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The Premier League has always been known as the promised land for young footballers across the world looking to realise their seemingly impossible dreams.
Mbwanna Samatta is a prime example in this regard. Samatta moved from Belgium to join Birmingham before making a move to Aston Villa. The former Genk forward became the first Tanzanian to score a Premier League goal in his full debut against Bournemouth, instantly placing him alongside some legends in the history books.
The Aston Villa forward will be one of many hoping to follow in the legendary footsteps of both past and present African players to have featured in the Premier League. On that note, let us have a look at five African players who have shone the brightest in the English top flight.
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#5: Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah, better known as the Egyptian King around Merseyside these days, has enjoyed one of the best comeback stories in modern-day football over the last six years, going from Chelsea exile to Liverpool stardom.
After scoring a record number of goals in a single Premier League campaign, with 32, Salah secured both his place in the history books and one alongside the greatest African players to have played in the top division in England.
The former Roma man will be hoping to add to an already stacked Liverpool legacy by winning the club's first-ever Premier League title, and in doing so end a long painful title drought for the Reds.
Salah will undoubtedly go down as one of the best African players to have played in the Premier Leagues. Having already won two Premier League golden boots, Salah could have a stacked trophy cabinet by the end of his career.
#4: Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez will likely go down as the best bargain in Premier League history after arriving in Leicester for a small fee of £450k in 2013 before lifting the title in 2016. The Algerian international went from an unknown winger to the best player in the league in the space of two years, forming one of the most unexpected rises to the top in English football history.
The current Manchester City winger recorded a total of 27 goal contributions in the famous 15/16 season. Mahrez played a crucial role in the completion of the impossible as he became the first African to win the PFA Player of The Year award.
Now playing for Manchester City, Mahrez is enjoying another impressive season. With 17 goal involvements in 23 starts, the Algerian is proving his doubters wrong and winning the faith of Pep Guardiola. The £60 million move will only see the Algerian improve and cement his place alongside other African legends to have played in the Premier League.
#3: Michael Essien
Michael Essien, scorer of screamers, the engine in the midfield, is one of the best African players to ever feature in the Premier League. The Ghanaian midfielder did it all during his time in England at the centre of Jose Mourinho's title-winning Chelsea side.
The former Chelsea man will likely go down as one of the most decorated players to have played in the English top flight. He won 3 Fa Cup titles alongside two Premier League titles and a League Cup win in 2007, highlighting an impressive period of dominance for the Blues in England.
And to top that off, Essien picked up a European Super Cup in 2010 as well as a Champions League medal in 2012 to bring his time in West London to a close.
Essien won't just be remembered for his trophies but for his relentless and unique all-round ability in midfield. The midfielder's rockets against Barcelona in the Champions League and Arsenal in the Premier League are part of Chelsea folklore.
#2: Yaya Toure
During his time at Manchester City, Yaya Toure not only produced one of the best individual seasons the Premier League has ever seen from a midfielder, but also won several honours to help take Manchester City towards English dominance.
The former Barcelona man possesed the unique ability of the power of a 6'2 athlete as well as the elegance of a smaller, usually more technically gifted player. And this helped to form the unstoppable machine that was Yaya Toure during his eight-year spell at Manchester City and, in particular, the 2013/14 season.
The Ivorian's 29-goal contribution helped Manchester City to a second Premier League title, beating Liverpool in the title race, and carrying on a period of dominance.
Toure ended the season with nine assists alongside a whopping 20 goals from midfield, scoring ten goals from 13 set pieces. Not many midfielders have had a better individual season in the Premier League than the former Manchester City midfielder. This fact alone places him among the best African players to have played in the Premier League.
#1: Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba's legacy in the Premier League can be matched by few. The Ivorian will go down as the biggest of big game players the Premier League and perhaps Europe has ever seen. He stood out on occasions when most would have fallen apart and cracked under pressure. Drogba's goals would forever form a part of the history of Chelsea football club. The Ivorian made his goals count as well, winning the Premier League on four occasions alongside winning eight other honours during his time in West London.
Without Drogba, Chelsea wouldn't have been the big club they are today. The former Chelsea forward netted the goal to take Chelsea to extra time in the 2012 Champions League final. Drogba then scored the winning spot-kick in the penalty shootout against Bayern Munich. In the process, Chelsea became the first-ever London club to win the Champions League and Drogba cemented his legacy as a Chelsea legend.
The Ivorian's legacy at Chelsea will likely never be beaten. He scored 104 Premier League goals at the club, becoming the highest-scoring African player in Premier League history.
