The Premier League is regarded so highly in world football that it is rare to see big English players move abroad to Europe to try to make a name for themselves. In some cases, players do choose to make a switch at some point in their careers or to perhaps retire in a foreign country, playing their final professional years for a club in a warmer climate.
The benefits of retiring in a foreign country for some players are financial, such as receiving an increased wage for a lower-paced league, rather than starting to generate side hustle ideas when they hang up their boots without a concrete plan for the next stage of their life. For whatever the reason may be, English players do choose to ply their trade abroad, and there are a few names that you may have forgotten who have made the switch to Europe.
Peter Crouch
One of the most recognisable English forwards, thanks to his 6’7” stature, Peter Crouch is a massive name in the sport for his goal-scoring ability, appearances for England, and his contributions to the sport off the pitch. He ventured around plenty of English clubs, with his most notable spells being at Liverpool, Tottenham and of course Stoke City. However, what is less known is the time he spent in Europe, playing outside of England for the first and only time. In 2000, Tottenham loaned out the striker twice, once to Dulwich Hamlet and again to third-tier Swedish side IFK Hassleholm.
During his time in Sweden, Crouch made only eight appearances, scoring three times, before he was sold to Queens Park Rangers on a permanent deal. The 2007 Champions League finalist made over 600 appearances in England, playing for the Three Lions over 40 times, giving him the reputation of being a quality striker and well recognised for his personality.
Andros Townsend
Andros Townsend was a young academy prodigy for Spurs who, when he initially broke through into the first team, looked like a promising talent that might even help take the England side to greater successes. He spent seven years at Tottenham Hotspur, being sent out on loan to 9 clubs across the EFL in total in only four years of loans. He was featured in the Spurs’ first team from 2013 to 2016, making a fair few appearances before joining Newcastle on a permanent deal in 2016.
He would go on to sign for Crystal Palace that same year and spend five years at the club, where he made a name for himself. From 2021 to 2023, he joined Everton, making limited appearances, before trying to revive his career at newly promoted Luton. He was relegated with the Hatters in 2024, opting to move to Turkey and join mid-table club Antalyaspor rather than play in the Championship. As of 2025, he continues to play in Turkey at the age of 33, despite having made international appearances and once being dubbed England’s next big thing.
Ryan Shawcross
Just like Peter Crouch, Ryan Shawcross has identified himself as a Stoke City legend, making over 370 appearances for the Potters. Shawcross started his career in Manchester United’s academy, but never made any senior appearances for the Red Devils. Instead, he was sent out on loan twice for his first spell abroad at Royal Antwerp in Belgium, and then to Stoke City, where he would eventually spend the majority of his footballing career.
Despite not being the most dominant centre half, he managed to make a single appearance for England, where he featured in a notorious defeat to Sweden, which included a spectacular goal from distance by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the bicycle kick. His brief period in Europe at Antwerp lasted around 20 appearances, but he later played abroad again, opting to retire in the MLS at David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
Jonathan Woodgate
The Middlesbrough-born centre half started his senior professional career at Leeds United, before moving to Newcastle in 2003. His time at Leeds spanned over five years, during which he made over 100 appearances for the club. His time at Newcastle was relatively short-lived, spending a season at St James’ Park, registering only 28 appearances before being signed by one of the biggest clubs in the world, Real Madrid.
His transfer to Real Madrid left plenty of football fans stunned as to why Los Blancos wanted to bring in the defender. Still, he lived out a dream and even made nine appearances for the La Liga side before returning to England with his local club, Middlesbrough.
Teddy Sheringham
The legendary English striker will be famously remembered for his time at Millwall, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, creating many iconic moments throughout his 25-year-long career. During his playing days, he won three Premier League titles and a Champions League, and even made over 50 appearances for England. He started his career at Millwall, where he made over 220 appearances.
During the early days of his Millwall career, Sheringham was loaned out twice in 1985, first to Aldershot and then to a lower-league Swedish side, Djurgardens IF. This is where he made his only appearances abroad, registering just over 20 games and scoring 13 goals. He never returned to a team in Europe after his loan spell, and remained in England until 2017, when he chose to move to India and manage the Indian Super League team ATK.
