since Premier League Founded in 1992, it has become one of the most watched and beloved leagues in world football.
There have been many exciting and brilliant attacking players who have shone in the famous league, but here, we take a closer look at the defenders, especially those who have scored the highest goals in the history of the competition.
One player who will not be included in the list is Everton's Ashley Young, because while he has converted to full-back, most of the Englishman's goals have come from midfield, so he will miss this list.
The most goal-scoring defender in the history of the English Premier League |
|||
---|---|---|---|
Rank |
player |
clubs) |
Objectives |
1 |
John Terry |
Chelsea |
41 |
2 |
David Unsworth |
Everton, West Ham, Portsmouth, Wigan |
38 |
3 |
Ian Marshall |
Oldham, Ipswich, Leicester |
33 |
4 |
Leighton Baines |
Wigan, Everton |
32 |
5 |
Ian Hart |
Leeds |
28 |
6 |
Gary Cahill |
Aston Villa, Bolton, Chelsea, Crystal Palace |
28 |
7 |
Marcos Alonso |
Bolton, Chelsea |
26 |
8 |
Steve Watson |
Newcastle, Everton, West Bromwich |
26 |
9 |
William Gallus |
Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham |
25 |
10 |
Julian Dix |
Liverpool, West Ham |
24 |
11 |
Kieran Richardson |
West Bromwich, Manchester United, Sunderland, Fulham |
24 |
12 |
Antonio Valencia |
Wigan, Man United |
24 |
Related to
12
Antonio Valencia
24 goals
Antonio Valencia first entered the English Premier League during his time in Wigan Athletic. The Ecuadorian international was extremely fast and powerful, making him a standout player for the Latics.
Valencia spent three seasons in Serie A at the DW Stadium, scoring six goals, playing mainly as a right winger, firing low shots.
Then he got to move on Manchester UnitedHe scored 18 goals in 10 seasons. Valencia joined Sir Alex Ferguson's side as a midfielder but spent most of his time at Old Trafford playing as a right-back, where his ability to attack and defend made him a useful asset in that area of the pitch.
11
Kieran Richardson
24 goals
Former left-back Kieran Richardson played for five different clubs in the English Premier League: Manchester United, West Bromwich, Sunderland, Fulham and Aston Villa.
Richardson was another player who could play in several different positions, as he could play on the left wing and in central midfield, but he mainly played as a left-back.
The defender's best tally in a single Premier League season came in the 2008/09, 2010/11 and 2013/14 seasons, where he scored four goals during his spells with Sunderland and Fulham.
10
Julian Dix
24 goals
Julian Dix also finished his career with 24 Premier League goals, although he scored fewer appearances than Richardson and Valencia.
Dex played for Liverpool and West Ham United In the English Premier League, his best scoring season came in the 1995/1996 season, where he scored 10 goals in 34 league matches. Majority Dicks' goals came from the penalty spotHe was known for his accuracy from 12 yards.
9
William Gallus
25 goals
William Gallas was well known in London, because he did something that not a lot of players had done before when they were involved Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Frenchman was one of the best defenders during his time in the Premier League, especially while at Chelsea, where he played a key role in their early success.
Despite playing in defence, Gallas always had an eye to scoring goals, which was demonstrated by his scoring five goals in the 2005-06 season. Gallas scored all sorts of goals, with both his right and left foot, but was a major threat from set-pieces with his head.
8
Steve Watson
26 goals
Steve Watson played for Newcastle Unitedaston villa, Evertonand West Bromwich During his time in the Premier League.
The 50-year-old, who was comfortable playing anywhere across the back four, played more than 350 Premier League games, scoring 26 goals.
Watson had two outstanding seasons in the Premier League, scoring five goals in the 2002/03 and 2003/04 seasons while playing for Everton, including a hat-trick in 2003 (albeit from midfield).
7
Marcos Alonso
26 goals
Marcos Alonso is one of the fresher defenders on this list, having played for Chelsea as recently as the 2021/22 season.
Alonso spent six seasons with the Blues, with his best season in terms of goals coming in 2017/18 where he scored seven goals in 33 matches. The Spanish league is also the Premier League UEFA Champions League Winner from his time at Stamford Bridge.
Before joining the Blues, Alonso played for Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland in the English Premier League, but those spells were not as successful as his time at Chelsea. The left-back was known for scoring goals from long range or from set-pieces while playing in England.
6
Gary Cahill
28 goals
Former England centre-back Gary Cahill played for four Premier League clubs: Aston Villa, Bolton, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace.
Cahill became a top defender during the final stretch of his time at Bolton as he completed a move to Chelsea, where he won the Premier League twice and the Champions League once. The defender's threat in front of goal came mainly from set-pieces, as his ability to get on the end of crosses was invaluable for the Blues.
5
Ian Hart
28 goals
former Leeds UnitedSunderland and Reading defender Ian Harte ranks in the top five of the Premier League's highest-scoring defenders, having played in fewer matches than Gary Cahill.
The former Republic of Ireland international made over 237 appearances in the Premier League, with all 28 of his goals coming while playing for Leeds.
Hart was primarily a left-back during his career, but also had the versatility to play across the back line. Hart scored a mixture of goals during his career, although he had a great talent for it Scoring from free kicks.
4
Leighton Baines
32 goals
It may come as no surprise to see Leighton Baines has made it into the top four of the list of highest-scoring defenders, with the former Wigan and Everton man scoring penalties and free-kicks for both teams.
Baines was a huge attacking threat despite being a left-back, as he had a fantastic left foot which helped him score some fantastic goals.
Baines had three seasons in which he scored five goals in the Premier League – all with Everton – and scored in 11 successive seasons between 2008/09 and 2017/18.
3
Ian Marshall
33 goals
Ian Marshall played in the English Premier League for Oldham Athletic and Ipswich Town, Leicester City And Bolton.
Marshall was a centre-back with a brilliant vision for goal, scoring 33 goals in 157 Premier League appearances. Marshall's goals were varied and varied, with another defender taking penalties, although the fact that only two defenders scored more than him speaks for itself.
2
David Unsworth
38 goals
Currently ranked second in the rankings is David Unsworth, who played for Everton, West Ham, Portsmouth, Sheffield United and Wigan. He will mostly be remembered for his time with the Toffees.
Unsworth played 334 of Everton's 364 Premier League matches throughout his career. The left-back was a consistent goalscorer, scoring 11 goals between the 1999/00 and 2000/01 seasons alone.
Like Baines, Unsworth was also a defender who scored plenty of penalties during his career, with his final Premier League goal coming from the spot to save Wigan from relegation in 2007.
1
John Terry
41 goals
The highest-scoring defender in Premier League history is former Chelsea centre-back John Terry.
Terry has only played for the Blues in the Premier League, making 492 appearances. He is a five-time Premier League champion A five-time FA Cup winner, while also winning the Europa League and Champions League.
Terry was a key part of Chelsea's defense during their period of success in the mid-to-late 2000s, and was not only good at preventing goals from going into his own net; He was also a huge threat at the other end of the pitch.
The former England captain scored 41 goals in the Premier League, with his best scoring seasons coming in 2010/11 and 2011/12, in which he scored six goals in each.