The top tier in English football today is the Premier League, replacing the Football League First Division for the 1992–93 inaugural season. Since the 1888–89 season, the first year of top flight football, three players have scored over 300 goals with a further 25 players scoring over 200 goals. In total 256 players have all scored 100 goals or more. 110 individual players have been named top scorer. Players from Tottenham Hotspur have been named top scorer more than players from any other club, appearing thirteen times on this list. Jimmy Greaves, the all-time top goal scorer in top flight history, won it four times whilst at Tottenham. Nineteen nationalities are represented and although the vast majority of players are English, there were fifteen times where the top scorer in the First Division was Scottish. Since the Premier League started, the player (or players) is awarded the Golden Boot Trophy, for the most league goals in the season. In the Premier League era, Thierry Henry, Arsenal, and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, have both won the Golden Boot accolade on four occasions.[1] Wayne Rooney, the Premier League's third highest goal scorer, does not appear on this list at all.
Once a rarity, a more widespread assortment of nationalities has achieved this success in recent years; in the 2018–19 season, it was shared between three players from different African countries, then in the 2021–22 season, Son Heung-min from South Korea finished level with Egypt's Mohamed Salah. Sergio Agüero won the award once, scoring 26 in the 2014–15 season. The Argentinian striker scored 184 goals between 2011 and 2021 to become the top foreign top flight goal scorer, a record later bettered by Salah during the 2024–25 season.[2][3]
Top scorers
editBy season
edit
On six occasions Jimmy Greaves was the league top scorer: twice with Chelsea and later four with Tottenham Hotspur; however, Steve Bloomer holds the record for one team, with five won with Derby County.[4] Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah are the record Premier League winners with four each. Gary Lineker has won the honour three times, all with different clubs, the only player to do so.
In the 1951–52 season, Chile international Jorge 'George' Robledo became the first foreign player to score the most goals in a season, topping the list with 33 goals for Newcastle United.[5] For two consecutive years the award was won by the lowest total of goals ever, 18.[6] Englishmen Michael Owen, Dion Dublin and Chris Sutton won in the 1997–98 season.[7] Owen again won in the 1998–99 season,[7] but this time he was joined by Dutchman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Dwight Yorke,[7] Trinidad and Tobago, the duo becoming the first foreign, league top scorers since Robledo. During this period however, two Republic of Ireland internationals, winger Andy McEvoy and striker John Aldridge, topped the scoring charts. McEvoy shared the most goals with Jimmy Greaves in the 1964–65 season while Aldridge top scored for Liverpool in the 1987–88 season. Both players, although non-British, do not appear on the top foreign goalscorers list published by the IFFHS[8] as well as many other more reputable football websites. Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) became the first African to win the award in 2006–07 season[7] and later Carlos Tevez, Luis Suárez and Sergio Agüero would add to the South American winners.[7] In 2018–19, two players from the same club both finished as top scorers for the first time: Sadio Mané (Senegal) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt) of Liverpool,[9] finished in another three way tie, joined by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon). The 2021–22 season saw Son Heung-min become the first Asian winner; the South Korean international scored 23 goals, finishing level with Mohamed Salah.[6]
