Top five Premier League footballers who returned to their former clubs

On Saturday (August 24), Ilkay Gundogan made his second debut for Manchester City after leaving for Barcelona in 2023

One of the most common traditions in football is players switching their clubs after a certain period of time. There can be multiple reasons behind the switch. Some leave their clubs for better opportunities, some to earn more, while others change their sides after spending a good amount of time with a club, searching for new challenges. In most cases, these players never return to their old clubs. However, some exceptions exist where a club legend returns to their old club, creating a rare case of a second coming. Here are the top five players from the English Premier League who returned home after spending time away from the dressing room that made them stars.
 

 

1. Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
 

First Spell (1999-2007):

• Matches: 254
• Goals: 174

Second Spell (2012):

• Matches: 4
• Goals: 1

The French international, Thierry Henry, joined Arsenal from Juventus in 1999 under Arsène Wenger and became Arsenal’s all-time leading scorer and a key player in their “Invincible” season of 2003-04. After leaving for Barcelona in 2007, Henry returned to Arsenal on loan in 2012. During his tenure with the Gunners, he helped them win two FA Cups and two Premier League titles.
 

2. Wayne Rooney (Everton)
 

First Spell (2002-2004):

• Matches: 67
• Goals: 15

Second Spell (2017-2018):

• Matches: 31
• Goals: 10

Although Wayne Rooney is known for his run with Manchester United from 2004 to 2017, where he became the club’s leading goal scorer, he actually started his career with Everton in 2002 before moving to United. After his iconic run at United, he returned to Everton for another spell in 2017, scoring 10 goals in 31 matches before leaving again in 2018.
 

3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
 

First Spell (2003-2009):

• Matches: 196
• Goals: 84

Second Spell (2021-2022):

• Matches: 40
• Goals: 19

Cristiano Ronaldo, the highest goal scorer in football history, became a household name with Manchester United between 2003 and 2009. He left to join Real Madrid in 2009 but eventually returned to Old Trafford in 2021 for a year-long second spell. Despite Ronaldo’s second run not being ideal for him, he still scored 19 goals in 40 matches and was United’s highest goal scorer that season.
 

4. Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur)
 

First Spell (2007-2013):

• Matches: 146
• Goals: 42

Second Spell (2020-2021):

• Matches: 20
• Goals: 11

Gareth Bale rose to prominence at Tottenham Hotspur, winning the PFA Player of the Year award twice. He moved to Real Madrid in 2013 before returning to Spurs on loan in 2020. He scored 11 goals in 20 appearances in his return season before moving away once again a year later.
 

5. Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
 

First Spell (2004-2012):

• Matches: 226
• Goals: 100

Second Spell (2014-2015):

• Matches: 28
• Goals: 4

When discussing the legends of Chelsea, or even the Premier League itself, the name of Didier Drogba is hard to miss. Drogba’s transfer made a lot of buzz when Jose Mourinho signed him for Chelsea in 2004. He helped the Blues win three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, and one Champions League, proving why the choice to hire him was right. He left Chelsea in 2012 before returning for a final spell with the club in the 2014-15 season.