Ex-players currently playing at higher levels

Before you ask, yes, I do have too much time on my hands.

Just gone through all our squads over the past 20 years and have made a note of all the players that have played for us and who are now playing in either the Premier League, Championship, Scottish Premier or several other European top flights. There can’t be many clubs from Leagies One and Two who can boast the numbers we can.

This is what I found. The numbers are the total amount of players, with players who only played for us on loan being in brackets.

Premier League - 17 (6)
Championship - 27 (13)
Scottish Premier - 5 (2)
Other major European top flights/USA Major League - 14 (6)

We’ve even got an ex-player playing in Saudi Arabia, albeit the second flight. Bet Elliott Simoes is earning way more than anyone in the current Reds squad though.

I also found out that Nick Townsend is an international, with 6 caps for Antigua and Barbuda. Probably our most unlikely international since Tom Williams topped off his 20 club career with a cap for Cyprus.

Trying to make a team out of the ex-players isn’t easy, however. First you have to slim 14 centre backs down to 2 or 3, resorting to putting John Stones in midfield to accommodate an extra one and then you struggle trying to choose a formation that doesn’t require a left-back, seeing though the only options are Ziyad Larkeche or playing someone out of position.

But I know what you are thinking. Do we have more ex-players at Luton or in the Austrian Bundesliga? Well, Luton win that one 7-6, although Jack Walton is currently out on loan.

 

Recruitment can't have been that bad then. Looking at those stars.

 

Good info.
Also, i noticed at the weekend every fixtures in league one had involvement of an ex Barnsley player. (Note every fixture not every team) but yeah we must have a massive turnover of players!

 

Daryl Dyke must be at the highest level

 

Tom Williams is a good one, but I think the award for most unlikely international cap surely has to go to Scott Wiseman.

 

I could never work Dike out. At times he played like he’d never seen a football before, and then he scores a goal of the season contender. He needed a lot of coaching to make it as a Premier League player.

 

My first thought for left back was Scott Golborne - didn't realise he'd retired! Turns out I'm actually quite old.

 

You could play Trippier at LB. He is equally as good there as RB, indeed has played there for England several times

 

Dagnabbit, Trippier wasn’t on my list, so I had to go back and check. Three early loanees were missed, so this makes 20 Premier League players, with 9 being loanees. And yes, a much better left back choice than Larkeche!