From the start of the Premier League, a Golden Boot trophy is presented to the top goalscorer. The first player to win this trophy was Teddy Sheringham,[7] then playing for Tottenham Hotspur. In the 1993–94 season Andy Cole scored 34 goals for Newcastle United, the highest number of goals in the Premier League era to win the award.[6] The following season Alan Shearer equalled it while playing for Blackburn Rovers. Both these records however, were set during a 42-match season. Since the Premier League was reduced down to 20 teams, Mohamed Salah held the record previously with 32 in a 38-match season for Liverpool until Norwegian striker Erling Haaland scored his 33rd goal for Manchester City during the 2022–23 season. Haaland's next goal saw him break the record of most goals scored in a season by a foreign player, ending Robledo's 71-year-old record.[10] Haaland finished the season with 36 goals, the highest goal amount since Ron Davies scored 37 for Southampton fifty-eight years ago. However all these totals are dwarfed by the all time record holder, Everton legend Dixie Dean, who still holds the record for the most goals in a season with 60, set in the 1927–28 season.[11] Dean's 310 goals scored for Everton is still the record for most goals scored for one club, and also still holds the records for most hat-tricks, both overall and in a single season.[12]
Since 2000, only three Englishmen have won the award. In the 1999–2000 season Kevin Phillips won with 30 goals for Sunderland.[6] This was a record for most goals by a debut player, in a 38 match season, until Erling Haaland broke it in the 2022–23 season. Harry Kane won the Golden Boot in successive seasons when he scored 25 in 2015–16 and then 29 in the 2016–17 season. He won it again in the 2020–21 season with 23.[1] The third is Jamie Vardy; the Leicester City striker scored 23 goals in the 2019–20 season.[1]
| Player (X) | Name of the player and number of times they were top scorer at that point (if more than one) |
|---|---|
| † | Indicates multiple top scorers in the same season |
| ‡ | Indicates player also won the European Golden Shoe in the same season (since 1967–68) |
| § | Denotes the club were English champions in the same season |

By number of seasons as top scorer
edit- As of 24 May 2026[13]
| Rank | Player | Titles | Club(s) | Years | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 |
Chelsea 1959, 1961, Tottenham Hotspur 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969 | 1958–59, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1968–69 | [14] | |
| 2 | 5 |
Derby County | 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1903–04 | [4] | |
| 3 | 4 |
Arsenal | 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06 | [15] | |
4 |
Liverpool | 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2024–25 | |||
| 5 | 3 |
Sunderland | 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95 | ||
3 |
Leicester City 1985, Everton 1986, Tottenham Hotspur 1990 | 1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90 | |||
3 |
Blackburn Rovers 1995, 1996, Newcastle United 1997 | 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97 | [16] | ||
3 |
Tottenham Hotspur | 2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21 | [17] | ||
3 |
Manchester City | 2022–23, 2023–24, 2025–26 | |||
| 10 | 2 |
Blackburn Rovers 1891, Everton 1894 | 1890–91, 1893–94 | ||
2 |
Bolton Wanderers 1906, Newcastle United 1911 | 1905–06, 1910–11 | |||
2 |
Sheffield Wednesday | 1911–12, 1912–13 | |||
2 |
Everton | 1927–28, 1931–32 | |||
2 |
Derby County | 1932–33, 1933–34 | |||
2 |
Everton | 1937–38, 1938–39 | |||
2 |
Southampton | 1966–67, 1967–68 | |||
2 |
Newcastle United 1975, Arsenal 1977 | 1974–75, 1976–77 | |||
2 |
Arsenal | 1988–89, 1990–91 | |||
2 |
Liverpool | 1997–98, 1998–99 | [18] | ||
2 |
Leeds United 1999, Chelsea 2001 | 1998–99, 2000–01 | [18] | ||
2 |
Chelsea | 2006–07, 2009–10 | [18] | ||
2 |
Arsenal 2012, Manchester United 2013 | 2011–12, 2012–13 | [19][20] |
- Bold shows players currently playing in the Premier League.
- Italics show players still playing professional football.
By club
editCoventry City and Stoke City are the only clubs with top league scorers whose teams have never finished in the top three.
| Rank | Club | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 13 | 1957–58, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1980–81, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1992–93, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21, 2021–22 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 12 | 1934–35, 1947–48, 1976–77, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2018–19 |
| Everton | 12 | 1893–94, 1901–02, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1914–15, 1923–24, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1977–78, 1985–86 | |
