The next destination of our alphabetical world tour is Poland. Though several Polish goalkeepers have made their way to the Premier League, few of the very best outfield players from two-time World Cup semi-finalists Poland have played club football in England.
According to the Premier League website, 17 players have represented Poland in the Premier League, including one from the opening weekend in 1992.
First Player – Robert Warzycha (Everton; 1992-94)
One of 13 non-British or Irish players to appear in the opening weekend of the inaugural Premier League season, Robert Warzycha became the first player to represent Poland in the Premier League.
Though he and Everton began the season well, form soon dropped and Warzycha made just two league appearances after December. He remained out of favour in the following campaign, making just seven appearances before leaving Everton in 1994.
Warzycha played the final days of his playing career in the MLS with Columbus Crew and remained with the club as he entered management, eventually managing the club between 2009 and 2013.
Records
- Most appearances – Łukasz Fabiański (235)
- First appearance – Robert Warzycha (EVERTON 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday, August 15th 1992)
- Most goals – Jan Bednarek (4)
- First goal – Robert Warzycha (Man United 0-3 EVERTON, August 19th 1992)
Current/Most Recent Players
Two Polish players appeared in the Premier League in 2019/20 before the suspension, while one more is with a Premier League club but has not featured this campaign.
Southampton defender Jan Bednarek (the only Pole to have scored more than one Premier League goal) and West Ham keeper Łukasz Fabiański have both played important roles for their sides in recent months, while Bournemouth shot-stopper Artur Boruc was on the sidelines for the whole of 2019/20.
Trivia
- Poland are one of 48 UEFA nations to have been represented in the Premier League.
- Only four goals in Premier League history have been scored by Poles, none between 1993 and 2014.
- Only three of the 17 players to have represented Poland in the Premier League scored a goal, the lowest ratio of any country with more than three players (17.6%).
- The five Poles with the most Premier League appearances were all goalkeepers.
