Hungary has supplied a small selection of players to the English Premier League, but each one has had an impact on the division. In comparison with other countries, the intake has been small, but there are some talented players on the list.
Here are the Hungarians who have made an impression on the EPL.
Best Hungarian Players in the Premier League History
Zoltán Gera
After making his name with domestic side Ferencvaros, midfielder Zoltan Gera went on to play for two English sides. He joined West Bromwich Albion in 2004, and played in the Premier League for two seasons before the club dropped down to the Championship.
Gera initially stayed loyal to West Brom, but he was too good to be playing in the second tier, and he eventually left for EPL side Fulham in 2008. The player was part of the Fulham squad that reached the final of the Europa League a year later, but when the club placed him on the transfer list in 2011, he returned to West Brom.
Zoltan Gera was a great servant for English football, playing in the country for ten years before returning to Ferencvaros in 2014.
Gábor Király
From the relatively small list of Hungarian footballers who have played in England, a high proportion have been goalkeepers. Gabor Kiraly was a popular character in the EPL, where he will be remembered for turning out in a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms instead of regulation shorts.
His choice of kit made him a distinctive figure, but Kiraly was a top keeper who made 108 appearances for the Hungarian national team. He first played in England with Crystal Palace, who he joined from Hertha Berlin in 2004. Kiraly also featured for West Ham, Aston Villa, Burnley and Fulham, but he made most English appearances with Palace, where he was a firm fans’ favourite.
Márton Fülöp
Another Hungarian international goalkeeper, Marton Fulop enjoyed a long career in England between 2004 and 2011, featuring for no fewer than nine clubs. He first joined Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur from Bodajk in 2004, but was a back up stopper to Paul Robinson, and never made a first team appearance in three years.
Fulop got a deserved chance in the Premier League with Sunderland, and he also played in the top flight for Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion.
While he was rarely a first team regular during his time in English football, Marton Fulop was a popular character, and all of his former clubs were sad to learn of his untimely passing in 2015.
Dominik Szoboszlai
He’s the most recent Hungarian player to feature in the Premier League at the time of writing, and he’s arguably the most talented. Dominik Szoboszlai is with Liverpool after joining the Merseyside club from RB Leipzig in 2023.
While he was on the books of Hungarian sides in his youth, the midfielder made his professional debut with Austrian outfit Liefering. From there, he progressed through the Red Bull teams – Salzburg and Leipzig. Szoboszlai is a skillful midfielder with a fierce shot and an eye for goal. He’s impressed during his start to life in the Premier League and will be aiming to be the first Hungarian to lift major trophies in English football.
Ádám Bogdán
Adam Bogdan also represented Hungary as a goalkeeper, and he played for four English clubs in his career. His most successful period came with Bolton Wanderers who he joined from Vasas SC in 2007.
The stopper spent eight years with the club, and while he was initially a back up to Jussi Jaaskelainen, he became first choice when the Finn left the squad. Bolton dropped out of the Premier League, and Bogdan was tempted into a move to Liverpool in 2015. While the Reds are a much bigger club, Adam Bogdan made just two EPL appearances in two years. He finished his career back in Hungary with Ferencvaros.
Tamás Priskin
A centre forward who was good enough to earn 63 senior caps for his country, Tamas Priskin was a journeyman in domestic football. He played for no fewer than 14 professional clubs, including six in England.
Priskin played in the Premier League with Watford in the 2006/07 season. He made 16 EPL appearances for the Hornets, scoring just two goals. While he later featured for Ipswich Town, Queens Park Rangers and other English clubs, these were his only Premier League games. He was a productive striker elsewhere, but the EPL didn’t see the best of Tamas Priskin.
Milos Kerkez
Along with Dominik Szoboszlai, Milos Kerkez is the only name on this list to be playing in the Premier League at the time of writing. A versatile player, he can switch from left back to the left wing, and he’s been an important part of the Bournemouth squad since signing from Dutch side AZ in 2023.
At the age of 2020, Kerkez has already shown lots of promise, and he had earned 13 caps for the Hungarian senior side by the end of 2023. Bournemouth are his fifth club, and it’s hoped he can now settle and produce his best football.
Final Thoughts
It’s a small selection of Hungarian players to have featured in the Premier League, but this is a talented bunch. While some were more successful than others, each player made an impact, while aiming to raise the profile of Hungarian football.
Now that Dominik Szoboszlai is performing well at Liverpool, it’s more likely that more English clubs will be scouting Hungarian players, and this list will build in the near future.