| Liverpool | 12 | 1902–03, 1909–10, 1965–66, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2024–25 | |
| 5 | Sunderland | 8 | 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1911–12, 1922–23, 1928–29, 1949–50, 1999–2000 |
| 6 | Derby County | 7 | 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1903–04, 1932–33, 1933–34 |
| Aston Villa | 7 | 1895–96, 1897–98, 1899–1900, 1911–12, 1930–31, 1976–77, 1980–81 | |
| Chelsea | 7 | 1958–59, 1960–61, 1984–85, 2000–01, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10 | |
| Manchester United | 7 | 1959–60, 1967–68, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2012–13 | |
| Manchester City | 7 | 1924–25, 1971–72, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2025–26 | |
| 11 | West Bromwich Albion | 6 | 1919–20, 1935–36, 1954–55, 1961–62, 1969–70, 1970–71 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 6 | 1890–91, 1925–26, 1964–65, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98 | |
| 13 | Bolton Wanderers | 5 | 1905–06, 1920–21, 1948–49, 1955–56, 1978–79 |
| Southampton | 5 | 1966–67, 1967–68, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1981–82 | |
| Newcastle United | 5 | 1910–11, 1951–52, 1974–75, 1993–94, 1996–97 | |
| 16 | Sheffield Wednesday | 3 | 1911–12, 1912–13, 1926–27 |
| Preston North End | 3 | 1888–89, 1889–90, 1952–53 | |
| 18 | Middlesbrough | 2 | 1913–14, 1921–22 |
| West Ham United | 2 | 1929–30, 1972–73 | |
| Leeds United | 2 | 1956–57, 1998–99 | |
| Leicester City | 2 | 1984–85, 2019–20 | |
| 22 | Sheffield United | 1 | 1904–05 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1 | 1907–08 | |
| Stoke City | 1 | 1936–37 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1 | 1946–47 | |
| Blackpool | 1 | 1950–51 | |
| Huddersfield Town | 1 | 1953–54 | |
| Ipswich Town | 1 | 1961–62 | |
| Burnley | 1 | 1965–66 | |
| Norwich City | 1 | 1975–76 | |
| Watford | 1 | 1982–83 | |
| Coventry City | 1 | 1997–98 |
By nationality
edit| Country | Titles |
|---|---|
90 | |
15 | |
5 | |
5 | |
4 | |
4 | |
3 | |
2 | |
2 | |
2 | |
2 | |
1 | |
1 | |
1 | |
1 | |
1 | |
1 | |
1 | |
1 |
Top 50 all-time top scorers
edit
The Football League Division One from 1888 through to the end of the 1991–92 season and now the Premier League, make up the top tier in English football. During these 137 years three players have scored over 300 goals, with another 25 scoring over 200 goals. A further three players were a goal shy, finishing on 199 goals. The first was Sheffield Wednesday's Andrew Wilson[21] whose career was interrupted by World War I but went onto make 501 appearances. In the mid-sixties, Bobby Smith[22] retired after scoring 23 in 74 for Chelsea and 176 in 271 for Tottenham, and finally ten years later, England legend Sir Bobby Charlton,[23] left Manchester United after making 606 appearances.
Derby County forward Steve Bloomer was the first player to score over 300 goals, his record of 314 stood for over half a century. In 14 years, he scored 240 goals in 376 matches in his first stint at Derby County before moving to Middlesbrough where he scored 59 in 125 games for the Boro.[4][24] After five years on Teesside, he returned to Derby who were in the second division then. He spent two years in the second division scoring 38 goals before the Rams won promotion. In his final two seasons he scored a further 15 goals in 34 matches, a total of 255 in 410 appearances for Derby County. Everton striker Dixie Dean came very close to breaking the record, he scored 349 league goals all for Everton, however 39 were scored in the second division, leaving him 4 goals behind. Bloomers' achievement was finally surpassed when Jimmy Greaves broke the record scoring 357 goals, playing for Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. For Chelsea he scored 124 goals in 157 appearances, only Frank Lampard 147,[25] Roy Bentley 130,[25] and Bobby Tambling 129[25] have scored more top flight goals for Chelsea. Greaves moved on to Tottenham Hotspur where, to this day, remains Tottenham's top league goalscorer after scoring 220 goals in 321 appearances.[26] His top flight career ended at West Ham United, where he scored 13 in 38 matches.[27]
