8 brilliant players who are simply too good to be playing in Greece
Former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham stars are among the eight brilliant players who are too good to be playing in Greece now.
With its sunkissed beaches, gorgeous food and passionate football scene, Greece has long been a popular destination for nomadic footballers.
We’ve taken a closer look at the Greek Super League and have found eight players who we can’t believe are now doing the business over there.
Anthony Martial
One of three former Manchester United players who relocated to Greece this summer, Martial left Old Trafford after nine frequently frustrating years and signed for AEK Athens.
He made his debut off the bench in his side’s 1-1 draw against PAOK, but failed to impress local journalists during his 15-minute cameo.
‘How was Martial’s debut in the Greek league?’ Kostas Kofinas wrote. ‘The French forward played as a substitute for about 20 minutes, while his participation can be described as ‘colourless, odourless, and tasteless.’
Since then, the forward has scored five times in 12 appearances
Erik Lamela
The Greek top flight appears to be gunning for Turkey’s crown as the hot new destination for Premier League stars who have long since lost their lustre.
Lamela, once of rabona fame at Tottenham, joined Martial at AEK Athens over the summer and has provided three assists in 10 league appearances to date.
Facundo Pellistri
Pellistri spent three years earning his stripes at youth level and then on two separate loans with Alaves before being trusted with United’s first team.
Pellistri had to show a tremendous amount of patience after slotting seamlessly into United’s under-23 setup, but was finally handed his competitive debut against Charlton Athletic in January 2023.
Sporadic appearances followed, but the Uruguay international never looked likely to make the cut and was sold to Panathinaikos for £5.1million this summer.
The winger has scored twice in 21 appearances for the Greek side in 2024-25 and played against Chelsea in the Conference League.
Jonny
Jonny is loving life in the land of moussaka and ouzo; the former Wolves starlet left Molineux after five distinguished years in January 2024 and signed for PAOK on a one-and-a-half-year deal.
The defender has provided five assists in 39 appearances as PAOK reached the Europa Conference League quarter-finals last season.
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Tiemoue Bakayoko
After a so-so debut season at Chelsea, Bakayoko saw out the remaining five years of his contract in a series of loans away – AC Milan, Monaco, Napoli, Milan again – before departing for Lorient in 2023.
But he ultimately failed to kickstart his career back in France and joined PAOK last summer on a free transfer.
Shola Shoretire
Shoretire still holds the record as the youngest player to appear for Manchester United in European competition, taking the record off Norman Whiteside as a substitute in the Europa League in 2021 against Real Sociedad.
The youngster found himself lost in the shuffle and struggling to kick on at senior level. He signed for PAOK this summer and has already returned to Old Trafford with his new side, coming off the bench as United beat the Greek champions in a Europa League match.
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Baba Rahman
Remarkably, Rahman only left Chelsea in 2023. We’d forgive you for thinking he left years ago.
The left-back spent seven consecutive seasons out on loan and finally left Chelsea this summer upon his contract expiring. He joined PAOK and has enjoyed a steady period in his new surroundings.
Fotis Ioannidis
The Greece national team enjoyed a renaissance in 2024, beating England at Wembley and rising up the World Rankings.
Part of their success was down to the goalscoring form of Ioannidis, who scored four times for his country last year and netted 23 in 44 appearances for Panathinaikos in 2023-24.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a move to Leicester City in the January transfer window.