Top 5 foreign players in the history of the Premier League

#3 Didier Drogba

The ultimate big-game player for Chelsea.

The only African player on this list, Didier Drogba is a true Chelsea and Premier League great. His eight-year stint at the club between 2004 and 2012 is what has cemented him as a legend of the game, both in England and his home country of the Ivory Coast.

Drogba was brought to England by Jose Mourinho and in many ways was the quintessential Mourinho centre-forward. As Drogba was a fairly unproven striker in 2004, Mourinho showed a great deal of courage to convince chairman Roman Abramovich to buy him from Marseille, famously telling the Russian oligarch when he raised concerns about the Ivorian's ability.

"Mr Abramovich - pay. Pay and don't speak."

Mourinho used Drogba's strength and ability to out-muscle and bully opposition defenders to great effect. In addition, he could take on shots himself, or play in team-mates.

Drogba's record in his first spell at Chelsea is one to be envied; 157 goals in 341 appearances, including exactly 100 league goals is a commendable return for any top striker. However, his most notable attribute was his penchant for delivering on the big occasion. His record of 10 goals in 10 finals, leading to 10 trophies, just serves to highlight his elite mentality. Drogba was also the man who scored the equaliser in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final for Chelsea against Bayern Munich and also stroked home the winning penalty in the shootout.