Australians have been playing in the Premier League since it began, with some of the biggest footballing stars from Down Under making a name for themselves in the English top flight.
Some have had short but successful spells here; others have called England home for most of their career.
Here, we take a look at the Aussie stars who’ve done it better than the rest of their compatriots on the Prem stage…
Richard Garcia
Capped 17 times by Australia, versatile attacking midfielder Richard Garcia played Premier League football for West Ham and Hull City.
He featured most prominently in the English top flight for the latter, helping them avoid relegation in their first season at the level, 2008/09, having starred in their Championship play-off winning campaign.
Richard Johnson
Watford legend Richard Johnson made the best part of 300 appearances for the Hornets, with whom he spent the 1999/2000 season in the Premier League.
Having won two promotions in as years to make it back to the top flight, Graham Taylor’s side struggled and ultimately finished bottom, but Johnson found the net three times over the course of the campaign, including goals against Manchester United and Liverpool.
Danny Tiatto
Left-sided player Danny Tiatto joined Manchester City while they were languishing in the third tier in 1998 and helped them win successive promotions back to the Premier League under the management of Joe Royle.
The former Melbourne Knights and Salernitana man made 51 top-flight appearances for City in all, scoring two goals.
John Aloisi
Having got his break in English football with second-tier Portsmouth, John Aloisi went on to score 10 Premier League goals for Coventry around the turn of the century.
The ex-Cremonese and Royal Antwerp striker memorably bagged a brace in the Sky Blues’ 4-1 away thrashing of arch-rivals Aston Villa in February 1999.
Robbie Slater
Lancashire-born Australia international Robbie Slater was the first Australian to win the Premier League, featuring heavily in the first half of Blackburn’s 1994/95 title triumph.
The midfielder featured more frequently in the Prem for West Ham and Southampton, contributing to the latter’s survival at the end of the 1996/97 season.
Aaron Mooy
A playmaking midfielder who excelled at Championship level after arriving in English football from Melbourne City, Aaron Mooy starred in Huddersfield’s unlikely rise to the Premier League and their even more unlikely survival in the top flight.
The 57-cap Australia international also featured in the Prem for Brighton, scoring nine goals in the competition overall.
Mathew Ryan
Australia’s long-time number one, goalkeeper Mathew Ryan joined Brighton from Valencia ahead of the Seagulls’ maiden Premier League campaign, in which he helped Graham Potter’s side finish 15th.
He went on to make 121 appearances in the English top flight, including three on loan at Arsenal in 2021, keeping 28 clean sheets.
Stan Lazaridis
Part of Australia’s 2006 World Cup squad, Stan Lazaridis played well over 150 Premier League games, the first 69 with West Ham in the late 90s.
The versatile left winger dropped down a division to join Birmingham City in 1999 but was back in the Prem three years later with the Blues, featuring 30 times as they achieved their highest top-flight finish in 41 years of 10th in 2003/04.
Mile Jedinak
Boasting one of the Premier League’s finest beards, Mile Jedinak chalked up almost 100 Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace.
Captain for most of his time at Selhurst Park, the 79-cap Australia international – who also wore the armband for his country – was an accomplished defensive midfielder and a penalty specialist, never missing from the spot.
Mark Bosnich
Aston Villa’s first choice between the sticks for much of the 90s, Mark Bosnich’s impressive performances with the gloves saw him return to Manchester United – where he had begun his senior career – on a free transfer in the summer of 1999.
The 17-cap Australia international featured 23 times as United won yet another Premier League title under Sir Alex Ferguson, before playing a handful of games for Chelsea in the 2001/02 campaign. He kept 74 Prem clean sheets in all.
Brett Emerton
Equally adept on the right side of midfield or at right-back, Brett Emerton spent the best part of a decade at Blackburn, joining from Feyenoord in 2003 and making a total of 247 Premier League appearances.
A pacey and creative player who represented his country 95 times, helping them to the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup, Emerton also scored 13 Prem goals for Rovers.
Lucas Neill
A highly dependable centre-back, Lucas Neill accumulated the best part of 300 Premier League appearances, with 188 of them coming for Blackburn.
Signed from Millwall in 2001, Neill captained Rovers and West Ham – as well as Australia – before finishing his English top-flight career with 12 outings for Everton in the 2009/10 campaign.
Mark Schwarzer
Towering goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was the first non-British player to reach the 500-game mark in the Premier League, featuring 514 times across spells at Middlesbrough (332), Fulham (172), Chelsea (4) and Leicester (6).
Capped 109 times by Australia, Schwarzer – who played for Leicester in the top flight aged 43 – is one of only three shot-stoppers with 150 or more Prem clean sheets to their name, finishing on 152.
Mark Viduka
Skipper of the Australia team who reached the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup, Mark Viduka is undoubtedly one of his country’s greats, and he spent his prime years on the Premier League stage.
The former Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb frontman notched 93 Prem goals, 60 of them for Leeds – where his 20 in 2002/03 were vital to the Whites’ success in staving off relegation. He later featured for Middlesbrough and Newcastle.
Harry Kewell
Another all-time Aussie great and star of that 2006 World Cup campaign, Harry Kewell was nominated for the 2001 Ballon d’Or for his exploits in a Leeds shirt.
Having started his senior career at Elland Road and scored 45 goals for the Yorkshire giants, the adaptable attacker joined Liverpool ahead of the 2003/04 season. He ultimately took his Premier League appearance tally close to 300, adding a further 12 goals for the Reds.
Tim Cahill
Arguably the finest Australian footballer in history, Tim Cahill is an absolute legend at Everton, having starred for the Blues for eight seasons.
A £1.5m signing from second-tier Millwall in 2004, Cahill was equally comfortable being deployed as an attacking midfielder or centre-forward. He bagged 56 Premier League goals for Everton, becoming renowned for his formidable aerial threat and regularly celebrating by ‘boxing’ with the corner flag.
