British players who played in Italy

British players have been plying their club trade in Italy for decades, representing some of the most storied Serie A sides.

Here, we take a look at some of the biggest names to swap the UK for the football-mad Mediterranean nation.

Let’s get straight into it, shall we?

Notorious Scottish hardman Joe Jordan swapped Manchester United for Milan in 1981 – a move which he later described as the best of his career.

Relegated in his first season, Jordan’s 10 league goals helped fire the Rossoneri to an immediate top-flight return in 1982/83.

The striker then had a brief spell with Hellas Verona, although he managed to find the net just once in 12 appearances.

David Beckham had two loan spells at Milan towards the end of his career – both from the LA Galaxy, the timing of whose off-season allowed him to maintain his fitness in Europe in order to keep his England place.

Becks starred alongside fellow veterans like Paolo Maldini and Clarence Seedorf for the multiple European champions, as well as the likes of prime Kaka and Ronaldinho, featuring 33 times overall.

Despite struggling to settle and returning to Liverpool after a single campaign, Ian Rush admitted that playing for Juventus in 1987/88 was “one of the best things” he ever did.

The prolific Welsh frontman didn’t unlock Italian defences with the regularity he did English backlines (although that was no reflection on his attacking abilities – Serie A sides could be seriously stingy during that era), but he still scored 13 goals in 41 games for the Bianconeri.

Evidently, Milan has been a popular destination among British players, and England striker Mark Hateley spent three years at the San Siro in the mid-80s – following a £1m switch from Second Division Portsmouth.

One of Hateley’s earliest contributions was to score the winner in the Derby della Madonnina against Inter, and he struck 21 times for Nils Liedholm’s Rossoneri in total.

Aaron Ramsey’s £400,000-a-week deal upon joining Juventus on a free transfer in 2019 made him one of the highest-earning British players of all time.

The Wales midfield great won the Serie A title in his first season with Juve and the Coppa Italia in his second, chalking up 70 appearances overall.

Paul Gascoigne’s time at Lazio was perfectly summed up by his manager, 1982 World Cup-winning Italy captain Dino Zoff – who said: “He was a lovely boy – lovely – such a heart. But a troubled boy. He ate ice cream for breakfast; he drank beer for lunch … But a player? Oh, beautiful – beautiful.”

Yep, that sounds like our Gazza! The maverick England icon’s first season in Italy was his best, as he helped Lazio to European qualification for the first time in almost two decades and notched a late equaliser in the derby against Roma.

Between his first spell at Manchester City and his legend-making association with Manchester United, Denis Law scored 10 goals in 27 Serie A games for Torino.

The clinical Scottish marksman became the most expensive British player of all time when he joined Il Toro for £110,000 in the summer of 1961 alongside compatriot Joe Baker – who arrived from Hibernian.

Jimmy Greaves averaged almost a goal a game in Serie A – but he made just 10 appearances in the competition for Milan, having signed reluctantly from Chelsea in 1961.

Despite winning the title with the Rossoneri, Greaves returned to London just six months after leaving – signing for Tottenham, where he would go on to claim multiple major trophies and set the club’s all-time scoring record.

Another British player to experience the cauldron-like atmosphere of the San Siro on a regular basis, Paul Ince’s time in Italy came on the other side of the Milan divide.

The Manchester United great left Old Trafford for Inter in 1995 and looked right at home in the Nerazzurri’s midfield, helping them to the UEFA Cup final in 1996/97 – when he also enjoyed the best goalscoring campaign of his career, netting 10 times.

More ‘continental’ in his playing style than most English midfielders of his generation, Ray Wilkins was a natural fit for Milan.

He made the move from Manchester United in the summer of 1984 and went on to feature over 105 times, reaching the 1985 Coppa Italia final as part of the same side as international teammate Mark Hateley.

A free-scoring centre-forward for Cardiff City and Aston Villa – firing the latter to the 1959/60 Second Division title – Gerry Hitchens spent the best part of a decade playing for a string of Italian clubs.

Inter’s leading marksman with 16 goals in his first campaign, he won the 1962/63 Scudetto with the Nerazzurri (although he did leave for Torino not long into that season).

The seven-cap England international remained in Italy despite new Three Lions boss Alf Ramsey favouring home-based players, featuring for Atalanta and Cagliari.

One of the most successful British exports of the modern era, Chris Smalling made more than 150 appearances for Roma, initially arriving on loan from Manchester United in 2019.

The 31-cap England centre-back starred as the Giallorossi won the inaugural Conference League under Jose Mourinho in 2021/22, before featuring prominently in their run to the final of the following campaign’s Europa League.

Legendary Liverpool and Scotland skipper Graeme Souness left Anfield for Sampdoria in 1984, signing for £650,000.

The no-nonsense midfielder enjoyed a memorable stint with La Samp – where he joined fellow Brit Trevor Francis – playing a key role in their 1984/85 Coppa Italia triumph and scoring the only goal of the first leg of the final against Milan.

David Platt’s impressive performances for England at the 1990 World Cup in Italy earned him a move to Bari in 1991.

A 15-goal season for the Biancorossi caught the eye of Juventus, who swooped to sign the ex-Aston Villa attacking midfielder for £6.5m in 1992.

Platt made less of an impact for Juve – although he did collect a 1992/93 UEFA Cup winner’s medal – but recaptured his best form at Sampdoria, bagging 21 goals across two campaigns and lifting the 1993/94 Coppa Italia.

Brought in from Manchester City for £700,000 in the summer of 1982, Trevor Francis made a big impact at Sampdoria.

Top scorer with nine goals en route to victory in the 1984/85 Coppa Italia, the iconic England forward was on target 30 times in 104 outings for La Samp altogether.

He then spent the 1986/87 season with Atalanta, helping them to their first Coppa final in 24 years.

Arguably the greatest Welsh footballer of all time, John Charles excelled equally in the heart of defence and leading the line.

One of the earliest British players to play abroad, the ‘Gentle Giant’ joined Juventus from Leeds for a British-record £65,000 in August 1957.

He went on to amass 105 goals in 179 appearances for the Bianconeri, finishing as Serie A top scorer in his debut season and winning three Scudetti – plus two Coppa Italia crowns.

Nominated for the 1959 Ballon d’Or – placing third behind Real Madrid duo Alfredo Di Stefano and Raymond Kopa – Charles returned to Leeds in 1962, only to head back to Italy within a matter of months to join Roma.