Three English footballers who played in Italy’s Serie A during Premier League era

Bengaluru, Aug 30: English players are like Italians only who tend to compete in their native land. In fact, it’s competent to say that most of the best English players in recent times have only left their native land to ply their trade abroad once they were well out of their prime.

However, in a recent couple of years, the idea has changed and now many English players are trying their luck outside England as well. Chris Smalling is rumoured to be the next candidate to ply his trade in outside England with a loan move to AS Roma closer than ever.

There are three other big names, who also made such a bold move during the Premier League era albeit permanently. Here we take a look at how they got on:

Paul Gascoigne – Lazio

Gascoigne was the first of the big names from English soil to make a move into the Italian game. Just two years after an impressive campaign in World Cup, Lazio paid £5.5million to bring Gazza in from Spurs in 1992. He was due to join Lazio in 1991, but the transfer was lingered by a year after he sustained a serious knee injury playing for Tottenham Hotspur against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup final. But amidst all such, Gazza never really managed to find his way in a different environment. His time in Italy was dogged by injuries and poor runs of form saw him playing only 47 matches, scoring just six goals in three years.

Paul Ince – Inter Milan

Probably the most successful English footballer in Italian soil in the late 90's splurge. The English attacker was already a big name for Manchester United however it came as a bit of wonderment when Paul Ince received the transfer call whilst playing golf with Ryan Giggs in 1995 that Ferguson had accepted Inter Milan’s bid of £7.5 million for the dynamic footballer.

Nevertheless, Ince has had a great time in Italy and was a fan favourite during his stay at Inter which also saw him even captaining them. His first season went in disappointment with Inter finishing seventh but in the next one, Inter finished third in 1996-97 and reached the final of the UEFA Cup, where they lost out on penalties to Schalke.

However, following the successful campaign, Ince decided to return to England and sign for Liverpool, leaving many Inter fans surprised.

Ashley Cole - AS Roma

The greatest left-back of English football in recent time, following eight glorious seasons at Chelsea surprisingly went for a new challenge outside England with AS Roma in 2014. However, the move appeared to be disastrous, to say the least. He only played 11 league games in his first season, none in his second and later had his contract terminated by mutual consent in January that year after just 18 months. He then went to MLS and later came to England again last year playing for Championship side Derby before hanging his boot permanently.