Continuing our alphabetical world tour, next up is Estonia. Two legends of Estonian football have appeared in the Premier League, over three decades.
First Player – Mart Poom (Derby County, Sunderland, Arsenal; 1997-2002, 2002-03, 2005-07)
Six foot five man-mountain Mart Poom became the first Estonian to play in the Premier League in 1997 when he joined Derby County from Portsmouth.
The towering goalkeeper was a hugely popular figure at Pride Park, staying until the Rams’ relegation in 2002 when he returned to the Premier League with Sunderland. Sunderland suffered relegation themselves the following season, and Poom wrote his name into the history books in September 2003 when he scored an injury-time equaliser for Sunderland, away at Derby.
Poom made a surprising move in 2005, returning to the Premier League as Arsenal’s third-choice keeper. He made one league appearance for the Gunners, before joining Watford for two years and retiring in 2009.
Records
- Most Appearances – Mart Poom (138)
- First appearance – Mart Poom (Man United 2-3 Derby, April 5th 1997)
- Most goals – Ragnar Klavan (1)
- First goal – Ragnar Klavan (Burnley 1-2 LIVERPOOL, January 1st 2018)
Other Players
Ragnar Klavan is the only other Estonian to play in the Premier League, appearing for Liverpool between 2016 and 2018. Klavan’s 94th-minute winner against Burnley remains the only Premier League goal to be scored by an Estonian.
Trivia
- Both Mart Poom (120) and Ragnar Klavan (127) have over 100 international caps. No UEFA nation has more players with 100 or more caps than Estonia (13; Spain also 13), while only Saudi Arabia, USA (both 17), Mexico (15), Egypt and Iraq (both 14) have more.
- Mart Poom and Ragnar Klavan both have Champions League runners up medals; Poom with Arsenal in 2006 and Klavan with Liverpool in 2018.
