The English Premier League is regarded as the pinnacle of football around the world in terms of the quality of football played but more so, because of the die-hard support from fans across the world. The Premier League is watched in all parts of the world from the most developed nations all the way to the poorest countries. Footballers from a very young age sacrifice everything in the hopes of one day being scouted by one of the major clubs so that they can play in this prestigious league with the best the world has to offer.
Football is a popular sport in Asia, although the opportunities presented in playing abroad in the English Premier League provides far more opportunity for players of Asian descent. As a result of this, many of Asia’s top footballers are imported to the UK to show their skills in this top league. Over the years, we have seen some shining stars of Asian descent such as Park-ji Sung of Manchester United who, under the lead of Sir Alex Ferguson, was a key figure in the side that lifted multiple trophies. Where premier league betting odds are concerned, you would have been very well off placing bets in favour of Manchester United during his tenure.
Let’s look at at 3 of the best footballers of Asian descent taking the English Premier League by storm today!
Son Heung-min
After having his start in the German Bundesliga, Son Heung-min eventually found his way to London to have his go at the English Premier League. The Korean joined Tottenham Hotspur and soon became a critical player on the team. The 27-year-old has already won 3 AFC International Footballer award in the past five years and has been responsible for seventy-five goals in the previous 4 seasons at the club. His best performance was in the 2018-19 season where he played a decisive role in bringing the English club all the way to the UEFA Champions League final. The outspoken player has recently had some words with super coach Jose Mourinho, which shows just how much influence the player has in the squad.
Ki Sung-yueng
Another player to come out of Korea is Ki Sung-yueng, who has had a long road playing at 3 different English clubs and making over 200 game appearances. The midfielder has played at Swansea City, Newcastle United and Sunderland. His notable achievements are winning the League cup in the 2012-13 season and winning the Swansea player of the season in 2014. The 31-year-old has also made more game appearances than any other player of Korean descent, which is super impressive by any standard.
Yoshinori Muto
The Japanese are celebrated for their meticulous and unrelenting pursuit of perfection in whatever they do. This same attention to detail can be seen in the very talented Yoshinori Muto who has made serious waves in the English Premier League. Now playing for Newcastle United, the 27-year-old joined the side in 2018 has impressed ever since. Although there are talks of transferring him soon, we are sure that this player has only just scratched the surface of his potential in the English Premier League.
Conclusion
When it comes to players of Asian descent, the Koreans have definitely made the biggest impact over the years. With other nations from the East starting to catch up to the West in terms of their football at grassroots level, we are sure that we will see even more Asian players making an impact in the near future!