7 tips to win The Connection
The Connection rewards quick thinking more than encyclopaedic knowledge. These habits help you get to an answer before anyone else.
1. Start with the country, not the clubs
Two clubs can share hundreds of former players, but the country cuts that list down fast. When the country is revealed, think of that nation's well-known Premier League players first, then check whether any of them played for both clubs.
2. Know your journeymen
Players who moved clubs a lot answer a large number of rounds. In our verified deck, Andros Townsend links ten clubs, Matthew Upson nine and Scott Carson eight, and Peter Crouch, Joleon Lescott and Louis Saha link six each. If one of their old clubs appears, check them first. Our most connected players article has the full list.
3. Goalkeepers are often forgotten
Most people go straight to strikers. Goalkeepers such as David James, Brad Friedel, Joe Hart, Mark Schwarzer and Łukasz Fabiański moved between several Premier League clubs, and they are easy points when everyone else is thinking of forwards.
4. Remember the loans
Short loan spells often make a connection possible. Joe Hart's loans to Birmingham City and West Ham United link them to Manchester City and Burnley, and Romelu Lukaku's spells link Chelsea, Everton and Manchester United.
5. For smaller nations, think of one star
When the country is Togo, Egypt, Iceland or Algeria, there are usually only one or two famous Premier League players to consider. Emmanuel Adebayor, Mohamed Salah, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Riyad Mahrez answer most of those rounds on their own.
6. Use both parts of the country rule
A player can match the country by birth or by playing for its national team. That opens up rounds for the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which have often capped players born elsewhere in the UK.
7. Shout a name and think later
The first correct answer wins, so speed matters. If a name feels right, say it, then check the career record while everyone argues. With the verified deck, you can always tap Reveal Answer to settle it.
Think you know your connections? Play The Connection now. It's free and needs no sign-up.