In the Premier League era, Alan Shearer[6] sits top, but even with his full tally of 283 goals, he still trails. Four more "modern day" players, who have played in the Premier League make the list, Wayne Rooney,[6] the third highest Premier League goalscorer with 208 goals for Everton and Manchester United, is 22nd. Liverpool legend Ian Rush[6] is the 14th highest scorer in the history of top flight football, but his Premier League tally is only 48 goals, ranking him 144th. Another player to lose goals is Tony Cottee,[6] who sits in 18th place. His last 78 goals gives him a current PL ranking of 62. Apart from these three, a further 20 players, who have scored 100 or more goals, have lesser totals. Ranked 45th, Lee Chapman[28] scored 177 goals, the same as Frank Lampard and two more than Thierry Henry, but his last 23 goals sees him in 365th place in the Premier League.[6] Peter Beardsley[29] and Matt Le Tissier[30] (jointly ranked 71st), both scored 161 goals, 11 more than Michael Owen who is eleventh on the PL list. Beardsley is in 97th position with 58 goals in the Premier League while a lack of centurions, assists Le Tissier's ranking. Losing 61 goals improves his overall position, ranked 34th in the Premier League with 100 goals.[6]
The most recent active player in the Top 50 is Mohamed Salah; his goal against Leicester City on Boxing day, 2024, was his 173rd, moving the Egyptian winger inside the top 50. Recently, former Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane,[6] scored 30 goals in his last season in England to move above players such as Dennis Viollet,[31] Ray Charnley[32] who both had 190 goals, Peter Harris,[33] who scored 192 goals for Portsmouth, Stan Mortensen[34] who scored 197 goals for Blackpool, George Elliott[35] who scored 198 goals for Middlesbrough and the three players mentioned above who all scored 199 goals. Kane, ranked 19th, became only the 28th player in 136 years of league football to join the elite 200 club, who, in the summer of 2023, signed for German club Bayern Munich.[36]
First Division/Premier League top 50 goalscorers[13][37]
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 357 | 516 | 0.64 | 1957–1971 | Chelsea (124/157), Tottenham Hotspur (220/321), West Ham United (13/38) | |
| 2 | 314 | 535 | 0.59 | 1892–1914 | Derby County (255/410), Middlesbrough (59/125) | |
| 3 | 310 | 362 | 0.86 | 1924–1938 | Everton | |
| 4 | 288 | 455 | 0.63 | 1925–1940 | Liverpool (233/359), Aston Villa (4/15), Leeds United (51/81) | |
| 5 | 283 | 559 | 0.51 | 1988–2006 | Southampton (23/118), Blackburn Rovers (112/138), Newcastle United (148/303) | |
| 6 | 258 | 481 | 0.54 | 1912–1928 | Sunderland (209/379), Arsenal (49/102) | |
| 7 | 257 | 476 | 0.54 | 1920–1934 | Bolton Wanderers (144/295), Arsenal (113/181) | |
| 8 | 255 | 452 | 0.56 | 1946–1960 | Bolton Wanderers | |
| 9 | 248 | 410 | 0.6 | 1921–1935 | Birmingham City | |
| 10 | 246 | 355 | 0.69 | 1925–1938 | Newcastle United (133/160), Chelsea (72/132), Derby County (38/51), Grimsby Town (3/12) | |
| 11 | 243 | 416 | 0.58 | 1908–1927 | Bolton Wanderers | |
| 12 | 240 | 366 | 0.66 | 1921–1935 | Huddersfield Town (142/213), Aston Villa (79/116), Leeds United (19/37) | |
| 13 | 233 | 337 | 0.69 | 1921–1939 | Middlesbrough | |
| 14 | 232 | 515 | 0.45 | 1980–1998 | Liverpool (229/469), Leeds United (3/36), Newcastle United (0/10) | |
| 15 | 222 | 412 | 0.54 | 1954–1970 | Arsenal (97/166), Manchester United (114/202), Stoke City (11/44) | |
| 16 | 219 | 357 | 0.61 | 1904–1922 | Aston Villa (215/339), Birmingham City (4/18) | |
| 17 | 214 | 478 | 0.45 | 1919–1933 | Aston Villa | |
| 214 | 548 | 0.39 | 1982–2001 | West Ham United (115/279), Everton (72/184), Leicester City (27/85) | ||
| 19 | 213 | 320 | 0.67 | 2012–2023 | Tottenham Hotspur (213/317), Norwich City (0/3) | |
| 20 | 211 | 257 | 0.82 | 1925–1933 | Sunderland (156/166), Arsenal (8/15), Manchester City (47/76) | |
| 21 | 210 | 519 | 0.4 | 1959–1975 | West Ham United (180/411), Stoke City (30/108) | |
| 22 | 208 | 415 | 0.5 | 1950–1961 | West Bromwich Albion | |
| 208 | 491 | 0.42 | 2002–2018 | Everton (25/98), Manchester United (183/393) | ||
| 24 | 205 | 348 | 0.59 | 1926–1944 | Sunderland | |
| 25 | 203 | 309 | 0.66 | 1925–1935 | Leicester City | |
| 203 | 295 | 0.69 | 1923–1936 | West Ham United | ||
| 27 | 201 | 313 | 0.64 | 1919–1931 | Sheffield United | |
| 201 | 377 | 0.53 | 1960–1974 | Manchester City (30/68), Manchester United (171/309) | ||
