Hidetoshi Nakata (Japan)
Hidetoshi Nakata taking part in for Bolton Wanderers in opposition to Middlesbrough, 2006 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
One in all Asia’s greatest-ever gamers, 77-cap Japan star Hidetoshi Nakata completed his taking part in profession on mortgage at Bolton Wanderers from Fiorentina.
The midfielder made 21 Premier League appearances for the Trotters through the 2005/06 season, serving to them safe one other top-half end underneath Sam Allardyce. He scored his solely objective in a 2-0 win over West Ham.
Takumi Minamino (Japan)
Takumi Minamino celebrates after scoring for Liverpool in opposition to Arsenal, 2021 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Having established himself within the European recreation at Purple Bull Salzburg, versatile attacker Takumi Minamino joined Liverpool in January 2020.
He collected a Premier League winner’s medal in his first season at Anfield and scored objectives within the competitors for the Reds and Southampton, with whom he spent the latter a part of the 2020/21 marketing campaign on mortgage.
Seol Ki-hyeon (South Korea)
Seol Ki-hyeon taking part in for Studying in opposition to Sheffield United, 2007 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Debuting in English soccer with Wolves within the Championship, winger Seol Ki-hyeon moved to Studying forward of their maiden top-flight marketing campaign of 2006/07 – and he performed an essential position within the Royals’ spectacular eighth-placed end.
After just one full season in Berkshire, Seol made the change to fellow Prem membership Fulham, the place he took his look complete within the competitors to 48.
Junichi Inamoto (Japan)
Junichi Inamoto taking part in for Fulham in opposition to Chelsea, 2002 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Having did not make a Premier League look on mortgage from Gamba Osaka at Arsenal, Junichi Inamoto went on to function 69 occasions within the competitors throughout spells with Fulham and West Brom.
An aggressive midfielder who wasn’t averse to scoring spectacularly from vary, the 82-cap Japan worldwide helped Fulham end ninth within the prime flight in 2003/04, Chris Coleman’s first full season accountable for the Cottagers.
Solar Jihai (China)
Solar Jihai taking part in for Manchester Metropolis in opposition to Sunderland, 2002 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
One of many few Chinese language gamers to ply their commerce within the Premier League, Solar Jihai joined then second-tier Manchester Metropolis from Dalian Shide in 2002 – having beforehand performed on mortgage for Crystal Palace on the similar degree.
Promoted to the highest flight in his first season at Metropolis, the centre-back went on to make over 100 Premier League appearances and have become the primary East Asian participant to attain within the competitors – doing so in a 2-0 victory over Birmingham Metropolis.
Takehiro Tomiyasu (Japan)
Takehiro Tomiyasu taking part in for Arsenal in opposition to Everton, 2021 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Arsenal swooped to signal versatile full-back Takehiro Tomiyasu for round £15m from Bologna in the summertime of 2021.
Adept at right-back, left-back and centre-half, Tomiyasu made an prompt impression with the Gunners, successful the membership’s September Participant of the Month award with greater than half of the votes. He featured greater than 20 occasions in every of his first three Premier League campaigns.
Wataru Endo (Japan)
Wataru Endo taking part in for Liverpool in opposition to Bournemouth, 2023 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
One thing of a shock signing when he arrived at Liverpool from Stuttgart in the summertime of 2023, Wataru Endo proved to be a really helpful acquisition for the Reds.
A wonderful ball-winner in the midst of the park, the Japan common chalked up 29 Premier League outings in his debut season at Anfield, scoring his first objective to equalise in an exhilarating 4-3 win in opposition to Fulham.
Ki Sung-yueng (South Korea)
Ki Sung-yueng taking part in for Swansea in opposition to Stoke Metropolis, 2014 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Capped 110 occasions by South Korea, midfielder Ki Sung-yueng spent his prime years within the Premier League, turning out 139 occasions for Swansea Metropolis, in addition to making 27 appearances on mortgage at Sunderland and taking part in an extra 21 video games for Newcastle.
Ki was voted Swansea’s Participant of the Season because the Welsh facet – who he joined from Celtic in 2012 – completed eighth within the prime flight in 2014/15.
Hwang Hee-chan (South Korea)
Hwang Hee-chan celebrates after scoring for Wolves in opposition to Burnley, 2023 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
An thrilling ahead nicknamed ‘The Bull’ for his aggressive method, Hwang Hee-chan arrived at Wolves on mortgage from RB Leipzig in the summertime of 2021.
