BBC Sport ranks the top British football exports of the century

BBC Sport has published a ranking of the best British football players to have made their mark playing abroad since the start of the century, highlighting names from David Beckham and Gareth Bale to Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.

The list reflects on a generation of British players who built significant parts of their careers at clubs outside England, a path historically less common than for players from some other European footballing nations.

Beckham and Bale are cited among the earlier examples of British players achieving major success overseas, while Bellingham and Kane represent a more recent wave of players who moved abroad while already established as leading figures in the game.

The ranking considers factors such as on-field success, individual honours, and overall impact at clubs outside the United Kingdom, according to the published list.

The feature forms part of BBC Sport's broader coverage reflecting on notable careers and trends in British football over the past two decades.