| 29 | 199 | 345 | 0.58 | 1950–1965 | Chelsea (23/74), Tottenham Hotspur (176/271) | |
| 199 | 501 | 0.4 | 1900–1920 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| 199 | 606 | 0.33 | 1956–1975 | Manchester United | ||
| 32 | 198 | 327 | 0.61 | 1909–1925 | Middlesbrough | |
| 33 | 197 | 317 | 0.62 | 1946–1959 | Blackpool | |
| 34 | 193 | 328 | 0.59 | 2013–2026 | Chelsea (2/13), Liverpool (191/315) | |
| 35 | 192 | 468 | 0.41 | 1946–1960 | Portsmouth | |
| 36 | 190 | 359 | 0.53 | 1954–1972 | Blackpool | |
| 190 | 391 | 0.49 | 1953–1967 | Manchester United (159/259), Stoke City (31/132) | ||
| 38 | 187 | 354 | 0.53 | 1947–1964 | Newcastle United (4/16), Aston Villa (67/149), Preston North End (116/189) | |
| 187 | 415 | 0.45 | 1992–2007 | Arsenal (0/1), Newcastle United (43/58), Manchester United (93/195), Blackburn Rovers (27/83), Fulham (12/31), Manchester City (9/22), Portsmouth (3/18), Sunderland (0/7) | ||
| 40 | 186 | 255 | 0.73 | 1928–1939 | Derby County (167/203), Leicester City (19/52) | |
| 41 | 184 | 275 | 0.67 | 2011–2021 | Manchester City | |
| 42 | 179 | 459 | 0.39 | 1963–1980 | West Bromwich Albion | |
| 179 | 521 | 0.34 | 1988–2007 | Millwall (20/64), Nottingham Forest (14/42), Tottenham Hotspur (97/236), Manchester United (31/104), Portsmouth (9/32), West Ham United (8/43) | ||
| 44 | 178 | 269 | 0.66 | 1928–1946 | West Bromwich Albion | |
| 45 | 177 | 508 | 0.35 | 1979–1995 | Stoke City (34/99), Arsenal (4/23), Sunderland (3/15), Sheffield Wednesday (63/149), Nottingham Forest (15/48), Leeds United (50/118), West Ham United (7/40), Ipswich Town (1/16) | |
| 177 | 609 | 0.29 | 1995–2015 | West Ham United (24/148), Chelsea (147/429), Manchester City (6/32) | ||
| 47 | 175 | 258 | 0.68 | 1999–2012 | Arsenal | |
| 175 | 387 | 0.45 | 1906–1922 | Bury (99/178), Newcastle United (46/139), Bradford City (26/53), Oldham Athletic (4/17) | ||
| 175 | 458 | 0.38 | 1957–1975 | Blackburn Rovers (26/59), Leicester City (35/68), Wolverhampton Wanderers (86/247), Portsmouth (9/33), Aston Villa (19/51) | ||
| 50 | 173 | 351 | 0.49 | 1937–1957 | Manchester United | |
| 173 | 509 | 0.34 | 1955–1973 | Blackburn Rovers (60/120), Manchester City (31/82), Stoke City (82/307) |
Lee Chapman holds the record of most top flight clubs scored for with eight. Andy Cole played for eight clubs also, but only scored for six. Marcus Bent is another player to play for eight top flight clubs, again only scoring for six.[38] A name that does not appear on the top scorer list is Arthur Rowley, the record holder for the most goals in league football, scoring 434 goals in 619 league games. Arthur's brother Jack Rowley scored 173 goals for Manchester United and is ranked 50th, shown above. Arthur however didn't play much top flight football in his career, but he did score 51 goals in 95 matches. In one season at Fulham he scored eight in 34 appearances and then later hit 43 in 61 appearances over two seasons for Leicester City.[39]
Club's top scorers in top tier
editThe start of the Football League saw 12 teams become the founding members of the first ever league season in 1888–89. These were Accrington, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Everton, Preston North End, Aston Villa, Derby County, Notts County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.[40] Since then sixty five clubs have played at the top level, with only four Premier League players breaking club records set in the football league. Thierry Henry beat the 150 scored by Cliff Bastin for Arsenal.[41] Roy Bentley who scored 130 goals for Chelsea[25] was surpassed by Frank Lampard, while Sergio Agüero overtook the 147 Eric Brook scored for Manchester City.[42] Matt Le Tissier scored in both the First Division and the Premier League to become Southampton's top scorer, exceeding the 134 goal record set by Welshman Ron Davies.[43] As of 21 April 2026, Danny Welbeck sits on 46 goals for Brighton & Hove Albion, 9 above Michael Robinson's 37. The Premier League's top three goalscorers, who all have scored over 200 goals, fail to appear. Alan Shearer finished nine goals adrift of Blackburn's Ted Harper[44] and finished two short of Geordie legend Jackie Milburn,[45] while Wayne Rooney was sixteen short of Bobby Charlton's record. Harry Kane ended with 213, leaving Jimmy Greaves still as Tottenham's record goalscorer.
