The One With The Spanish Armada 

* Disclaimer : This post is related on football.. non-footie fan.. u may just skip.. :P *

When Wenger and Houllier started to manage Arsenal and Liverpool consecutively, the league began to flood with French players.. most remembered names would be Barthez, Blanc, Sylvestre, Desailly, Vieira, Makelele, Djorkaeff, Pires, Henry.. Like naming the whole French national team; only without Zidane.. According to Premierleague.com, all-time history of the 12-years-and-counting English Premier League recorded 126 frenchmen (including profilic Cantona and Ginola) ever played or still playing in any of 38 teams that ever reached the top flight of English Football league, the third highest behind English(1237) and Scottish(130) of course..

When Gullit started to manage Chelsea, he tried to influence the team with his Italian connection.. mobbed by famous Zola, Di Matteo and Vialli.. However.. Italians failed to invade EPL since their national team would not give a call-up to any players play in other league except their Serie A..

Frenchs, Germans, Dutchs, Brazillians.. most of them found themselves easily adapted in the league.. except for Spanish.. before season 2003/2004.. less than 5 Spanish ever played in EPL.. Marcelino for instance, signed for Newcastle but didn't play a single Premier League game for almost two years which later got his service terminated and headed back to his home country..

Then, when Wenger poised to splash a record-breaking £17m for Jose Antonio Reyes from Sevilla in order to help his previous free-signing Cesc Fabregas to settle in EPL, everything went the other way around.. This 2004/2005 season, the two wonder boys made a huge impact.. Reyes scored in every game while 17-year-old Cesc produced strings of assists.. made everyone forgotten about the inexistance of currently-injured Vieira from the team.. As for Liverpool, newly appointed manager Banitez already signed Josemi, Nunez, Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia.. Bolton have ex-Madrid players Campo and Hierro, even Sir Fergie copied Wenger move by signed Gerrard Pique from Barca (whom yet to play any game)..

As for today, 13 Spanish recorded their name in the EPL history book.. Banitez and Wenger are still keen on signing many others.. this year would be a new era of EPL which brings to much greater excitement for all footie-fans, I bet..

p/s : Ironically, Camacho of Real Madrid signed two more englishmen, Owen & Woodgate for his side..