The best Australian players in Premier League history
(Image credit: Alamy)
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 whoāve done it better than the rest of their compatriots on the Prem stageā¦
Richard Garcia
Richard Garcia playing for Hull City against Bolton Wanderers, 2009 (Image credit: Alamy)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
Richard Johnson playing for Watford against Sheffield Wednesday, 2000 (Image credit: Alamy)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 Taylorās 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.
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Danny Tiatto
Danny Tiatto celebrates after scoring for Manchester City against Southampton, 2000 (Image credit: Alamy)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
John Aloisi playing for Coventry City against Sunderland, 1999 (Image credit: Alamy)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 Bluesā 4-1 away thrashing of arch-rivals Aston Villa in February 1999.
Robbie Slater
Robbie Slater playing for Blackburn Rovers, 1994 (Image credit: Alamy)Lancashire-born Australia international Robbie Slater was the first Australian to win the Premier League, featuring heavily in the first half of Blackburnās 1994/95 title triumph.
The midfielder featured more frequently in the Prem for West Ham and Southampton, contributing to the latterās survival at the end of the 1996/97 season.
Aaron Mooy
Aaron Mooy playing for Huddersfield Town against Arsenal, 2019 (Image credit: Alamy)A playmaking midfielder who excelled at Championship level after arriving in English football from Melbourne City, Aaron Mooy starred in Huddersfieldās 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
Mathew Ryan playing for Brighton against Bournemouth, 2019 (Image credit: Alamy)Australiaās long-time number one, goalkeeper Mathew Ryan joined Brighton from Valencia ahead of the Seagullsā maiden Premier League campaign, in which he helped Graham Potterās 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
Stan Lazaridis playing for Birmingham City against Bolton Wanderers, 2002 (Image credit: Alamy)Part of Australiaās 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
Mile Jedinak playing for Crystal Palace, 2016 (Image credit: Alamy)Boasting one of the Premier Leagueās 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 ā who also wore the armband for his country ā was an accomplished defensive midfielder and a penalty specialist, never missing from the spot.
Mark Bosnich
Mark Bosnich playing for Aston Villa, 1998 (Image credit: Alamy)Aston Villaās first choice between the sticks for much of the 90s, Mark Bosnichās impressive performances with the gloves saw him return to Manchester United ā where he had begun his senior career ā 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
Brett Emerton playing for Blackburn Rovers against Liverpool, 2003 (Image credit: Alamy)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
Lucas Neill playing for West Ham against Reading, 2007 (Image credit: Alamy)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 ā as well as Australia ā before finishing his English top-flight career with 12 outings for Everton in the 2009/10 campaign.
Mark Schwarzer
Mark Schwarzer playing for Middlesbrough against Manchester United, 2004 (Image credit: Alamy)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 ā who played for Leicester in the top flight aged 43 ā is one of only three shot-stoppers with 150 or more Prem clean sheets to their name, finishing on 152.
Mark Viduka
Mark Viduka celebrates after scoring for Leeds against Liverpool, 2003 (Image credit: Alamy)Skipper of the Australia team who reached the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup, Mark Viduka is undoubtedly one of his countryās 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 ā where his 20 in 2002/03 were vital to the Whitesā success in staving off relegation. He later featured for Middlesbrough and Newcastle.
Harry Kewell
Harry Kewell playing for Liverpool against Leicester City, 2003 (Image credit: Alamy)Another all-time Aussie great and star of that 2006 World Cup campaign, Harry Kewell was nominated for the 2001 Ballon dāOr 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
Tim Cahill celebrates after scoring for Everton against Crystal Palace, 2005 (Image credit: Alamy)Arguably the finest Australian footballer in history, Tim Cahill is an absolute legend at Everton, having starred for the Blues for eight seasons.
A Ā£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 āboxingā with the corner flag.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open…
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