5 greatest Italians to have played in the Premier League

Modified Feb 01, 2017 07:50 GMT

LONDON - MARCH 23: Carlo Cudicini of Chelsea in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on March 23, 2008 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) — Cudicini was unlucky to have spent so much time on the bench

#3 Gianluca Vialli

2 Nov1996: Gianluca Vialli takes to the air to control the ball before scoring Chelsea''s second goal during the Manchester United v Chelsea Premier League match at Old Trafford in Manchester, Great Britain. Mandatory Credit: Clive Brunskill/Allsport — Gianluca Vialli made an impact on the pitch as well as off it

Vialli arrived at Chelsea during the later stages of his career but nonetheless made a big impact. The player made 58 appearances for the Blues and scored 21 goals in the 3 seasons that he spent at Stamford Bridge. The player could never win the Premier League with the Blues but won the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup as well as the UEFA Super Cup and enjoyed great success in the short time that he was at the club.

In 1998, after the sacking of Ruud Gullit, Vialli was made a player-manager for the club and became a part of record books by becoming the first Italian manager in the English Premier League. The Blues finished 4^th that season in the league, one of their highest ever finishes during that period.

Vialli’s managerial tenure was shortlived as he received the sack after a falling out with some core players at the club.

Edited by Staff Editor