Historically, France have always been one of the great world powers in football, alongside the likes of Brazil, Germany and Italy. As such, naturally, their influence has naturally bled over into the Premier League.
Today, we’ll be looking at the five greatest French footballers during the Premier League era. We’ll be looking at players who played teams such as Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal – can you guess who they are?
Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona was never a big player for France, missing out on multiple international tournaments, but Alex Ferguson saw his individual brilliance and allowed him to blossom at Manchester United.
Phenomenally talented, Cantona scored 64 goals in 143 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils, winning four Premier League titles. Additionally, just prior to the Premier League era, he won the last-ever First Division title with Leeds United.
N’Golo Kante
An indefatigable runner, N’Golo Kante rose to fame when he played a pivotal role in Leicester City’s unlikely Premier League winning campaign in 2016. Following this, he moved to Chelsea, where he helped them win another league title and the Champions League in 2021.
One of the best defensive midfielders of all time, Kante also played a major role in France’s 2018 World Cup squad that took home the trophy. When accompanied by more midfielders more creative than himself, Kante was practically unstoppable in his prime.
Claude Makelele
Claude Makelele set the groundwork Kante’s success ten years beforehand. An extremely effective defensive presence in the middle of the park, in many ways, Makelele was a player years ahead of his time.
He won a pair of Premier League titles and two League Cups during his five-year stint at Stamford Bridge. He may not have been the most skilful of players, but Makelele’s record speaks for itself. Today, we still refer to holding midfielders as playing the ‘Makelele role’.
Patrick Vieira
Perhaps the most important cog in the ‘Invincibles’ machine, Patrick Vieira was formidable at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield during the mid-00s. He spearheaded the strongest period during the Arsene Wenger era, as the Gunners won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups during his time in North London.
After Vieira left the club, Arsenal fans bemoaned their recruitment team’s failure to replace him. In truth, Vieira was practically irreplacable – not only was a he a mountain of a man, he also possessed excellent techincally ability and superb leadership skills.
Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry isn’t just the best French player in Premier League history – he might be the greatest Premier League player of all time. Arsenal fans would certainly regard him as such and it isn’t too difficult to see why.
A majestic dribbler of the ball and one of the best natural goalscorers that the game has ever seen, Henry is forever woven into the rich tapestry of Arsenal’s history. Vieira may have been the most vital player in their ‘Invincibles’ team, but Henry stood out from amongst the crowd with his outstanding goalscoring record and unbelievable natural ability.