Since the inception of the English Premier League, the league has been one of the biggest and toughest competitions in Europe. Every player desires to play in the English league, but only a few manage to do so. Keeping that in mind, here’s a list of the top 10 players with the most premier league appearances!
1.) Gareth Barry: ( 653 Games)
Clubs: (Aston Villa, Man City, Everton, West Bromwich Albion)
For loyal English football viewers, the name of Gareth Barry topping the list of most Premier League appearances won’t be surprising. The Aston Villa legend made a whopping 365 appearances for the club in the Premier League over the course of 11 years, before making a shift to Manchester City in 2009. His move broke the hearts of several fans, but Barry went on to pave the way for City in a new era for the club after the takeover.
Barry played for Man City from 2009-2014, making 132 appearances for the club in the league. The lanky midfielder is still fondly remembered by the fans of the club. In 2014, Barry made a permanent move to Everton before ending his career at West Bromwich Albion in 2020. His career spanned over two decades and after spending his entire club career in England, he ended his career after making 653 appearances in the Premier League. This remarkable stat makes him the player with the most premier league appearances in the history of the league!
2.) James Milner (634 Games)
Clubs: (Leeds United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Man City, Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Albion*)
Interestingly the only active player on this list and the man with the second most Premier League appearances is James Milner. The English midfielder started his career at Leeds United, the club of his birthplace, before shifting to Newcastle United in 2004. Milner’s switch to Newcastle ignited his career as the legendary English player started being recognized for his performances.
His impressive performances ultimately saw Aston Villa make an offer for the midfielder and he signed for the Villans in 2008, having previously spent a season on loan at the club. His arrival at Villa Park elevated his career to the next level as he received a call up to the England national team in 2009. After making 73 premier league appearances for Villa over the course of two seasons, Milner decided to move on from the club and signed for Man City in 2010. The Etihad became home to the midfielder for five years before he shifted to Merseyside to join Liverpool in 2015.
The veteran footballer stayed at Liverpool for eight long seasons, making a whopping 230 league appearances and winning everything for the club before signing for Brighton in the last transfer window. At 38, Milner has certainly slowed down but he knows he is only 19 games away from breaking Gareth Barry’s record of the player with the most premier league appearances.
* Milner is still active and is currently playing for Brighton & Hove Albion.
3.) Ryan Giggs: (632 Games)
Club: Manchester United
Loyalty to a club is a notion lost in the current world of football due to money involved in the sport. Back then however, the times were different and players like Ryan Giggs defined loyalty to a club. The legendary Welsh defender made his debut for Manchester United back in 1990 and spent his 24 year long career at the club till he retired in 2014. Over his two decade long career, Giggs made a whopping 632 appearances for the Red Devils, making him the player with 3rd most premier league appearances.
His dedication to the game and his selfless attitude to put the club above himself made Giggs special and earned him the status of legend at Manchester United.
4.) Frank Lampard (609 Games)
Club: ( West Ham United, Chelsea, Man City)
Another legendary English midfielder who has made an astonishing amount of appearances in the English league is Frank Lampard. The midfielder made his debut for his childhood club West Ham United in 1995. From early on he left a mark on English football and in 2001 after spending six years at West Ham, the Englishman shifted to Chelsea.
At Chelsea, Lampard etched his legacy into history books as he made an amazing 429 appearances for the Blues between 2001-2014. The midfielder finally moved away from the club in 2014 and spent a season at Manchester City before leaving the English football circuit in 2015. Overall, after spending nearly two decades in the Premier League, Lampard made 609 appearances in the league ranking him 4th on the list of players with most Premier League appearances.
5.) D avid James: (572 Games)
Clubs: (Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Man City, Portsmouth)
While English goalkeeper David James made his debut for Watford in the second division, he first played for Liverpool in the English Premier League in 1992. He spent seven successful seasons for Liverpool in goal making 214 appearances for the Reds in the league. In 1999, the goalkeeper made a move where he spent two seasons while making 67 appearances.
The goalkeeper also spent a considerable amount of time at clubs West Ham United, Man City, Portsmouth before leaving the English football circuit in 2010. His departure from the league saw him finish his career in the premier league with 572 appearances ranking him 5th in the most premier league appearances.
6.) Gary Speed: (535 Games)
Clubs: ( Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers)
The late Welshman Gary Speed made his debut for Leeds back in 1989. However, it wasn’t until 1992 that the midfielder made his Premier League debut. After a few successful seasons with the club, Speed finally made a move to Everton in the summer of 1996.
