Located in the heart of the Spanish capital, Real Madrid has been a powerhouse in the sport, dominating in their respective league and even taking Europe by storm, accumulating 15 Champions League trophies. Playing for Los Blancos is a highlight of any player's career and is a dream for many, including English internationals. With Trent Alexander-Arnold set to add to the list of English players to make the leap to Spain, let's take a look at the top 5 English footballers to play for Real Madrid.
David Beckham
David Beckham is one of the biggest faces in football, even after the England international retired from the professional game. Nowadays, Beckham is a proud ambassador for UNICEF, owns several businesses surrounding his name, and has even featured in live casino games. During his playing career, Beckham became a legend at Manchester United, making 265 appearances for the Red Devils from 1992 to 2003. However, in 2003, Beckham opted to leave the Premier League to venture into Spain, signing for Real Madrid. He stayed with Los Blancos for 4 years, making 116 appearances and cementing his name and legacy into the history of the Spanish Giants.
Steve McManaman
Just like the recent Trent Alexander-Arnold, Steve McManaman was born in Liverpool and had the opportunity from a young age to progress and eventually play for the club. Despite being brought up an Everton supporter, McManaman became part of Liverpool's history, being one of the greatest players in his position to play for the club. After 11 years, he left for Real Madrid in 1999 after the failing Liverpool squad held back the extremely talented winger. During his time in the Spanish Capital, injuries held back McManaman from shining in front of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd, registering 94 appearances with a standout first season that really showed the player's quality. It was in 2003, after winning 6 major trophies in Spain, that McManaman left Real Madrid with his desire to rejoin the Premier League, opting to join former England teammate Kevin Keegan at Manchester City.
Jude Bellingham
One of the biggest talents in modern football, Jude Bellingham, has a bright career ahead of him after shining in England, Germany and now Spain. The English international started his career at Championship side Birmingham City, making 41 appearances and scoring 4 goals. Bellingham impressed the German side Borussia Dortmund, resulting in a £30 million sale and Birmingham retiring his number 22 shirt at the end of the 2019-2020 season. Impressing in his 3-year spell in Germany, Bellingham was given the opportunity to join Real Madrid after being linked with the club for over a year prior. As his time at Real Madrid continues, Bellingham has been an integral part in progressing the club and competing at the top level. Jude Belligham is a player to keep an eye on in the future with the potential to even become a Real Madrid legend.
Michael Owen
Michael Owen, statistically, is one of the greatest strikers that the Premier League has seen. Starting his professional career at Liverpool, Owen made 216 appearances for the Reds, scoring 118 goals over his 8 years at the club. During this period, he picked up the 2001 Ballon d'Or, the biggest solo award a player can receive. In 2004, Owen chose to leave the club where he built a legacy to join the Spanish giants. He only stayed with the prestigious Real Madrid for one season, featuring mainly as a substitute, registering 35 appearances and 13 goals before leaving in 2005 to join Newcastle United and then eventually joining Liverpool's biggest rivals, Manchester United. Owen's career had plenty of turns, but he is still regarded as one of the best strikers in Premier League history.
Jonathan Woodgate
By far the strangest English player to have joined the biggest club in the world was Newcastle's Jonathan Woodgate. Woodgate made his professional debut with Leeds United from 1998 to 2003, making 104 appearances and scoring 5 goals as a centre half. He made a return to the North East for the first time since his youth days with Middlesbrough in 1996, joining Newcastle United for only the 2003/04 campaign. After making only 28 appearances for the Magpies, Woodgate miraculously landed a move to Real Madrid, where he had a nightmare start that resulted in his career in Spain taking a turn for the worse. Spending only 2 years at Madrid, he made 9 appearances and was loaned out to Middlesbrough in 2006 before permanently joining his boyhood club. After his short and relatively unsuccessful Real Madrid spell, Woodgate remained in the English leagues playing for Middlesbrough, Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City. To this day, the transfer of Jonathan Woodgate to Real Madrid is considered one of the strangest and most random moves that Real Madrid have made.
Special Content
