Some of the best players from the USA, Mexico and more of North America have come to ply their trade in the Premier League over the years.
Here, we’ve picked out the very best of the bunch, taking in goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards alike.
For clarity, we’ve included players who were born in England but qualified to represent a North American country at international level.
Claudio Reyna (USA)
Capped 112 times by the USA, midfielder Claudio Reyna spent six years in the Premier League, signing for Sunderland for £4m from Rangers in 2001.
The former Bayer Leverkusen man made more than 100 Prem appearances in all, with the majority of those coming for Manchester City – who he joined for £2.5m following Sunderland’s relegation at the end of the 2002/03 season.
Craig Forrest (Canada)
Canadian goalkeeper Craig Forrest spent his entire playing career in England, where he’s best remembered for his time at Ipswich.
Voted Player of the Year by teammates and supporters alike in 1995, the 56-cap custodian kept 24 clean sheets in 107 Premier League outings, also featuring for West Ham and Chelsea.
Kenwyne Jones (Trinidad & Tobago)
Big Trinidadian frontman Kenwyne Jones scored 40 Premier League goals for three clubs, notching 26 of those for Sunderland – where he was voted 2007/08 Player of the Season.
Seemingly fond of red and white stripes, having previously turned out for Southampton, Jones joined Stoke City in 2010 and added 13 more top-flight goals for the Potters – before registering once in the competition for Cardiff City.
Carlos Bocanegra (USA)
Another centurion for the States, Carlos Bocanegra is regarded as one of the best American defenders of all time.
A versatile centre-half who also lined up at left-back and as a defensive midfielder, Bocanegra joined Fulham from Chicago Fire in 2004 and quickly established himself as a fan favourite. He made 115 Premier League appearances for the Cottagers, posting an impressive return of five goals in the 2006/07 campaign.
Shaka Hislop (Trinidad & Tobago)
London-born Shaka Hislop played for England at U21 level but went on to represent Trinidad & Tobago in senior international football. He made over 200 Premier League appearances, lining up between the sticks for Newcastle, West Ham and Portsmouth.
The six-foot-four shot-stopper played a major part in West Ham’s memorable 1998/99 campaign, keeping 15 clean sheets as Harry Redknapp’s Hammers finished fifth.
Wilson Palacios (Honduras)
A thoroughly combative defensive midfielder, Wilson Palacios made almost 150 Premier League appearances between 2007 and 2014, beginning with a loan spell at Birmingham City from Olimpia in his native Honduras.
After impressive during a relatively short spell at Wigan Athletic, Palacios – who later also played for Stoke City – joined Tottenham for £12m in January 2009. He was recognised as Spurs’ Supporters Clubs' Best Team Player at the end of the 2009/10 season.
Brian McBride (USA)
Like his compatriot and Fulham teammate Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride was hugely popular at Craven Cottage – probably even more so, in fact, winning three Player of the Year awards and becoming captain.
The 30-goal USA striker made his Premier League bow on loan at Everton from the Columbus Crew in 2003, netting four times in eight games. He signed for Fulham the following year and bagged 33 Prem goals for the Cottagers, peaking with 10 in 2005/06.
Wes Morgan (Jamaica)
Born in England and capped 30 times by Jamaica, commanding centre-back Wes Morgan captained Leicester to their remarkable Premier League title triumph of 2015/16, playing every minute of every game and making the PFA Team of the Year.
A 2012 arrival from East Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest, Morgan made 170 top-flight appearances for Leicester, having also been skipper as the Foxes won the 2013/14 Championship title.
Michail Antonio (Jamaica)
Born in London and called up by England without being capped, Michail Antonio opted to represent Jamaica at senior level, making his debut while racking up the goals for West Ham in 2021.
The Hammers’ record Premier League goalscorer, the highly adaptable forward joined the club from Nottingham Forest in 2015 and was voted 2016/17 Hammer of the Year for his consistently strong displays.
Paulo Wanchope (Costa Rica)
Quite electric in full flow, Paulo Wanchope marked his Premier League debut in some style, scoring a sensational solo goal for Derby County in a 3-2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in April 1997, having joined the Rams from Herediano in his homeland.
Among Costa Rica’s all-time leading marksmen, the imposing centre-forward chalked up 50 English top-flight goals in all, also finding the net for West Ham and Manchester City.
Christian Pulisic (USA)
One of the USA’s finest-ever players, Christian Pulisic scored 20 Premier League goals in 98 outings for Chelsea, after completing a £58m move from Borussia Dortmund in 2019 – which made him the most expensive American in football history.
A dynamic attacker effective wide or centrally, Pulisic was compared to ex-Blues star Eden Hazard by boss Frank Lampard.
Javier Hernandez (Mexico)
Recipient of the Manchester United fan-voted Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award in 2011, Javier Hernandez (aka Chicharito) is undoubtedly one of the greatest Mexican players of all time.
Signed from boyhood club Guadalajara in 2010, the clinical striker scored 37 Premier League goals for United – including 10 or more in each of his first three seasons – winning two titles. He later took his Prem tally to 53 goals with 16 for West Ham.
Tim Howard (USA)
Capped 121 times by his country, Tim Howard is one of a number of American goalkeepers to make a name for themselves in the Premier League – where he played 399 games (45 for Manchester United, 344 for Everton).
Included in the 2003/04 PFA Team of the Year thanks to an impressive debut season at United, Howard was Everton’s number one for over a decade. He even scored in the Prem for the Toffees, finding the net with a wind-assisted goal-kick against Bolton in 2012.
Clint Dempsey (USA)
Right up there with the very best players ever to come out of the States, Clint Dempsey earned legendary status at Fulham, notching 50 goals in almost 200 Premier League appearances.
The 141-cap forward was the Cottagers’ Player of the Season and top scorer in 2010/11 and 2011/12, bagging 17 league goals in the latter campaign and earning a move to another London club, Tottenham, where he scored seven league goals in his sole season. He returned to Fulham on loan from the Seattle Sounders in 2013.
Brad Friedel (USA)
Another member of the Premier League’s goalscoring goalkeepers club, USA legend Brad Friedel found the net for Blackburn after going up for a corner against Charlton in 2004.
An exceptionally reliable ‘keeper for many years, Friedel – who also played in England’s top flight for Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham – made a whopping 310 consecutive Prem appearances between 2004 and 2012, a record for the competition in which he kept 132 clean sheets and made the 2002/03 PFA Team of the Year.
Dwight Yorke (Trinidad & Tobago)
Trinidad & Tobago’s greatest-ever player, Dwight Yorke found the net the best part of 150 times in the Premier League, starring most notably for Aston Villa then Manchester United – where he formed a formidable strike partnership with Andy Cole.
Golden Boot winner and Premier League Player of the Season for in 1998/99, when he helped fire Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to the treble, Yorke also netted in the competition for Blackburn and Sunderland.
