It is the ultimate aim of any young Australian footballer to play in the English Premier League, given its truly global pull and the chance to play in magnificent stadiums in front of passionate crowds.
Arguably the first Australian to create a stir in England’s top division was Craig Johnston, who became a crowd favourite at Liverpool between 1981 and 1988, famously scoring in the 1986 FA Cup final and winning the league no less than five times. No Aussie has won more trophies than Johnston, but he is perhaps not the best Australian to play in England – in addition, he played before the EPL formed in 1991.
So, in the 21 years since then, here are five of the best Australians to ply their trade in what is widely thought of as the toughest football league on the planet.
Harry Kewell
A native of Western Sydney, Kewell made his debut for Leeds United as a 17-year-old in 1997, and was part of a golden generation of players at Elland Road in the years following. He took the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2000 and helped Leeds to the Champions League semi-finals the following year. He moved to Liverpool in 2003, where across five years he suffered several serious injuries along with some major highs – none more so than in 2005 when he started in the Champions League final against AC Milan, which the Reds won on penalties. He also played in the CL final against Milan in 2007, losing this time, and won the FA Cup in 2006. In 2008, he left English football to play for Galatasaray in Turkey.
Tim Cahill
Cahill first came to the attention of the wider English public when he was central in Millwall’s run to the FA Cup final of 2004 where the bookies would have had the lions at long shots all the way. On the back of that he moved to Everton, where he has been one of the Toffees’ most consistent players. A skilful and supremely fit goal-scoring midfielder, Cahill was Everton’s Player of the Season in his first season, and was even nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2006. At his peak, Cahill remains among the Premier League’s best midfielders.
Mark Schwarzer
Goalkeeper Schwarzer is another Sydney boy whose durability and consistency is famous among English fans. He joined Middlesbrough from Bradford City in 1997, going on to make 445 appearances for the club. He won the League Cup in 2004 and was a UEFA Cup runner-up in 2006. He moved to Fulham in 2008, where he has been a vital cog behind their defence. He is the longest-serving foreigner with one club (Middlesbrough).
Mark Bosnich
Sometimes brilliant, sometimes controversial, never boring, Bosnich made his name with Aston Villa, who he played for between 1992 and 1999. In this time he became one of the league’s best goalkeepers, known for his agility. He won the League Cup with Villa in 1994 and 1996. In 1999 he left for Manchester United on a free transfer, where he won both the Premier League and the Toyota World Club Championship. A move to Chelsea in 2001 was less successful, ending his time in England’s top flight.
Mark Viduka
This Melbourne-born striker polarised opinion among soccer fans, but none can deny that on his day he was more than a handful for the best defences. Moving to Leeds from Celtic in 2000, he scored 22 goals in the 2002/2003 season, but was ultimately forced to move on from Elland Road due to Leeds’ financial woes. He ended up at Middlesbrough in 2004, where he generally played well despite injuries. A move to Newcastle United in 2007 proved less fruitful, Viduka leaving England upon Newcastle’s relegation in 2009.