Conor Gallagher next: Every English player to ever join a La Liga club

After joining the club as an eight-year-old, progressing through the academy, developing across four loan spells and breaking into the Stamford Bridge first team to captain the side for much of last season, Conor Gallagher’s long association with Chelsea is nearing an end.

And as the 25-year-old midfielder closes in on a £33 million move to Atletico Madrid, he is set to become the 23rd Englishman ever to play in La Liga.

From Champions League winners to single-season flops, here are the other 22 English players who’ve plied their trade in Spain’s top flight and how they fared.

Harry Lowe – Real Sociedad – 1935

A centre-half who’d played for Brighton, Fulham and Tottenham, Harry Lowe had no intention of becoming the first-ever English player in La Liga when he moved to Spain in 1930. He’d in fact gone over to manage Real Sociedad.

But when one of his players fell ill before an away trip to face Valencia and with no substitutes available, Lowe decided to lace up his boots one more time at the ripe old age of 48, playing his first and last competitive game in Spanish football.

La Real lost 7-1, but Lowe assisted his team’s only goal and the record he set as the oldest player in the history of Spain’s top flight still stands.

Laurie Cunningham – Real Madrid, Sporting Gijon – 1979–82, 83–84

After starring for two seasons with West Brom, Laurie Cunningham became the first British player to represent Real Madrid when he moved to the Bernabeu for £950,000 in 1979.

A bright start saw him score twice on his debut and help Los Blancos to a La Liga title in his first season. Injuries hampered the remainder of his time in the Spanish capital, but the winger still posted an impressive a record of 20 goals from 66 appearances.

Peter Barnes – Real Betis – 1982–83

England international Peter Barnes endured a less productive time in Spain following his 1982 move from Leeds United to Real Betis.

The winger was played out of position as a centre-forward and scored just once in 16 appearances for the Andalusian side. He returned to Elland Road after just one season.

Gary Lineker – Barcelona – 1986–89

Signed from Everton by then-Barcelona manager Terry Venables in a £2.6 million deal after winning the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup, Gary Lineker lived up to his hefty billing in his first season at the Camp Nou, netting a hat-trick against Real Madrid and scoring 20 goals in 41 league games.

He later slipped down the pecking order under Johan Cruyff and was often played out of position as a right winger. But the Three Lions legend remains the highest-scoring English player in La Liga history, with 42 league goals from 103 games in his three seasons in Spain.

Raphael Meade – Real Betis – 1987–88

Raphael Meade, it is fair to say, made less of an impact in Spanish football than most of the players listed here.

The former Arsenal striker thrived in Portugal with Sporting CP during the mid-1980s. But a loan to Real Betis in the 1987-88 season yielded just three appearances and no goals.

Sammy Lee – Osasuna – 1987–89

A four-time league title winner and two-time European Cup winner with Liverpool, former England midfielder Sammy Lee spent two seasons in La Liga with Osasuna in the twilight of his career.

Lee made 35 appearances for the Basque side before returning to England via a loan to Southampton and then joining Bolton, with whom he’d retire.

Adrian Heath – Espanyol – 1988–89

One of the stars of the great Everton sides of the mid-1980s, Adrian Heath won two First Division titles at Goodison Park before trying his hand at the Spanish game with a move to Espanyol in 1988.

He lasted just one season in La Liga, though, scoring once in 29 games, before signing for Aston Villa.

Dalian Atkinson – Real Sociedad – 1990–91

As a dynamic young striker, Dalian Atkinson had made his name with Sheffield Wednesday. But when the Owls were relegated to the second tier at the end of the 1989-90 season, he was sold to Real Sociedad for £1.2 million.

Despite being racially abused by opposition fans, Atkinson was impressively productive in a struggling La Real side, scoring 12 times in his only season with the club before a £1.6 million switch to Aston Villa.

Kevin Richardson – Real Sociedad – 1990–91

Former Everton, Watford and Arsenal midfielder Kevin Richardson also joined Real Sociedad the same summer as Atkinson.

And, after playing 37 times for the Basque side in the 1990-91 La Liga campaign, the one-cap England international followed Atkinson back to England with a £450,000 move to Villa.

Vinny Samways – Las Palmas, Sevilla – 1996–03

Long-time Tottenham player Vinny Samways joined Las Palmas from Everton in 1996 and went on to captain the Canary Islands club. The tough tackling midfielder became a cult hero for Los Amarillos, with as many red cards (six) as goals in his time with the club.

After leaving Las Palmas in 2003, Samways played for Sevilla for one season, becoming the first Englishman to play in the Seville derby against Real Betis.

