The next destination of our alphabetical world tour is Georgia. Geographically in Asia but a member of UEFA, Georgia has been represented by five players in the Premier League era according to the Premier League website.
First Player – Georgi Kinkladze (Manchester City, Derby County; 1995-96, 1999-02)
After breaking through in his native Georgia, Georgi Kinkladze moved to Manchester City in 1995. Despite City enduring a dismal season that ended in relegation to the second tier, Kinkladze survived with credit intact after an impressive debut season in England.
Surprisingly opting to remain with City, Kinkladze played a further two seasons at Maine Road before joining Ajax for £5 million. After a largely unsuccessful spell in Amsterdam, he joined Derby County, initially on loan, and remained in Derbyshire until 2003, with the club in the second tier at the time of his departure.
Kinkladze won 54 caps for Georgia between 1992 and 2005.
Records
- Most appearances – Georgi Kinkladze (102)
- First appearance – Georgi Kinkladze (MAN CITY 1-1 Spurs, August 19th 1995)
- Most goals – Temuri Ketsbaia (8)
- First goal – Georgi Kinkladze (MAN CITY 1-0 Aston Villa, November 25th 1995)
Other players
The most recent Georgian to appear in the Premier League was Zurab Khizanishvili, who made 62 appearances for Blackburn, most recently in 2009. Rati Aleksidze, Mikhail Khavelashvili and Temuri Ketsbaia all made their Premier League appearances between 1995 and 2001.
Trivia
- Georgia are one of 48 UEFA nations to have been represented in the Premier League, out of a total of 55.
- Zurab Khizanishvili is the second most capped Georgian of all-time (92).
- Temuri Ketsbaia managed the Georgia national team between 2010 and 2014.
