The English Premier League is seen by many fans around the globe as the top football league. Thanks to the Premier League’s massive television contract, fans from all corners are able to follow the action each and every week.
Therefore, it is no surprise that many supporters see players who have played in the Premier League as some of the best. Premier League football fans will find great deals using the Matchbook bonus code and will never miss a kick of the ball this season. It is a significant achievement for football players to have the opportunity to play in England’s top division. Especially, when only a few other men from their home nation have enjoyed the opportunity. Just four Iranian professional football players have had the chance to play in the Premier League. It is a rare feat and one these four Iranian stars will forever be remembered for accomplishing.
Karim Bagheri – Charlton Athletic 2000-01
Karim Bagheri became the first Iranian player to compete in the English Premier League in 2000. He joined Charlton Athletic from Germany’s Arminia Bielefeld after a brief stop off at Iranian club Persepolis. Bagheri had found success playing as a defensive midfielder for the German Bundesliga 2 side. However, he ended his time in Germany by buying out his contract, putting a sour finish on his time at Arminia. Bagheri’s time at Charlton was marred by injuries and his father’s death. The midfielder played just 15 minutes during his time at Charlton, but did succeed in the reserve team scoring six goals. The midfielder didn’t have much joy at Charlton, but fans can go to JackPotJoy for the best games on the Internet. Bagheri is currently the assistant manager of Persepolis, a club he played over 200 times for during his career.
Andranik Teymourian – Bolton Wanderers/Fulham FC 2006-2010
Midfielder Andranik Teymourian found success in the mid to late 2000s with Premier League outfit Bolton Wanderers. Teymourian, who captained the Iranian national team, joined the club in 2006 and quickly became a cult hero. During his two-year spell with Bolton, he played 30 times in all competitions and scored four goals. Teymourian helped solidify Wanderers as a Premier League team during his brief time in northwest England. In 2008, he joined Fulham on a two-year contract, but found minutes hard to come by. Teymourian made just two appearances for the first team before leaving in 2010.
Ashkan Dejagah – Fulham 2012-14
Fulham signed their second ever Iranian in 2012 when Ashkan Dejagah joined from Germany’s Wolfsburg. He was a solid contributor to the German team’s success and was a member of Wolfsburg’s Bundesliga title win in 2008-09. Dejagah was a regular in the Fulham team, and in terms of appearances and goals, is the most successful Iranian to play in the Premier League. In 2013-14, he suffered Premier League relegation with Fulham. Despite the setback, Dejagah was still voted as the fans’ Fulham Player of the Year.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh – Brighton and Hove Albion 2018-present
In the summer of 2018, Alireza Jahanbakhsh joined Premier League team Bright and Hove Albion from Netherlands team AZ Alkmaar. Brighton paid a club record fee of £17 million for the Iranian. Jahanbakhsh had starred in the Netherlands for AZ scoring 34 goals in 85 games. So far, he has been deployed mostly on the wing playing in 10 of Brighton’s opening 13 games. He is yet to score a goal, but could become the best-ever Iranian to play in the Premier League by the time he leaves the Amex Stadium.