Top 5 footballers in Asian Leagues

Europe can be called the Mecca of football as it witnessesplayers like Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo playing in different countriesof the continent.Every non-EU footballer wants to ply his trade in this continent. In such a scenario,very few players want to play in Asia.However, in recent times, players who wereready to explore uncharted territorylike Nilmar, Raul, Alessandro Del Piero are now plying in the worlds largest continent.In this article, we have a look atthe 5 best footballers (Asian or not) playing in any AFC league.DISCLAIMER: The views being represented here are the authors and do not in any way represent Sportskeedas view.

#5 Hugo Viana (Al-Ahli, UAE)

Hugo Viana is a 31 year old Portuguese international currently playing for Al-Ahli in UAE. Viana has a lot of experience having played in the Primeira Liga with Sporting CP, Premier League with Newcastle United and La Liga with Valencia.

The midfielder was also an important part of the Braga squad between 2009 and 2013.

In 2013, he started his journey in Asia. Viana was capped 29 times by the national team between 2002 and 2012,during which time he also scored a goal against Latvia.

#4 Javad Nekounam (Al-Kuwait, KUWAIT)

The Iran captain currently plays for Kuwaiti champions Al-Kuwait SC. The 6ft 1 inch tall defensive midfielder has not only played for CA Osasuna in La Liga but also was the captain of the team. After joining the club in 2006 from Al Sharjah he became an intrinsic part of the their squad.

After he left the club in 2014, he had a brief stint with Esteghal before signing for the AFC Cup champions.

Nekounam has collected 136 caps for the national team since 2000.

#3 Osmar Barba (FC Seoul)

A product of the Racing Santander youth academy, Barba kicked off his career in Asia with Buriram United of Thailand. This Spanish player can either play as a center back or as a defensive midfielder.

In his second second season with Buriram, Barba won the best defender of Thailand award and also won the Buriram United player of season. Currently, he plays for FC Seoul in South Korea. He is also the penalty specialist for the team.

#2 Asamoah Gyan (Al-Ain, UAE)

Asamoah Gyan needs no introduction. The former Sunderland striker has been hailed by many as one of the greatest foreign footballers to play in Asia. Gyan also has the experience of playing in France, Italy and England. He was loaned to Al-Ain where he scored 22 goals in 18 matches while on loan.

After this impressive display Gyan signed permanently with the Arab club. As of 13 May 2014, he has netted 100 goals in just 89 matches for the club.

The 29 year old player has been capped 77 times by Ghana national football team.

#1 Zheng Zhi (Guangzhou Evergrande, CHINA)

The captain of the defending AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande is currently the best player in Asia. The midfielder’s top form was witnessed by the world during the Club World Cup in Morocco.

Zheng was seen at Charlton Athletic between 2006 and 2009. This was followed by a disappointing season with Celtic. Then he joined Guangzhou Evergrande (then in the Chinese Second tier), and since then has became an important player for the team.

Besides featuring in the Chinese Super League team of the season twice, he is also the AFC Player of the year for 2013.