Glossop statistics currently unavailable.
Top five scorers by nationality/region
edit
Many nationalities have played in English top flight football throughout the years. The tables below show the top five highest scorers from their respective countries or region. As shown in the top 50 list above, the top English and Scottish goal scorers can be seen.
Of the home nation countries, players from the Premier League era are well short of the overall records. Northern Ireland's top scorer is Iain Dowie, who scored 33 of his 57 goals in the Premier League. The top Welsh goal scorer is Ryan Giggs, who scored 114 goals (109 in the Premier League), while Duncan Ferguson with 68 goals is the top Scottish goalscorer in the Premier League. These numbers all fall short of the record top flight totals set by Derek Dougan, Ian Rush and Hughie Gallacher. Elsewhere, Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane scored 126 goals in the Premier League, but ended with 10 goals less than record holder Frank Stapleton.[46]
A different story occurs with the rest of the world, made up predominately of Premier League-era players only. South American George Robledo's record remains from the 1950s, and he is currently the joint third-highest South American goalscorer. Craig Johnston has been overtaken by Premier League Oceanic players, while Lindy Delapenha also lost his Caribbean record. American Roy Wegerle has dropped to second in the United States and Canada scorers; his goals span the switch to the Premier League. The top European and African top scorers are all from the Premier League era.
When Dwight Yorke scored a hat-trick for Manchester United against Leicester City, on 17 January 1999,[47] he became the league's top foreign scorer. With this treble, he moved onto 84 top flight goals, surpassing the previous record of 82, set by Chilean George Robledo in 1953.[48] Later that year, on 18 December 1999, Yorke scored twice for Manchester United in a 4–2 away win at West Ham United.[49] His first goal that day saw him become the first foreign player to score 100 top flight goals in England.[50] This was his 27th league goal for Manchester United, after scoring 73 previously for Aston Villa. As of 2026, his 136 goals ranks him as the fifth-highest foreign goalscorer, behind Mohamed Salah's 193, Sergio Agüero's 184, Thierry Henry's 175 and Robin van Persie's 144.
- Bold shows players currently playing in the Premier League.
- As of 24 May 2026
Northern Ireland
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derek Dougan | 175 | 458 | 0.38 | 1957–1975 | Blackburn Rovers (26/59), Leicester City (35/68), Wolverhampton Wanderers (86/247), Portsmouth (9/33), Aston Villa (19/51) | [51] |
| 2 | Jimmy Dunne | 153 | 201 | 0.76 | 1926–1937 | Sheffield United (143/173), Arsenal (10/28) | [52] |
| 3 | George Best | 137 | 361 | 0.38 | 1963–1977 | Manchester United | [53] |
| 4 | Billy Gillespie | 127 | 448 | 0.28 | 1910–1933 | Sheffield United | [54] |
| 5 | Jimmy McIlroy | 126 | 519 | 0.24 | 1950–1967 | Burnley (116/439), Stoke City (10/80) | [55] |
Republic of Ireland[56]
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Stapleton | 136 | 458 | 0.3 | 1974–1995 | Arsenal (75/225), Manchester United (60/223), Derby County (1/10) | [46] |
| 2 | Robbie Keane | 126 | 349 | 0.36 | 1997–2012 | Coventry City (12/31), Leeds United (13/46), Tottenham Hotspur (91/238), Liverpool (5/19), West Ham United (2/9), Aston Villa (3/6) | [57] |