The midfielder also spent time at Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers in his illustrious career in the Premier League. He finally retired having made 535 appearances in the Premier League, ending his career as the player with the 6th most Premier League appearances.
7.) Emile Heskey: (516 Games)
Clubs: (Leicester City, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa)
Emile Heskey ranks 7th in the list of players with the most premier league appearances having made an astounding 515 appearances in the league. He started his career at Leicester City before going on to play for clubs like Liverpool, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, and Aston Villa. He finally left the Premier League in 2012.
Over his career, the striker scored 110 goals in the top tier of English football and was crucial to the success of his sides over his career. His impressive performance saw him also being called up for the English national side 62 times.
8.) Mark Schwarzer ( 514 Games)
Clubs: (Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea, Leicester City)
One of Australia’s most famous sons, Mark Schwarzer spent a great deal of time in the Premier League as he made a whopping 514 appearances in the English league. His appearances came primarily for Middlesbrough as he made 332 appearances for them in the top tier of English football. He played a crucial part in the club’s successful few years in the Premier League before he moved onto Fulham in 2008.
At Fulham, Schwarzer soon became the first choice keeper as well and he made an impressive 172 appearances for the club across five seasons before his exit in 2013. In 2014, the Australian goalkeeper earned a big break as he signed a short term contract with Chelsea.
Unfortunately for the keeper, his time at Chelsea was spent mostly on the bench as he made only four appearances over two seasons. However, he won the Premier League with the Blues and moved to Leicester City where the goalkeeper managed to win the Premier League as well. Overall, Schwarzer appeared in 514 games in the league, ranking him 8th in the players with the most premier league appearances list.
9.) Jamie Carragher: (508 Games)
Clubs: (Liverpool)
Like Ryan Giggs, Jamie Carragher spent his entire club career at one club. The legendary English defender and now pundit made an astonishing 508 appearances for the Reds over a nearly two decade long career. Apart from winning the Premier League, Carra managed to win every single club trophy for the Reds in his lengthy career cementing his spot amongst the greatest to ever play the game in England. His 508 appearances saw become the cornerstone of Liverpool’s defense in the toughest of times and he passed the test with flying colors.
His impressive feat ranks him 9th in the list of players with the most Premier League players.
10.) Phil Neville: (505 Games)
Club:(Manchester United, Everton)
It is no surprise that one of the biggest legends of English football, Phil Neville, has found his way onto the list of players with the most Premier League appearances. Over his illustrious career, Neville made 505 appearances in the English Premier League as he spent twenty years in the league.
His consistency and drive to always achieve his goals saw him feature in nearly 263 league games for Man United before he made his move to Everton in 2005. Despite his move, Neville continued to perform in similar fashion and played 242 more matches for the Merseyside club before eventually retiring from the sport in 2013. The talented player now manages Portland Timbers in the MLS.
Top 20 Players with the Most Premier League Appearances
| Rank | Player | Nationality | Appearances |
| 1 | Gareth Barry | England | 653 |
| 2 | James Milner | England | 634 |
| 3 | Ryan Giggs | Wales | 632 |
| 4 | Frank Lampard | England | 609 |
| 5 | David James | England | 572 |
| 6 | Gary Speed | Wales | 535 |
| 7 | Emile Heskey | England | 516 |
| 8 | Mark Schwarzer | Australia | 514 |
| 9 | Jamie Carragher | England | 508 |
| 10 | Phil Neville | England | 505 |
| 11 | Rio Ferdinand | England | 504 |
| 11 | Steven Gerrard | England | 504 |
| 13 | Sol Campbell | England | 503 |
| 14 | Paul Scholes | England | 499 |
| 15 | Jermain Dafoe | England | 496 |
| 16 | John Terry | England | 492 |
| 17 | Wayne Rooney | England | 491 |
| 18 | Michael Carrick | England | 481 |
| 19 | Sylvain Distin | France | 469 |
| 20 | Peter Crouch | England | 468 |
FAQ’s
Q- Who has made the most premier league appearances?
Gareth Barry has made the most appearances in Premier League.
Q- which player has the most premier league appearances?
Gareth Barry has the most appearances in Premier League.
Also Read: Top 5 Players with Most Hat-tricks in Premier League