Steve McManaman – Real Madrid – 1999–03

Steve McManaman joined Real Madrid from Liverpool as a free agent in the summer of 1999 and the dazzling England winger remains of the Premier League’s greatest exports to Spain, having won two Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles in four years at the Bernabeu.

His debut campaign with Los Blancos was capped with a stunning volleyed goal as Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 in the Champions League final.

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Mark Draper – Rayo Vallecano – 1999–00

After he’d fallen from favour at Aston Villa during the 1999-2000 campaign, full-back Mark Draper spent a brief loan spell with Rayo Vallecano.

The former England under-21 international played just four league games for the Madrid-based club before a permanent move to Southampton.

Stan Collymore – Real Oviedo – 2000–01

Once the most expensive player in British football when he signed for Liverpool from Nottingham Forest for £8.5 million in 1995, Stan Collymore’s career was winding down by the time he penned an 18-month contract with Real Oviedo at the start of the 2000-01 season.

The former England striker played just three games for the Spanish side before falling from favour and, at the age of 30, announcing his retirement.

David Beckham – Real Madrid – 2003–07

David Beckham left boyhood club Manchester United to join up with Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo to become Real Madrid’s latest Galactico in the summer of 2003.

And while the former England captain’s time in the Spanish capital coincided with a relatively fallow period for Los Blancos, he was crucial to a La Liga title triumph in his final season before leaving to join Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007.

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Michael Owen – Real Madrid – 2004–05

Following in McManaman’s footsteps, Michael Owen left Anfield for Real Madrid when his Liverpool contract expired in the summer of 2004.

And although the England striker lasted only a season at the Bernabeu before returning to England with Newcastle, he posted a respectable return of 13 La Liga goals from 36 appearances – many of which were as a substitute – highlighted by his strike in a 4-2 win over Barcelona.

Jonathan Woodgate – Real Madrid – 2004–06

Madrid’s English influx continued in 2004 with their signing of Jonathan Woodgate from Newcastle for £13.4 million.

His two seasons with the club were blighted by injuries, with the England centre-back missing the entirety of his first campaign in Spain. When he finally made his debut against Athletic Bilbao, he scored an own goal and was sent off.

When fit, Woodgate often impressed. But after just 14 appearances with Los Blancos, he signed for Middlesbrough in 2006.

Jermaine Pennant – Zaragoza – 2009–10

After a disappointing spell with Liverpool, winger Jermaine Pennant signed a three-year deal with Real Zaragoza in the summer of 2009.

The former Arsenal youngster was a regular feature for Los Blanquillos until, in February of his first season with the club, he was banished from the squad for persistent poor time keeping. He never played for Zaragoza again, joining Stoke City the following season.

Charlie I’Anson – Elche – 2013–14

A name likely unfamiliar to even the most ardent La Liga observers, English centre-back Charlie I’Anson broke through with Conference side Grimsby before moving to Elche in 2012.

Still in Spain, he has since played for Alcorcón, Real Oviedo, Valencia B, Granada, Real Murcia, Rayo Majadahonda and UCAM Murcia.

Patrick Roberts – Girona – 2018–19

Before former Manchester City prospect Patrick Roberts signed a permanent deal with Sunderland in 2022, one of the many loan moves he experienced during his time at the Etihad was to Girona for the 2018-19 season.

Roberts failed to register a goal or an assist during his single campaign in La Liga, with just six of his 19 appearances coming as a starter.

Kieran Trippier – Atlético Madrid – 2019–22

After standout spells with Burnley and Tottenham, England right-back Kieran Trippier signed for Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019 in a £20 million deal.

The former Manchester City academy product spent two and a half seasons with Los Colchoneros, winning a La Liga title in the 2020-21 campaign, before signing for Newcastle.

Mason Greenwood – Getafe – 2023–24

Former England striker Mason Greenwood scored eight goals and provided six assists while on loan with Getafe in La Liga last season.

The 22-year-old had been sent out on loan by Manchester United after it was decided he’d have no future with the club following an investigation into sexual assault allegations made against the player – for which he was charged before the withdrawal of a key witness led to the charges being dropped. His form in Spain led to a €31.6 million permanent move to Marseille this summer.

Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid – 2023–present

Great expectations followed Jude Bellingham as he made the mammoth move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid as a 20-year-old last summer. But the England midfielder has exceeded them all, finishing as the club’s top scorer, La Liga’s Player of the Year and leading Los Blancos to a league and Champions League double.

He may only be a year into his Spanish stay, but there is a strong argument to be made that Bellingham is already the greatest English player in La Liga history.

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