They were all trailblazers and trendsetters, their tales relayed through continental dispatches and espresso-fuelled Saturday morning showreels.
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tales → relay → dispatches
Yet what was once an exotic European escapade for Britain's star footballers is now a well-trodden pilgrimage, as an increasing number of players eye opportunities further afield.
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number → tread → opportunities
Eight of England's most recent World Cup squad are currently playing abroad - from Munich to Madrid, and Milan to the Middle East - while Scotland have even more overseas, predominantly in Serie A.
So while we acknowledge and applaud the groundwork put in by those early jetsetters, this week we're looking at the best British exports since the turn of the century.
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we → play → century
I've ranked my top 10 below - you can have you say in the comments, too.
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you → rank → comments
10. Kieran Trippier - Atletico Madrid
Kieran Trippier was seemingly deemed surplus to requirements at Tottenham after the north London outfit's Champions League final defeat by Liverpool in 2019, but the defender managed to renew his career under Diego Simeone in Spain.
The right-back became Atletico Madrid's first English player in almost a century, and then helped Los Rojiblancos win only their second La Liga title since the turn of the millennium, breaking the Barcelona and Real Madrid stranglehold.
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Rojiblancos → deem → stranglehold
It was the first trophy of his career, and Trippier returned to the Premier League after his Spanish sabbatical renewed, refreshed and ready to enjoy a successful spell at Newcastle.
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Trippier → return → Newcastle
Fikayo Tomori - AC Milan
John Charles, three-times winner; Jimmy Greaves, with Milan in 1961-62; and Gerry Hitchens, with Inter the following season, were the only British players to clinch a Scudetto before Juventus' Aaron Ramsey ended a wait that stretched back more than half a century in 2020.
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that → clinch → 2020
Ramsey's Turin expedition, though, was inconsistent and expensive, and while Ashley Young then helped Inter win a first title in 11 years, his San Siro stay lasted only 18 months.
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stay → help → years
So the Scudetto winner we're plumping for here is Milan stalwart Fikayo Tomori.
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we → plump → ?
The England defender lifted the prize in 2021-22, earning a spot in the Serie A team of the season on the way.
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defender → lift → way
Jadon Sancho's career may not have continued on the trajectory many expected when he departed Germany in a £73m move for Old Trafford, four years after initially leaving Manchester, but his time at Dortmund was an undoubted success.
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time → continue → Dortmund
It was brave, as a 17-year-old, to reject Manchester City and move to a new country, but the young winger was vindicated with rapid progress at Dortmund.
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winger → reject → Dortmund
In his second season, Sancho scored 12 goals and added 18 assists in 34 Bundesliga games, the following term he netted 17 times.
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he → score → games
In fact, by the time Sancho left Dortmund aged 21 he'd scored 50 goals and made 64 assists across 137 games in all competitions, winning a German Cup and finishing runner-up in both the European Golden Boy prize and the Kopa Trophy for the world's best young player.
More than that, he helped establish a pathway for young British prospects to grow and develop abroad that many have followed since.
7.
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It was tempting to include Bradley Wright-Philips, a man who followed a half-season stint at League One Brentford with a move to New York Red Bulls, winning a pair of Golden Boots, three Supporters' Shields and netting more than 100 goals during his time in the Big Apple.
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who → include → Apple
But if we're talking Major League Soccer impact then there's only one winner.
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we → talk → impact
David Beckham swapped the Galactico comforts of Real Madrid, where he spent four seasons and collected a sole La Liga crown, for a Hollywood welcome at LA Galaxy.
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he → swap → Galaxy
Beckham's presence was at times questioned, especially when spending loan spells in Milan, but the England captain and global superstar brought a huge amount of eyeballs and allure to the American game.
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captain → question → game
He left with silverware, too, twice winning both the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield.
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He → leave → Cup
There was room for a five-month stay in Paris before the midfielder hung up his iconic Preds, winning Ligue 1 and waving an emotional goodbye in 2013.
6.
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midfielder → be → .
Scott McTominay wouldn't touch one back in Manchester, but since moving to southern Italy he boasts the glow of a man loving both the local Neapolitan cuisine and his football.
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he → touch → cuisine
The Lancaster-born Scot has undergone a slick transformation.
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Scot → bear → transformation
Few would have expected him to veer from United squad player to cult hero mentioned in the same breath as Napoli's greatest adopted son, Diego Maradona.
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him → expect → son
But McTominay, with a little help from compatriot Billy Gilmour, has thrived in the football-obsessed maze that is Naples, firing the club to only a fourth Scudetto in history with 12 goals from midfield during his debut Serie A season.
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that → thrive → season
It landed him the league's MVP award.
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It → land → award
Finishing runners-up last term, McTominay has already etched his name in Napoli folklore, with more goals - and tomatoes - likely to follow.
5.
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goals → finish → folklore
You could argue he shouldn't count as an export given he was born and raised in Canada, before moving to Bayern Munich aged 16.
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he → argue → Munich
Indeed, he's the only player to represent England without having previously lived there.
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he → represent → England
But winning 42 Three Lions caps legitimises his inclusion.
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winning → win → inclusion
Born in Calgary, having also represented Wales at youth level, Hargreaves cleaned up on the silverware front during his seven seasons in Munich - winning four Bundesliga titles and several German Cups.
Yet his most impressive achievement came in Europe.
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achievement → bear → Europe
Then a 20-year-old, yet to be capped by England, he played 120 minutes in central midfield alongside captain Stefan Effenberg as Bayern beat Valencia on penalties at San Siro in 2001.
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Bayern → cap → 2001
Several British players previously lost European Cup finals for foreign clubs - Kevin Keegan with Hamburg, Laurie Cunningham at Real Madrid, Steve Archibald with Barcelona and Chris Waddle at Marseille.
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players → lose → Marseille
But Hargreaves became only the third to win it - and only one other player has done so since.
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player → become → it
Dortmund's Paul Lambert in 1997 was the first, we'll get to the others in a moment.
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we → get → moment
Well done for those of you who guessed.
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who → do → you
Yes, Jude Bellingham was the fourth British player to win the Champions League for a foreign club, and the first since another English Real Madrid star in 2002.
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Bellingham → win → 2002
Bellingham, a teen sensation at Birmingham, followed Sancho's playbook by first moving to Dortmund, where he blossomed into one of the most sought-after midfielders in Europe.
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he → follow → Europe
Bellingham became Dortmund's youngest ever goalscorer and also the youngest English player to start a Champions League match.
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Bellingham → become → match
Three productive seasons in Germany was enough evidence for Real Madrid to agree a deal worth more than £100m for him.
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Madrid → agree → him
He hit the ground running, scoring 23 goals in all competitions as Madrid won both La Liga and the Champions League, and finished third in that year's Ballon d'Or.
3.
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Madrid → hit → 3
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