After 5 objectives in his first Premier League season, Hwang made his transfer to Molineux everlasting. He loved a very memorable 2023/24 marketing campaign, discovering the web 12 occasions – together with six within the first 10 matches.
Shinji Okazaki (Japan)
Shinji Okazaki celebrates with the Premier League trophy after successful the 2015/16 title with Leicester (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Amongst Japan’s all-time main marksmen, Shinji Okazaki was successful with Leicester followers – not least for starring of their against-the-odds Premier League title triumph of 2015/16, his first season on the membership after signing from Mainz.
Okazaki fashioned a extremely efficient partnership with prime scorer Jamie Vardy, chipping in with 5 objectives himself over the course of the marketing campaign – together with a shocking overhead kick in opposition to Newcastle which despatched Claudio Ranieri’s group 5 factors clear on the prime of the desk. He notched 14 Prem objectives for the Foxes in all.
Ali Al-Habsi (Oman)
Goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi leans on the goalpost whereas taking part in for Wigan in opposition to Manchester United, 2010 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Ali Al-Habsi went from placing out flames as a firefighter in his native Oman to maintaining out pictures within the Premier League, the place he starred most prominently for Wigan Athletic, successful the Latics’ 2020/11 Participant of the Season award.
Signed by Bolton from Norwegian facet Lyn in 2005, the six-foot-four goalkeeper saved 23 clear sheets in 111 Prem appearances – 101 of which got here within the colors of Wigan.
Maya Yoshida (Japan)
Maya Yoshida gestures whereas taking part in for Southampton in opposition to Everton, 2018 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Signed from VVV-Venlo late in the summertime 2012 switch window, Maya Yoshida rapidly turned a key participant for Southampton, forming a powerful central defensive partnership with Jose Fonte which helped the Saints to 14th place upon their return to the Premier League.
Capped 126 occasions by his nation, Yoshida racked up 154 Prem appearances in complete, all of them for the South Coast membership.
Shinji Kagawa (Japan)
Shinji Kagawa celebrates after finishing a hat-trick for Manchester United in opposition to Norwich Metropolis, 2013 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
All-time Japanese nice Shinji Kagawa was the primary participant from his nation to win the Premier League title, doing so in 2012/13, his first season at Manchester United.
Additionally the primary Asian participant to hit a hat-trick within the competitors, scoring three of United’s objectives in a 4-0 thrashing of Norwich Metropolis, the artistic midfielder recorded 12 objective contributions (6 objectives, 6 assists) in 38 Prem outings earlier than returning to Borussia Dortmund in 2014.
Kaoru Mitoma (Japan)
Kaoru Mitoma celebrates after scoring for Brighton in opposition to Bournemouth, 2023 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
An electrical dribbler and all-round attacking risk, Kaoru Mitoma established himself as considered one of Japan’s foremost footballing stars of the early 2020s, becoming a member of Brighton from Kawasaki Frontale in 2021.
Initially loaned to Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise, Mitoma made his Premier League debut in 2022 and scored 10 objectives in his first two seasons. He received the league’s August 2023 Aim of the Month award for a devastating solo effort in opposition to Wolves.
Park Ji-sung (South Korea)
Park Ji-sung poses with Sir Alex Ferguson after signing for Manchester United in 2005 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
Among the many most adorned Asian footballers of all time, Park Ji-sung helped Manchester United to 4 Premier League titles between 2007 and 2011.
A £4m signing from PSV in 2005, Park was a extremely adaptable all-action midfielder whose unimaginable power reserves earned him the nickname ‘Three-Lung’ Park. He made 154 English top-flight appearances in all (134 for United, 20 for QPR), scoring 19 objectives and aiding an extra 21.
Son Heung-min (South Korea)
Son Heung-min celebrates together with his trademark ‘digicam’ celebration after scoring for Tottenham in opposition to Everton, 2024 (Picture credit score: Alamy)
For us – and for a lot of – Son Heung-min is the best Asian participant ever, cementing his standing as a prime, prime expertise at Tottenham – who he joined from Bayer Leverkusen for a then Asian-record £22m in 2015.
The 2021/22 season noticed the explosively quick ahead change into Asia’s first Premier League Golden Boot winner, whereas he handed the milestone of 100 Prem objectives for Spurs the next marketing campaign – earlier than turning into membership captain forward in the summertime of 2023.
