La Liga is widely regarded as one of the best domestic leagues in world football and some of the best British players have made the switch to Spain’s top flight.
Nowadays, Gareth Bale is the standout British player in La Liga but the likes of Mark Hughes, Gary Lineker and David Beckham have all played at the highest level of Spanish football.
Famous Brits To Play In La Liga:
All of the players on this list joined Real Madrid. Most Spanish clubs have preferred to sign homegrown players – Kieran Trippier became the first Englishman to join Atletico Madrid in 116 years back in 2019.
Without further ado, it is time to look at our take on the five most famous British players to play in La Liga. These men certainly swung football betting odds on more than one occasion…
5) Jonathan Woodgate
Woodgate’s move to Real Madrid will go down as one of the most bizarre transfers of all-time.
His switch to the Santiago Bernabeu came during the height of the Galacticos era but he fell some way short of expectations in Spain’s top flight.
His La Liga career got off to the worst possible start, scoring an own goal before receiving a red card on his Real debut.
It didn’t get much better for Woodgate, with a host of injuries having an adverse impact on his chances of success at the Bernabeu.
Unsurprisingly, he was voted the ‘worst signing of the 21st century’ by Marca readers in 2007.
However, he did see a mini revival after returning to the Premier League as Woodgate was named Middlesbrough’s Player of the Year in 2006/07.
4) Michael Owen
Owen attracted attention from Real Madrid after winning the Ballon d’Or in 2001.
Three years later and the England star joined Los Blancos – and it would be fair to state that Owen wasn’t given a fair chance during his short stint in Spain.
With Raul and Ronaldo ahead of Owen in the pecking order, the former Liverpool striker was left frustrated but he made the most of his limited opportunities.
In fact, he notched an impressive 13 league goals to record La Liga’s highest goals per minute ratio in a debut season.
In the end, Owen was frustrated at his lack of game time and pushed for a move back to the Premier League.
He signed for Newcastle United in the summer of 2005 but he failed to get back to top form after his Bernabeu tenure.
3) Steve McManaman
Who’d have thought it? In terms of popularity, McManaman probably ranks second on this list.
The former Liverpool star was a fan favourite during his time at Real Madrid, winning the fans’ Player of the Year award twice in the space of four years.
The scorer of one of the best Champions League final goals, McManaman helped the La Liga giants to two Champions League triumphs during his stint at the club.
In addition, he played a key role in their two La Liga titles in 2001 and 2003.
However, McManaman lost his place in the side during Real’s shift in policy.
Despite enjoying plenty of success in Spain, he wasn’t a big enough name for the Galacticos and McManaman found himself shipped off to Manchester City ahead of the 2003/04 Premier League season.
2) Gareth Bale
Real Madrid paid a then-world record fee of £85 million for the Welshman back in August 2013 and it would be fair to suggest that he’s had a mixed time at the club.
Having helped Real to four Champions League titles, on paper Bale has been a roaring success.
However, the Bernabeu crowd have struggled to take to him.
Coupled up with the clear issues between himself and Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, Bale’s Real Madrid status is up in the air – transfer betting odds are hard to predict.
Bale has suffered in the aftermath of Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, with the Bernabeu crowd using the Welshman as a scapegoat for recent failures.
Despite this, Bale’s record is actually very good with 105 goals in close to 250 matches for the club.
1) David Beckham
The world stopped for a second or two when David Beckham joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2003.
A key figure for Real during their Galacticos era, Beckham fell slightly short of expectations at the Bernabeu.
Arguably the biggest brand in football during his heyday, Beckham was more than a player – he was a gold mine.
Known by every football fan around the world, Beckham was the most famous sportsman on the planet during those Madrid years.
Beckham didn’t do much wrong at the Bernabeu but he failed to hold down a regular spot in the starting line-up.
However, Beckham’s contributions were key to Real winning the La Liga title in 207 – this was the only major title won by the Englishman during his time at the club.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Daniel Ochoa de Olza / AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 27th August 2020
