Did you know these Nations have been represented in the Premier League?

The Premier League and some obscure nationalities to have been represented

Football is the biggest and most popular game on the planet, with the sport being played on every corner of the globe from the bustling cities of London and Paris, to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the beaches of the Golden Coast.

The beautiful game has the power to unite anyone together regardless of their nationality, gender, sexual orientation and even footballing ability, and the Premier League is perhaps the best example of football’s worldwide appeal and popularity.

The English top-flight is often regarded as the best and biggest division in world football as well as the most-watched by a considerable margin, with Sporting Index reporting that the Premier League boasts an annual television audience of 4.1 billion, yet the division is also one of the most culturally diverse in all of sport, with an estimated 113 nationalities being represented in the league since its inception in 1992.

And in this piece, we want to pay homage to the players who came to the Premier League and not only lit up the English game with their skill and footballing ability, but also shone a light on a part of the world that not many would have heard of and, in turn, introduced the game to a whole nation of new football supporters.

Armenia – Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Football is an incredible sport that has the power to capture the imagination of those who love the game, yet it also a source for supporters to venture out there on their own to learn about the world should a certain technically quality player come along from a nation that few had even heard of, and for Manchester United and Arsenal fans, that man was Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Whilst the now Roma attacker didn’t set the Premier League alight, with the winger only managing 22 goals and 24 assists in 102 appearances for both English sides across all competitions, there were some flashes of brilliance from Mkhitaryan, and the former Borussia Dortmund star did it whilst becoming the first Armenian player to ever play in the English top-flight.

A former Soviet Union republic nestled in the Caucasus mountains; Armenia is a country few Premier League supporters had heard about before the arrival of Mkhitaryan, and even fewer had heard about the country’s conflict with Azerbaijan, a relationship so tense and politically divisive that it stopped the 32-year-old winger from playing for Arsenal against both Qarabag and Chelsea and in the Europa League final, both games which took place in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.

Cuba – Onel Hernandez

Cuba is not a nation many would associate with football, with 62% of the population currently playing or previously played baseball, with the USA’s MLB being littered with stars from the Caribbean country, but after years of strict rules around who can play for the national team, football is starting to gain popularity on the island, and Onel Hernandez, has emerged as one of the leading forces behind this surge.

The Norwich City winger only recently made his debut for Cuba as Leones del Caribe in the past few months allowed professional players to play for the national team, and Hernandez is one of the standout names to have been called up in the recent international break after a season in the Premier League with the Canaries.

Hernandez was part of Daniel Farke’s Norwich side that was promoted and duly relegated in the 2020 Premier League campaign, yet the 28-year-old attacker left his mark on the English top-flight by not only becoming the first Cuban to play in the division but also be the first player from the Caribbean nation to score in the league.

Oman – Ali Al-Habsi

Football as a sport has the potential to allow anyone from any background and to turn them into some of the biggest names on the planet, and whilst former Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi might not have reached this pinnacle in his career, his story and what he achieved whilst in England more than makes up for it.

Signed from Norwegian side Lyn Oslo to Sam Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers team in 2007, Al-Habsi struggled for first-team minutes in his five seasons at the Reebok Stadium, though a Man of the Match performance against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup remains a particularly fond memory for Trotters supporters.

Yet if you to ask any Premier League fan what they’d remember most about Al-Habsi, a common answer would be his time as Wigan’s number one goalkeeper under Roberto Martinez, where despite being relegated in the 2013/14 season, the Oman shot-stopper played a major role in the Latic’s shock FA Cup triumph as the now 39-year-old keeper starred in the semi-finals against Millwall.

Philippines – Neil Etheridge

With a population of well over 100 million people, the Philippines is one of the most populous and culturally diverse nations on the planet, yet of the roughly 3,000 players to have played in the Premier League, only one has ever been a representative of the Southeast Asian country, that man being former Cardiff City keeper Neil Etheridge.

The current Birmingham City shot-stopper spent just one season in the English top-flight as Cardiff were relegated in their comeback year to the Premier League in the 2018/19 campaign, yet Etheridge, who was born in Enfield but qualified to play for the Philippines via his mother, was a bright spark for the Bluebirds as they finished 18th in the standings and just two points off safety behind Brighton.

Etheridge was named Cardiff’s Player of the Year for their sole season back in the Premier League on the back of some fantastic performances for the Welsh-based club, including saving a penalty on his league debut against Bournemouth as well as a second save from the spot against Newcastle a week later.

Tanzania – Mbwana Samatta

One of the newly represented nations in the Premier League, Tanzania striker Mbwana Samatta was signed by Aston Villa in the 2020 January transfer window from Belgian team Genk in a bid to aid Dean Smith’s side from avoiding the drop in their first season back in the Premier League since 2016.

Yet whilst Samatta currently finds himself out on loan at Fenerbahce after a less than impressive debut season with the Villains, his story caught the hearts and imagination of many a football fan.

The 28-year-old striker scored at Wembley Stadium in the League Cup final against Manchester City for Villa, and his transfer to the Premier League attracted plenty of attention in his homeland of Tanzania, with large crowds regularly gathering around massive screens to watch their national team captain play in the biggest league in football.