Journey from Premiership to South Africa

With less than a year to go before the 2010 World cup is dictating diaries and breaking up marriages, everyone is desperate to get their hands on a ticket to South Africa. So what better way to kick off a nostalgic look back at the Premier League’s past then to look at some of the players who came back the other way. Surprisingly, you can’t even put a full team together of South Africans who have plied their trade in England, and judging by some of the names on the list, most of the team you did field wouldn’t last 90 minutes without the urge to hit the showers early.

Here’s a run down of those who have graced the English game:

Lucas Radebe

The former Leeds hard man must have been doing something right… He kept Michael Duberry out of the team after all. But Radebe was a much loved figure in Yorkshire and would turn in his grave if he saw Leeds playing in league one (and if he was dead of course, for now he’s just turning).

Mark Fish

The only man on the planet who when put next to a 1990’s Peter Andre, looks more greasy. Fish was known for tackling slightly higher than most (head height) but was a solid figure for Charlton, and as solid as one can be when playing for Bolton.

Phil Masinga

Another Leeds United great, Masinga took the Premier League by storm until somewhere along the line he…stopped taking the playing league by storm. In fact, he vanished quite a long time ago, does anyone know where he is? He only went out to get milk. Maybe we should call someone.

Eric Tinkler

Tinkler wasn’t in the Premier League long, it was more like a short holiday to Barnsley, as you do. Another reliable though, and if memory serves, another who enjoyed tackling as far away from the floor as possible.

Shaun Bartlett

Bartlett came over, scored an incredible number of goals and then all of a sudden seemed to forget how to kick a ball. Strange really. Still, if you spend all your time at the Charlton training ground that sort of thing is likely to happen.

Quinton Fortune

Unfortunately for Quinton Fortune, he will forever go down just above Diego Forlan as the worst player Man United ever signed (it’s OK though, he’s still below Eric Djemba Djemba). Fortune was always on the outskirts at United and eventually got pushed so far out of Manchester that he ended up in Bolton.

Mbulelo Mabizela

…. Who, what when?

Points are on offer to anyone who can name the three remaining South Africans currently playing in the Premier League. And for anyone who finds Phil Masinga.

Craig Woods

Craig writes for the DA.co.uk who are currently running a Hall of Fame for the not so remembered Premier League Players. To contribute to the ‘Don’t I know you? Hall of Fame email him at editor@theda.co.uk

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