| 3 | Niall Quinn | 109 | 399 | 0.27 | 1983–2002 | Arsenal (14/67), Manchester City (66/193), Sunderland (29/139) | [58] |
| 4 | Johnny Giles | 91 | 479 | 0.19 | 1959–1976 | Manchester United (10/99), Leeds United (80/343), West Bromwich Albion (1/37) | [59] |
| 5 | John Aldridge | 88 | 147 | 0.6 | 1985–1989 | Oxford United (38/64), Liverpool (50/83) | [60] |
Wales
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Rush | 232 | 515 | 0.45 | 1980–1998 | Liverpool (229/469), Leeds United (3/36), Newcastle United (0/10) | [61] |
| 2 | Trevor Ford | 169 | 324 | 0.52 | 1946–1961 | Aston Villa (60/120), Sunderland (67/108), Cardiff City (42/96) | [62] |
| 3 | Grenville Morris | 152 | 332 | 0.46 | 1897–1913 | Nottingham Forest | [63] |
| 4 | Mark Hughes | 149 | 531 | 0.28 | 1980–2002 | Manchester United (120/345), Chelsea (25/95), Southampton (2/52), Everton (1/18), Blackburn Rovers (1/21) | [64] |
| 5 | Roy Vernon | 145 | 315 | 0.46 | 1955–1970 | Blackburn Rovers (22/51), Everton (101/176), Stoke City (22/88) | [65] |
Continental Europe
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 175 | 258 | 0.68 | 1994–2012 | Arsenal | [6] | |
| 2 | 144 | 280 | 0.51 | 2004–2015 | Arsenal (96/194), Manchester United (48/86) | [6] | |
| 3 | 127 | 288 | 0.44 | 1997–2007 | Leeds United (34/69), Chelsea (69/136), Middlesbrough (22/58), Charlton Athletic (2/25) | [6] | |
| 4 | 125 | 364 | 0.34 | 1996–2014 | Arsenal (23/65), Manchester City (37/89), Chelsea (38/125), Liverpool (4/20), Bolton Wanderers (21/53), West Bromwich Albion (2/12) | [6] | |
| 5 | 121 | 278 | 0.44 | 2011–2022 | West Bromwich Albion (17/35), Everton (68/141), Manchester United (28/66), Chelsea (8/36) | [6] |
South America
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 184 | 275 | 0.67 | 2011–2021 | Manchester City | [6] | |
| 2 | 84 | 202 | 0.42 | 2006–2013 | West Ham United (7/26), Manchester United (19/63), Manchester City (58/113) | [6] | |
| 3 | 82 | 146 | 0.56 | 1949–1953 | Newcastle United | [5] | |
| 82 | 256 | 0.32 | 2015–2023 | Liverpool | [6] | ||
| 5 | 79 | 243 | 0.33 | 2017– | Manchester City (58/159), Arsenal (21/84) | [6] |
Africa[66]
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 193 | 328 | 0.59 | 2013–2026 | Chelsea (2/13), Liverpool (191/315) | [6] | |
| 2 | 111 | 263 | 0.42 | 2014–2022 | Southampton (21/67), Liverpool (90/196) | [6] | |
| 3 | 104 | 254 | 0.41 | 2004–2012 | Chelsea | [6] | |
| 4 | 97 | 242 | 0.4 | 2005–2016 | Arsenal (46/104), Manchester City (15/34), Tottenham Hotspur (35/92), Crystal Palace (1/12) | [6] | |
| 5 | 95 | 252 | 0.38 | 2003–2012 | Portsmouth (28/67), Middlesbrough (25/73), Everton (25/82), Blackburn Rovers (17/30) | [6] |
Oceania
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 92 | 240 | 0.38 | 2000–2009 | Leeds United (59/130), Middlesbrough (26/72), Newcastle United (7/38) | [6] | |
| 92 | 278 | 0.33 | 2009– | West Bromwich Albion (0/3), Leicester City (1/7), Burnley (49/144), Newcastle United (4/35), Nottingham Forest (38/89) | [6] | ||
| 3 | 57 | 274 | 0.21 | 1993–2008 | Leeds United (45/181), Liverpool (12/93) | [6] | |
| 4 | 56 | 226 | 0.25 | 2004–2012 | Everton | [6] | |
| 5 | 46 | 254 | 0.18 | 1977–1988 | Middlesbrough (16/64), Liverpool (30/190) | [67] |
North America
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 136 | 423 | 0.32 | 1989–2009 | Aston Villa (73/231), Manchester United (48/92), Blackburn Rovers (12/60), Birmingham City (2/13), Sunderland (1/27) | [6] | |
| 2 | 68 | 233 | 0.29 | 2018– | Wolverhampton Wanderers (40/135), Fulham (28/98) | [6] | |
| 68 | 268 | 0.25 | 2008–2025 | West Ham United | [6] | ||
