Joe Cole's Move To France & Brits Who Played Abroad

Joe Cole's surprise move to Lille may be condemned by many as a panic move for a player of his class. Instead of castigating Joe, though, we at Sportsvibe applaud the midfield maestro for hopping on the Eurostar and making his way to the continent.

We are firm believers that not enough English players try their hands at a different style of game, so to celebrate Cole embracing a new culture, here are five of our favourite Brits who went abroad.

Chris Waddle

By July 1989, one Christopher Waddle was nearing the peak of his footballing powers. He was an England regular under Bobby Robson, had experienced moderate musical success with Tottenham team-mate Glenn Hoddle and was preparing for a season of World Cup qualifiers.

Due to a ban on English clubs competing in Europe following the Heysel disaster of 1985, Waddle had been linked with a move to Olympique de Marseille. After signing for £4.5 million, which made him the third most expensive player of all time, Waddle initially found it difficult to adjust to life in France.

However, that was all to change after a magnificent goal against Paris Saint Germain, when he lifted the ball over the goalkeeper's head and stroked it into the net with the back of his boot.

From then on all the question marks over his price tag disappeared and he turned into a cult hero, playing arguably the best football of his career and earning the nickname 'Magic Chris'. During his time in France he won three league titles in a row and a UEFA cup runners-up medal.

Check out Waddle in his Marseille pomp below:

Steve McManaman

One of the original 'Spice Boys' of the 1990s, Steve McManaman exercised his right to a Bosman transfer and left Liverpool in 1999 to sign for Real Madrid. Although sunny Spain seemed like the ideal destination, at the time Madrid were going through a difficult period.

Mounting debt saw the likes of Predrag Mijatovic, Davor Suker and Christian Panucci leave the club under a cloud of ignominy.

However, Macca's arrival was hailed by the Madristas, as he become only the second man to play for the club, after Laurie Cunningham. After announcing himself early on with three goals and some impressive displays, McManaman went on to be one of the stand out players of the team.

Arguably his finest hour in a Madrid shirt came in the 2000 Champions' League Final, when McManaman scored a magnificent volley against Valencia, in a match which Real would go on to win 3-0. Macca was lauded by many as man of the match, in a performance which saw him dazzle on the biggest stage and become the first English player to win the trophy with a foreign side.

Here is Macca doing what he did best:

Paul Gascoigne

Perhaps one of the most tortured souls in football, Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne was a messiah to English football fans. After ingratiating himself into football folklore by announcing himself to the world during Italia '90, Gazza, under the stewardship of Terry Venables, helped lead Tottenham Hotspur to the 1991 FA Cup final.

Heading into the final, a deal had been agreed which would see England's star head to Italian side Lazio, but following a disastrous knee injury, Gascoigne's move was put on hold.

It would be another 12 months before Gazza would complete his transfer to Lazio in a £5.5 million deal. His move not only saw one of the most high-profile English players heading to Italy, but with it, Italian football was brought firmly into the English consciousness.

Despite enduring a tough time in Italy, a generation of fans were introduced to calcio at its finest.

Here's some of the better moments of Gazza's time in Italy:

Gary Lineker

If you're talking about English footballers abroad, what list isn't complete without 'Goldenboots' himself?

Gary Lineker, the perennial goalscorer and winner of the golden shoe at the 1986 World Cup, took the massive leap in the summer of that year to pop on his sombrero and head to Barcelona in a £2.8 million deal.

With 'El Tel' Terry Venables managing the Catalans and Mark 'Thunderboots' Hughes already on the plane, Lineker was the missing piece in the puzzle.

Following his exploits in Mexico and at Everton, a lot was expected of Lineker, and he didn't disappoint. A hat-trick against Real Madrid made him an instant hero with the catalan crowd and Copa del Rey success in 1988, with a European Cup Winners' Cup medal a year later, ensured his time in Spain was fruitful.

Here is Goldenboots scoring THAT hat-trick:

Kevin Keegan

After seven seasons etching his name in Liverpool history, Kevin Keegan announced that he would leave Anfield at the end of the 1977 season  and play abroad. Following a raft of offers from around Europe, Keegan decided to head to Cup Winners' Cup champions Hamburg SV.

Instantly hailed as the 'saviour' of Hamburg by the German press, Keegan initially struggled in the Bundesliga and was infamously sent off during a pre-season fixture for punching an opponent. However, by the end of the 1977-78 season Keegan was given the Ballon d'Or award, despite Hamburg ending the season in tenth position.

1978-79 brought with it a different Keegan. He became a more composed, disciplined man, who looked even more impressive under new coach Branko Zebec. Earning the nickname 'Mighty Mouse' for his talismanic displays, Keegan helped Hamburg capture the Bundesliga for the first time in nineteen years and was later crowned Ballon d'Or for the second consecutive season.

Here is King Kev featuring in Hamburg's 5-1 demolition of Real Madrid in 1980:

If you agree with our picks, or have some more of your own Brits abroad, we'd love to hear from you. Pop your thoughts in the comment section below, or message us on Facebook or Twitter.

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