Since the inception of the Premier League thirty years ago, it remains the league with some of the greatest players to have graced the game. Most players made their mark in the EPL before moving to other leagues to seek greener pastures. Some, however, stayed to establish themselves as league and club legends. In this release, we check out some players with the most premier league appearances. Who’s in the top 10? Let’s find out.
Most League Appearances
10. Phil Neville (505 Appearances)
Clubs: Man Utd & Everton
Phil Neville ranks tenth in the list, having been a member of Fergusson’s Fledglings. The Manchester United graduate played for the Red Devils before moving to Everton.
He was highly versatile and could play midfield and defence, and David Moyes and Alex Ferguson utilized him accordingly. He registered 505 league appearances, 263 times for Manchester United, playing alongside his brother Gary Neville in defence, and 242 times for Everton.
9. Jamie Carragher (508 Appearances)
Clubs: Liverpool
Another club man on the list is Liverpool legend – Jamie Carragher, who registered 508 league appearances in 17 seasons with the club.
For seventeen years, he played for Liverpool – having moved to midfield from the centre-back position. He was a key player for Raphael Benitez and only missed nine league games throughout his career.
8. Mark Schwarzer (514 Appearances)
Clubs: Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea & Leicester
Schwarzer is another keeper on the list and the only Australian to achieve such a feat. He was highly reliable and spent years playing Middleborough – registered 333 appearances for the club.
He also played for Fulham as a first-choice keeper before moving to Chelsea and later Leicester City as keeper number two. Total EPL appearances for the shot-stopper were 514.
7. Emile Heskey (516 Appearances)
Clubs: Leicester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Wigan & Aston Villa
Despite being polarizing, Heskey had a remarkable career despite controversy over his goalscoring record. His playing style allowed him to bring others into the game and earned him the name “target man”.
The former English international managed to clock 516 EPL appearances, and he is the sole striker on the list of players with the most Premier League appearances.
6. Gary Speed (535 Appearances)
Clubs: Leeds, Everton, Newcastle & Bolton
Speed was synonymous with versatility. The midfielder often played as a centre-back and left-back because he was hardworking, and his skills matched the demands of those roles.
For a significant part of his career, Speed played for Newcastle and Leeds United, but he also featured for Bolton Wanderers, Everton, and Sheffield United.
Gary Speed played 143 Premier League matches for Leeds, spent two seasons with the Toffees, moved to Newcastle in 1998, where he played 213 PL matches, and made 121 appearances for Bolton across four seasons.
He registered 535 league appearances – the second most appearances in the premier league for any Welshman after Ryan Giggs.
5. David James (572 Appearances)
Clubs: Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham, Man City & Portsmouth
James holds the most premier league appearances record for goalkeepers and comes fourth on the list, playing 18 seasons.
He started his career with Watford, where he played 2 seasons, before moving to Liverpool, where he played 214 times. He later moved to Aston Villa, where he played 67 Premier League matches.
David James also played for Manchester City, West Ham, and Portsmouth. In total, he registered 572 premier league appearances.
4. James Milner (589 Appearances)
Clubs: Leeds, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Man City & Liverpool
James Milner is the modern-day premier league legend, and his commitment, talent, and versatility are unquestionable. At 16 years and 309 days, Milner was the second-youngest player to play in the PL. Forty-seven days later, he became the youngest player in the Premier League after scoring.
At thirty-four, the Liverpool player is still playing high-level football. His ability to play at defence and midfield has guaranteed him game time and is why he ranks among the top premier league players with the 4th most appearances at 589.
3. Frank Lampard (609 Appearances)
Clubs: West Ham, Chelsea & Man City
The former Chelsea coach Frank Lampard is third in the top premier league appearances list. The former midfielder is considered an EPL legend that helped transform the traditional role of a midfielder. He registered 147 goals in the 429 premier league appearances.
Lampard debuted for Westham in May 1996, netting 38 goals for The Hammers in 187 appearances. He later joined Chelsea, where he stayed for 13 seasons, winning back-to-back Premier League titles.
2. Ryan Giggs (632 Appearances)
Clubs: Man Utd
Ryan is a one-club man, having played for Manchester United his entire career which spanned 24 years. Giggsy transitioned from a winger to a creator and is second to none when it comes to all-time EPL assists.
Gigs registered 632 premier league appearances, winning 13 Premier League titles before he moved to management as the caretaker manager for the Red Devils following the sacking of Louis van Gaal.
1. Gareth Barry (653 Appearances)
Clubs: Aston Villa, Man City, Everton & West Brom
Gareth Barry is the record holder of the premier league all-time appearances with 653 appearances. He amassed these numbers playing for Manchester City, Aston Villa, West Brom, and Everton.
The thirty-nine-year-old is currently at the Championship with West Brom, and if he is lucky, he may still play in the league should his club be promoted.
Conclusion
Some notable names that missed the cut include Stephen Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand. They both missed the top ten list by a point, but they are some of the EPL’s mainstays in most Premier League appearances.