5 Players With the Most Appearances in Premier League History
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Ryan Giggs, James Milner, and Frank Lampard
The Premier League has been the most exciting league in the last two decades. Unlike other European leagues, where one or maximum two teams dominate, the Premier League has witnessed six different champions in the last two decades- depicting the high state of competition in English football.
Even though the ‘Big Six’ are the ones that maintain their hegemony in the league, the victory of Leicester City and the recent emergence of West Ham United are proofs that the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world right now.
From top-class strikers to phenomenal defenders, from high-quality mid-fielders to sensational goalkeepers, the Premier League has witnessed them all. However, who are the players who have played the most number of matches in the league?
5. James Milner (569 Games)
The Liverpool mid-fielder is one of the most iconic players in the Premier League right now. He has played 569 matches in the league so far and has won the league with Liverpool once and with Manchester City twice.
Intriguingly, he started playing in the league for Leeds United way back in 2002/03. After that, he got transferred to Newcastle United. Before moving to Liverpool and becoming an essential part of Jurgen Klopp’s famous false nine, the 35-year-old has also played for Aston Villa and Manchester City. If he plays for four more games, he will break David James’ record and will jump to the fourth spot.
4. David James (572 Games)
After beginning his career in Watford FC, James earned a big name playing for Liverpool. He spent seven years in Anfield before moving to Aston Villa. In total, he has featured in 572 matches in the Premier League.
Later, the renowned goalkeeper also played for West Ham United, Manchester City, and Portsmouth before the leaving the league after the 2009/10 season. Surprisingly, he didn’t win a single league title despite playing 18 years in England.
3. Frank Lampard (609 Games)
Lampard is one of the most effective attacking mid-fielders in the history of the Premier League and is the highest goal scorer for Chelsea. He actually began his career at West Ham United and spent eight years in Chelsea’s city rivals. However, it is the Blues where he earned a huge name after getting transferred to the club in 2001.
Lampard spent 15 years in Chelsea where he won the league title thrice. Before taking retirement, he even played for the Cityzens for one year. In total, his Premier League appearances are 609.
2. Ryan Giggs (632 Games)
The Manchester United Legend, Ryan Giggs, spent his entire playing career at the Old Trafford. Belonging to the famous Ferguson class of ’92, Giggs spent a total of 23 season in the Red Devils where he played 632 Premier League games for them.
Intriguingly, Giggs won a total of 13 Premier League titles- the most by any Premier League player to date. Also, he won 36 trophies with Manchester United, the most by a player for a single club. He is currently managing the Wales national team.
1. Gareth Barry (653 Games)
The player with the most appearances in the history of the Premier League is Gareth Barry as he played a total of 653 matches in the league. The famous Aston Villa mid-fielder started playing the league in 1997 at the age of just 17.
Later, he moved to Manchester City and even got transferred to Everton before finally arriving at West Bromwich Albion. As of last year, he was still playing in the Premier League but since West Bromwich Albion got relegated in 2021, he is currently playing at the Championships.
Thus, these are the five football players who have played the most number of matches in the Premier League. Since James Milner is still playing, it will be interesting to see if he manages to break Gareth Barry’s record or not.
Also Read: 7 Footballers With More Trophies Than Cristiano Ronaldo
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Anshul Singh
(239 Articles Published)