5 Newly Promoted Players Who Dominated in the Premier League
It is common in the modern day for newly promoted sides to be sent straight back down into the Championship as a result of the skill gap and financial differences between the lower league clubs and the established Premier League sides. However, in some cases, there are a few standout players who assist in not just showing off what the lower league clubs have to offer, but even breaking the cycle of heading straight back down.
So today, BoyleSports, the home of various
progressive slots, will be taking a look at 6 newly promoted players who dominated in the Premier League.
Kevin Phillips
An iconic name in not just Sunderland, but in
Premier League history, shocking not just English football fans but football fans around the world. Sunderland’s 1998-1999 Championship season was one to remember, with Phillips helping the club achieve their dream of being back in the top flight, where they belong, but it wasn’t going to be an easy task to remain there. Phillips got off to a flying start. But it was expected to quickly slow down due to the team around him not being the strongest, apart from his partner in crime, Niall Quinn. The partnership built between Quinn and Phillips helped the English forward to net a total of 30 goals in his Premier League debut season, winning the golden boot and even the European golden boot, becoming the first Englishman to do so.
Jamie Vardy
In a similar fashion to Kevin Phillips, the English striker made a name for himself during an incredible season in the
Championship, this time with Leicester City. Vardy’s blistering pace and incredible finishing ability would make him a nightmare for defenders to come up against, and this is exactly what would happen in his Premier League debut season. The odds for Leicester to stay up were extremely low, but Vardy had different ideas, working with what was one of the strongest promoted sides to feature in the Premier League to finish 14th. He netted several goals in his first season to support their survival and mid table finish, which would only ignite the squad more to go a step further and win the Premier League title in their second season, with the now legendary Jamie Vardy taking centre stage.
Michael Ricketts
Potentially not remembered for much outside of his outstanding start to the Premier League life, Michael Ricketts entered the top flight after a successful season with Bolton Wanderers in the 2000/2001 season. Bolton had a goal of staying up in the league that many people would associate the club with, and Michael Ricketts was a big part of trying to make that happen. Before February came around, Ricketts had already picked up 15 league goals, an incredibly high number, especially for a player who had just joined the league. Not only did it cement his name as an iconic Premier League player, but it also enabled him to receive his first ever England call up. His career slowly went downhill after this point, but his introduction to the English top flight can never be forgotten.
Andy Cole
Andy Cole is one of the Premier League’s all time greatest strikers, featuring within the top 5 top goal scorers in Premier League history. He's best known for his time at Manchester United, when he solidified himself as a legend of the club, a period during which he received most of his England national team call-ups. In the
1993/1994 season, Cole assisted in Newcastle United’s rise back to the Premier League, a place where the club hoped could remain for many years to come under legendary manager Kevin Keegan. In the first season back in the English top flight, Cole broke the record for the most league goals in a debut season, finding the net 34 times. He went on to build an incredibly successful career after leaving the Magpies, cementing his name in the history of the sport.
Teemu Pukki
Not necessarily in the conversation for being a Premier League all time great like some other names on this list, but Teemu Pukki is a great example of a recent player who had taken the Premier League by storm in his first season after promotion. Norwich City claimed promotion in 2019, with Pukki being named as player of the season. This incredible run of form continued into the Premier League, netting 11 Premier League goals, scoring a hat-trick against Newcastle, and even winning August’s player of the month. Although Norwich got relegated, Pukki’s season was unforgettable and cemented his name in the history of the Canaries. After over 200 appearances in England, Pukki left for the MLS in 2023, before moving back to Finland in 2025 to draw a close on his playing career.
