Brief history of British players in Spain

#2 Steve McManaman (Real Madrid - 1999-2003)

Steve McManaman of Real Madrid

Although Lineker did well, Steve McManaman is the leading light when it comes to British players in Spain. In the 4 seasons he spent at the Bernabeu, Real were crowned Spanish champions twice and European champions twice, along with a Spanish Cup and a European Super Cup to add some gloss.

He scored in the 2000 Champions League final win over Valencia in what was arguably his finest moment in a Real shirt. With that win, he became the first British player to win a Champions League with a foreign club. He repeated the feat a couple of seasons later, when Real beat Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 final, with McManaman scoring a vital goal in the semi-final against Barcelona.

His time at Real was not smooth-sailing however. In his second season, Real wanted to sell him as Florentino Perez became president of the club and went about implementing his Galactico policy, but his persistence to stay put despite offers from various clubs meant he forced himself into their plans and played a prominent role in his next 3 seasons. He won a total of 8 trophies, becoming the most successful English football export to ever play overseas in terms of trophies, and is now listed as a club legend in Real Madrid’s official website.