Record 21 British players in Serie A as Stones, Spence and Jones join Inter's English revolution
A quiet revolution is under way in Italian football. A record 21 British players — 15 of them English — are on the books of Serie A clubs this season, the highest number the competition has ever known, led by England internationals John Stones and Djed Spence, who both moved to Inter after the World Cup.
From a soldier in Padova to a record influx
What do Jimmy Greaves, Ray Wilkins, David Beckham, Paul Gascoigne and Kyle Walker have in common? They all made more than 50 appearances for England as well as playing for Italian clubs. Yet the first Englishman to represent an Italian club is far less familiar. The former soldier Charles Adcock moved to Padova just after the second world war, having been spotted playing for the British army. By a strange quirk of fate, Adcock never played league football in his own country: after a handful of years in Italy he returned to England in 1953, where he played for Peterborough United, at the time a non-league side.
In the 80 years since Adcock's move, more than 50 English players have played in Serie A — but never as many at once as there are now.
Echoes of the 1980s — and a very different television age
There was a wave of high-profile English players in Serie A in the 1980s, such as the first £1m player, Trevor Francis, who joined Sampdoria in 1982. He came up against Mark Hateley and Ray Wilkins, who both spent three seasons at Milan in the mid-1980s. Paul Gascoigne was the big English star in Italy in the 1990s, joined by journeymen such as Franz Carr and Danny Dichio.
At any point during those two decades, only a handful of Englishmen played in Serie A, compared with the 15 who are with Italian clubs today. The fortunes of those émigrés were followed back home on Gazzetta Football Italia, hosted by James Richardson. Nowadays the main coverage of the league is on TNT, headed up by commentator Adam Summerton.
The trailblazers who opened the door
"It's multifaceted," Summerton says of the British invasion. "It starts with the trailblazers. Someone like Liam Henderson, who's been in Italy since 2018. Chris Smalling was another in 2019." Smalling spent five years at Roma and was player of the match when they won the inaugural Conference League final in 2022 under José Mourinho.
"Italian sporting directors have said how they really value the hard work, professionalism and tenacity of Scottish players in particular," Summerton says. "They have also developed a reputation for being good in the dressing room – that's really appealing when you're building a team."
Coppa Italia glory, Neapolitan tomatoes and changing perceptions
Summerton believes attitudes have changed on both sides. The new intake are more rounded characters who actively enjoy the different culture. "The world has become a smaller place, and the modern player seems more likely to see opportunity rather than difficulty in the challenges that come with playing abroad," he says. "Players often talk about becoming more mature and more rounded for the experience, both as people and players. Many are aiming to embrace culture, language and even food. Scott McTominay's appreciation of Neapolitan tomatoes has become well-known. The majority are having good experiences, that will naturally lead to others wanting to try it too."
Scottish players, in particular, have improved the perception of British football in Italy. Lewis Ferguson, who moved to Bologna in 2022, was voted Serie A midfielder of the season in 2023-24 and captained the club when they beat Milan in the Coppa Italia final last year. Following Ferguson's success, McTominay joined Napoli and won the Serie A player of the season award as the club won the league title.
The trend shows little sign of slowing this term: as Sky Sports' European debrief noted on 21 September, Billy Gilmour had scored for Napoli and Harry Winks, after back-to-back relegations with Leicester, had started every game for Cagliari this season.
Fikayo Tomori has also done his bit to change perceptions. "Fikayo Tomori has talked about looking at the Milan badge on his tracksuit every day and taking such pride playing for the great Milan," Summerton says. Tomori made a concerted effort to learn the language and was soon conducting interviews in Italian after joining the club in 2020 — running against the notion that British players are reluctant to assimilate.
Academy coaching and the economics behind the move
Coaching at Premier League academies has advanced to the extent that they are now producing technically adept players who suit Serie A. One example is Omari Hutchinson, a product of Chelsea's academy who has just moved to Milan on loan from Nottingham Forest.
Hutchinson's move also points to a more prosaic issue: the economic imbalance between the Premier League and its European counterparts. "Good players who might be on the fringes of a Premier League side see Italy as a chance to be a more important player in a big league with a big-name club," Summerton says. A BBC ranking of Britain's best overseas exports, published on 1 October, noted that eight members of England's most recent World Cup squad were playing abroad — evidence that moving overseas is no longer the rarity it once was.
Inter's English revolution
The English invasion is perhaps best summed up by Inter, who signed Curtis Jones from Liverpool this summer to join Spence and Stones. Before their arrival, the club had signed only three English players in their history: Gerry Hitchens in 1961, Paul Ince in 1995 and Ashley Young in 2020.
Stones swapped Manchester for Milan in the summer and his delight at joining such a football institution was clear. "I have so many emotions. I'm really happy, proud and excited. I couldn't imagine a better place to do it," he said.
Ones to watch: Jones and Chalobah
Who does Summerton think will make the best impression this season? "The early signs from Jones are good," he says. "He's a profile of player that Cristian Chivu, the Inter coach, really wanted." Jones's performance for Liverpool against Inter in last season's Champions League sowed the seed for the move.
"I'm also really excited for Trevoh Chalobah," Summerton adds. "He's walked into one of the most exciting projects in world football right now at Como. Cesc Fàbregas is doing tremendous work there. He has started the season really well and they are already strong defensively."
Chalobah knows what to expect from Fàbregas, having trained together at Chelsea. "I remember how demanding he was with the younger players," says the centre-back. "I know him really well." Working with a legend of the game at an ambitious club appeals — and, as Summerton points out, "he gets to live next to Lake Como and play Champions League football too. There's a lot to like."
For now, the record influx shows every sign of continuing. British players are no longer a novelty in Serie A; they are, increasingly, among its stars.