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The Premier League houses 63.8% of foreign players as of now. Among those, a majority hail from France. The French side have undoubtedly boasted a bagful of talent ever since the beginning.
The reigning world champions have their starlets deployed across various top-level clubs across Europe's top five leagues. However, this isn't just the story of the present. France were always one of the front-runners when it came to talented individuals.
Since the 1992-93 season (when the Premier League was founded), 226 French players have plied their trades in the world's most-followed league. Football fans from around the globe were treated to a high level of skilled football by the French players.
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On the same note, let's take a look at some French players who got the crowd excited the most.
Top 5 French players who have scored the most goals in Premier League history.
Note: Only stats from 1992-93 (when the league was renamed to the Premier League) until today are being considered.
#5 Eric Cantona (Leeds, Manchester United) — 70 goals
Lauded as one of the greatest footballers of his time, Eric Contana managed to secure 70 goals in the Premier League. Starting off his career with Auxerre back in 1983, Cantona spent subsequent years at numerous clubs without much stability.
After being signed by Leeds in 1992, the Frenchman embarked towards England. He didn't have to wait long to find glory at his new home. Eric Cantona was signed by Manchester United upon special request by Sir Alex the following year itself.
Eric Cantona remained a Red Devil for five seasons. Along with his infamous kung-fu kick, Cantona also used his feet to score 64 league goals for United.
#4 Louis Saha (Newcastle, Fulham, Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham, Sunderland) — 85 goals
Louis Saha is not just the fourth highest scoring Frenchman in the history of the Premier League but also one of the most loved French players in England.
Between 1999 and 2013, the Paris-born forward played for six different English teams. Saha enjoyed most of his glorious days at Fulham and that is where he accumulated the most number of goals (53) too.
His heroics against Manchester United urged Sir Alex to rope-in the Frenchman at Old Trafford. Saha, who was excited about the interest from United, handed in the transfer request and moved to Manchester where he scored six goals in his first six appearances.
If it hadn't been marred by injuries, Saha's career would have been one of the best in the history of Manchester United. He added 28 goals in the Manchester jersey.
#3 Olivier Giroud (Arsenal, Chelsea) — 90
If taken a peep into the stat book, it would clearly depict the fact that Olivier Giroud is indeed one of the most underrated and under-appreciated players ever.
Known for his superior aerial abilities and impactful cameo appearances, Olivier Giroud was a regular in finding the back of the net. Since joining Arsenal in 2012, the French striker has played in about 180 Premier League games as a Gunner.
In the process, he netted 73 goals. Despite earning a contract extension, Giroud made the switch to rival side Chelsea in 2017. He adapted quickly with the Blues and was often deployed as a supporting factor to the club's MVP Eden Hazard.
Giroud, who has had a decent career so far for the national team as well, remains one of the most prolific and admired players in the history of EPL.
#2 Nicolas Anelka (Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, West Brom) — 125 goals
Nicolas Anelka is one of the few players to have played for over 10+ clubs throughout his career. Nevertheless, the France international spent a majority of his time in England.
Over the course of years, Anelka has played for Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City, Bolton, Chelsea and West Brom. In the process, he has bagged a total of 125 goals in the Premier League.
Even though it was with Chelsea that Anelka scored the most number of goals (38), he was on a different level with Manchester City. Anelka scored 37 goals off just 89 games for the Sky Blues; as opposed to 37 off 125 games for the Londoners.
Despite club loyalty not being one of his strong departments, there never came an instance when Anelka wasn't on any top team's watchlist.
#1 Thierry Henry (Arsenal) — 175 goals
Before we accredit Thierry Henry to being the Frenchman with the highest number of goals in the EPL, let us also reflect on something else.
Henry is also considered one of the best strikers in the history of Arsenal, the Premier League, France and football itself. After an unsettling tenure in Italy, Henry arrived in England and signed for Arsenal.
It was at Highbury and then the Emirates that the world saw the evolution of one of the greatest strikers of modern football. The two-time European Golden boot winner smashed almost every club record and remains arguably the greatest Arsenal player ever.
Henry has netted 175 Premier League goals for the Gunners.
