Top 5 foreign players in the history of the Premier League

#1 Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry was brought to England by fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger in July 1999.

Arguably the greatest foreign player to ever pull on a Premier League jersey, Thierry Henry was brought to England by fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger in July, 1999. Signed from Italian giants Juventus for £11 million following disagreements with the club's hierarchy, even Henry would not have been able to predict the kind of career he would enjoy in North London.

Starting his career as a winger, Henry was converted to a striker by Wenger, and proved to be a star. His record of goal involvements for Arsenal is unbelievable, as he ranks fifth on the Premier League all-time goal scoring chart, with 175, and 11th for most assists, with 74. In his eight full seasons at Arsenal, Henry hit double figures for goals in every single season, including 2006/07, his last campaign there, in which he scored 10 goals in just 17 games. His overall record for Arsenal saw him score 226 goals in 369 games and his best goal-scoring season coincided with the 'Invincibles' season, in which Arsenal lifted the league title while going unbeaten all season.

Henry often did things on the pitch that were almost impossible, most notably his goal against Manchester United, where he flicked the ball up facing away from goal, before swivelling and volleying it into the top corner, from 30 yards out. His silky touch and ability on the ball made him a joy to watch for the purist and often left opposition fans in despair.

An all-time Premier League legend, Henry's status among Arsenal and indeed, English fans will never be in doubt.