Top 5 sportspersons who represented multiple countries during their careers

The world of sport has seen some truly dominant athletes who have left a lasting imprint which is impossible to be replicated by anyone else. But some of these stalwarts, due to certain reasons, had to switch their nationality.

For this list only those players have been included who changed their nationalities during their careers and by career, here, is only meant their senior or professional careers when they were competing at the international stage. Thus, sportsmen playing for different nationalities during their junior or university or at any such similar stage are not included here. Apart from this, also from every sport only one player has been included in this list.

Here is a look at those five successful players who reached pinnacle of their respective sports discliplines, while also representing multiple nationalities during their careers.

#5 Eoin Morgan-Cricket

From Ireland to England

The Irishman began his international career for his native country in 2006, when he played his first One Day International against Scotland. In total, Morgan played twenty three ODIs for Ireland, during which time he scored 744 runs at an average of 35.42 including a century against Canada.

Since childhood, it had been a dream for Morgan to play for England and this finally came to fruition when he made his ODI debut for England in 2009 against West Indies. Ever since joining the English side, Morgan has cemented his place in the team and is currently the captain in ODI and T20I formats.

Till now, Morgan has amassed more than 4,000 runs at an average of 37.14, which includes seven centuries in 137 matches for England. Even with such numbers, Morgan has been inconsistent in his career, with numerous highs and lows during more than half a decade with the team. But still his ability as a ‘match finisher’ remains unprecedented, having helped England triumph in several critical matches.

#4 Chris Froome-Cycling

From Kenya to Great Britain

Currently perhaps the most promising cyclist, Froome began his professional career in 2007 initially representing Kenya. For the African nation, Froome produced several strong results at international tournaments, which included first position in stage six of the 2007 Tour of Japan, eighth at 2007 Tour du Doubs and fourth overall at 2008 Herald Tour among others.

By the end of 2008, Froome’s impressive form had several eyebrows raised in the cycling world including British cycling coach Rod Ellingworth. Coincidentally, Froome too had wanted to race under the union flag for a long time, having earlier said that he had always felt British and was even carrying a British passport.

Later that year, Froome received official approval to represent Britain, and since then he has never looked back. In the late 2000s, he continued to achieve further strong results at several other international tournaments, before finally establishing his foothold in the sport after finishing second overall at the 2011 Vuelta a Espana.

Since his breakthrough, he has finished second overall at the 2012 Tour de France, clinched bronze medal in time trial at the 2012 Olympics, finished first overall at the 2013 Tour of Oman, finished first overall at the 2013 Tour de France, finished first overall at the 2014 Tour de Romandie, finished first overall at the 2015 Tour de France and the list goes on and on. Currently thirty one years old, he still has almost a decade to go in his career.

#3 Alfredo Di Stefano–Football

From Argentina to Colombia to Spain

Although Di Stefano played during the 1950s, but inspite of this his fame endures to this day, majorly due to the astonishing record he has with the Spanish giants Real Madrid. His major role in the club’s five successive Champions League triumphs in the late 1950s and early 1960s is still remembered by football fans around the globe.

But what many do not know is that in his international career, he played for three different countries. Beginning with the country of his birth Argentina, Di Stefano made six appearances, during which time the team lifted the 1947 South American Championship or the Copa America as it is known now.

In late 1940s, due to a general strike in the country which also affected professional football there, Di Stefano moved to Colombia. For them, he made just four international appearances while playing for the Colombian club Millonarios Bogota.

In 1953, he signed up for the Spanish club Real Madrid and subsequently in 1956, acquired Spanish citizenship. For Spain, he appeared in more than 30 matches, but unluckily never played in a World Cup during his entire career. He retired by the end of 1962 and continued to live in Spain until his death in 2014.

#2 Merlene Ottey–Athletics

From Jamaica to Slovenia

Born and brought up in Jamaica, Ottey represented her birth nation for the most of her career. During this while, she made several records in 100 m and 200 m, several of which still remain unbeaten to this day. Her professional career began way back in 1979 at the Pan American Games, where she clinched silver medal.

This was only the beginning as she dominated during the next two decades. At the Olympics in the 1980s and 1990s, she took a total of three silver and six bronze medals across several disciplines which included 100 m, 200 m and 4x100, relay. Her form is even more astounding at World Championships wherein between 1983 and 1995, she amassed three gold, four silver and seven bronze medals.

But after controversy relating to her selection at the 2000 Olympics, she decided to leave Jamaica for Slovenia, a country which she has represented since 2002. Although since then her medal tally has dried up, but she still remains competitive in what has been a more than three decade long career, which is the longest for an international sprinter.

#1 Martina Navratilova – Tennis

From Czechoslovakia to the U.S.A

With her astonishing record, it is no wonder that Navaratilova is considered to be amongst the very elite personalities to have ever graced the sport. In a career spanning three decades, she won numerous titles, both in singles and doubles.

Born and brought up in then-Czechoslovakia, Navratilova had discontent with the restrictions under the communist government which ruled at the time, for example, most of her sports activities and schedule were arbitrarily influenced by the national tennis federation. Further her interaction with her western counterparts only increased this discontent. Finally in 1975, she left for the United States and began playing under its nationality, while subsequently being granted full citizenship in 1981.

Competing for Czechoslovakia in mid 1970s, she made it to the finals of both Australian and French Open in 1975. But her career picked up in the late 1970s when she won Wimbledon twice. This was followed by her utter dominance throughout the 1980s, during which time she won Wimbledon six times, Australian Open thrice, French Open twice and US open four times. In the same decade she also maintained a similar stellar record in grand slam doubles too.

She continued to play throughout the 1990s and early 2000s and most remarkably she continued to win tournaments in mixed doubles well into the new millennium. It was only in 2006 that she finally retired and that too after winning in the mixed doubles at that year’s US Open. In 2008, she re-acquired Czech citizenship and as of now, holds citizenship of both the countries.