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More Brits migrate to Spain than any other country in Europe, and a fair few footballers have done just that over the years. The best of them tend to join one of the Iberian nation’s two most successful clubs – two of the biggest names in the world game, Real Madrid and Barcelona – but a scattering of Spanish sides are represented here. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable English, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh players to head to LaLiga.
.. Steve Archibald Scotland striker Steve Archibald joined Barcelona from Tottenham for £1.
15m in 1984 and went on to fire them to LaLiga glory for the first time in over a decade. Despite proving a hit at Barca, who he also helped to the 1986 European Cup final, Archibald headed to Blackburn Rovers in 1987 after being omitted from the Blaugrana squad due to limits on foreign players. John Aldridge Liverpool legend John Aldridge left the Reds for Real Sociedad in 1989, becoming the first non-Basque player to sign for the club in decades.
The Republic of Ireland international notched 40 goals in 75 games for La Real , but fans struggled to accept him due to his non-Basque heritage and he moved to Tranmere Rovers in 1991. Gerry Armstrong Having starred for Northern Ireland at the 1982 World Cup in Spain, where he scored a shock winner against the hosts, Gerry Armstrong swapped Watford for Real Mallorca in 1983, completing a £200,000 switch to the Balearics. The former Spurs centre-forward spent two seasons with Mallorca before seeing out his career back in the UK.
Gareth Bale One of the finest British players of his, or any, generation, Gareth Bale ascended to bona fide superstar status in the all-white of Real Madrid. A then world-record £85.1m signing from Tottenham in 2013, the Wales wing wizard racked up 106 goals in 258 outings for Madrid, winning the Champions League no fewer than five times.
David Beckham A Real Madrid Galactico , David Beckham became arguably the most recognisable overseas player ever to play in Spain when he arrived from Manchester United in 2003. England captain for most of his time at the Bernabeu, Becks helped Los Blancos to the 2006/07 LaLiga title under Fabio Capello, leaving for the LA Galaxy at the end of that campaign. Jude Bellingham Jude Bellingham might only have been 19 when he joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, but he was already a superstar.
Deployed in a more attacking midfield role by boss Carlo Ancelotti, Bellingham scored 23 goals in 42 games in his first season with Madrid, winning the LaLiga title and Champions League – and making his £88.5m transfer fee look like a bit of a bargain. Oliver Burke Scotland forward Oliver Burke spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Deportivo Alaves from West Brom.
The ex-Nottingham Forest and RB Leipzig man, who made his international debut in 2016, was a regular for the Basque outfit that term, featuring 32 times and helping them stave off relegation from LaLiga. Laurie Cunningham Trailblazing winger Laurie Cunningham was among the first black players to represent England, and was the first British player to sign for Real Madrid, arriving from West Brom for £950,000 in 1979. After bagging a brace against Valencia on his debut, the mesmerising Cunningham starred as Madrid did the 1979/80 double.
He added a second Copa del Rey triumph in 1982. Conor Gallagher Mark Hughes Terry Venables brought Mark Hughes to Barcelona from Manchester United in 1986 to form a strike partnership with another Brit, Gary Lineker. ‘Sparky’ didn’t quite live up to his £2m price tag, though, posting a rather underwhelming record of five goals in 37 games during his first season at the Camp Nou.
The Welsh great was loaned to Bayern Munich in 1987 and returned to United the following year. Sammy Lee Sammy Lee spent the vast majority of his career at Liverpool, getting his hands on all of the biggest trophies going, but he did turn out for a handful of other clubs – among them Osasuna. The tenacious little midfielder joined the Pamplona-based club after leaving QPR in 1987 and reunited with former Liverpool teammate Michael Robinson.
Gary Lineker Following back-to-back seasons as First Division top scorer and scooping the Golden Ball at the 1986 World Cup, Gary Lineker swapped his native England for Barcelona. Signing from Everton for £2.8m, Lineker kept the goals coming with 20 in his first LaLiga campaign.
He found the net 52 times in total for Barca, lifting the Copa del Rey and Cup Winners’ Cup. Steve McManaman A free signing after leaving Liverpool in 1999, Steve McManaman joined Real Madrid as one of the most electrifying wingers in the European game. In four seasons at the Bernabeu, ‘Macca’ became one of the most decorated British players abroad, helping Madrid to two LaLiga titles and two Champions League triumphs.
Michael Owen Michael Owen made an inauspicious start to his sole campaign at Real Madrid, where he starred alongside international teammate David Beckham, but ended up with a solid enough record. The Liverpool icon struck 16 times in 45 games for Los Blancos under two managers, Mariano Garcia Ramon and Vanderlei Luxemburgo, before returning to the Premier League with Newcastle. Kieran Trippier One of a select group of British players to win the title in Spain, Kieran Trippier featured 28 times as Atletico Madrid were crowned 2020/21 LaLiga champions.
The flying England full-back arrived from Spurs for £20m in 2019 and made a total of 86 appearances across two-and-a-half campaigns with Diego Simeone’s side. Jonathan Woodgate While Jonathan Woodgate’s ability was in no doubt when he made his £13.4m move from Newcastle in 2004, his fitness record was questionable.
Madrid only ended up getting 14 games out of the England centre-back, who had to wait more than 12 months to make his debut – which he marked by scoring an own goal and getting sent off. Whoops!.