| 4 | 59 | 283 | 0.21 | 1991–2000 | Wimbledon | [6] | |
| 5 | 57 | 218 | 0.26 | 2007–2013 | Fulham (50/189), Tottenham Hotspur (7/29), | [6] |
Asia
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 127 | 333 | 0.38 | 2015–2025 | Tottenham Hotspur | [6] | |
| 2 | 31 | 194 | 0.16 | 2005–2014 | West Ham United (8/75), Liverpool (18/92), Chelsea (1/8), Arsenal (4/19) | [6] | |
| 3 | 25 | 162 | 0.15 | 1990–1997 | Liverpool (21/74), Tottenham Hotspur (4/88) | [68] | |
| 4 | 24 | 133 | 0.18 | 2021–2026 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | [6] | |
| 5 | 23 | 113 | 0.2 | 2022– | Brighton & Hove Albion | [6] |
Players having scored 100 or more goals
edit
As of 2022, a total of 256 players have scored 100 or more goals in English first tier.[69] Son Heung-min in the 2022–23 season became the latest player to reach a century of goals, all scored for Tottenham Hotspur.[70]
Starting in 1992-93, the Premier League was established as the first tier English football competition, replacing the Football League First Division. The Premier League does not include matches prior to its establishment in record-keeping, which has been criticized. Former Leeds United legend Johnny Giles in a 2016 interview published in the Irish Independent states "What other sport wipes out 100 years of records and standards and decides that Alan Shearer was the first player to score 100 goals for two clubs when Jimmy Greaves did it decades before? In no other sport in England is there such a casual disregard and disrespect for the achievements of players who inhabit the archives..."[71]
Of the 256 players having scored 100 or more goals in the English first tier:[69]
- 212 players scored 100 or more goals in the First Division prior to the 1992-93 season
- 34 players have scored 100 or more goals in the Premier League since 1992-93.[c]
- 7 players that scored fewer than 100 goals in either the First Division or the Premier League separately scored 100 or more goals in total in the first tier
Player records
editAll records listed below pertain to league matches played in Division 1 and/or the Premier League only.
Most goals in a season:
- 42 matches – 60 Dixie Dean, Everton 1927–28[72]
- 38 matches – 38 Bert Freeman, Everton 1908–09[73]
Most goals in a debut season:
- 42 matches – 38 Dave Halliday, Sunderland 1925–26[74]
- 38 matches – 36 Erling Haaland, Manchester City 2022–23[75]
Most penalties scored: 56 Alan Shearer (from 67 taken for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, 1992–2006)[76]
Most penalties scored in 1 season: 13 Francis Lee, Manchester City 1971–72[77]
Most consecutive Top Scorer awards: 3
- Jimmy Greaves (1963, 1964, 1965)
- Alan Shearer (1995, 1996, 1997)
- Thierry Henry (2004, 2005, 2006)
Most top scorer awards with different clubs: 3 Gary Lineker (Leicester City 1985, Everton 1986, Tottenham Hotspur 1990)
100 goals for two clubs: 3[78]
- David Jack 1919–34 (Bolton Wanderers 144 – Arsenal 113)
- Jimmy Greaves 1957–1970 (Chelsea 124 – Tottenham Hotspur 220)
- Alan Shearer 1992–2006 (Blackburn Rovers 112 – Newcastle United 148)
Fastest player to reach 100 goals: Dave Halliday in 101 games for Sunderland.[79]
Players to score over 30 league goals in four consecutive seasons: Dave Halliday, 1925–26 to 1928–29.[79] Halliday scored at least 35 goals in each of those four seasons.[79]
See also
editNotes
edit- ↑ 5 goals in 8 appearances for Crystal Palace, 24 goals in 30 appearances for Arsenal
- ↑ 1 goal in 3 appearances for Nottingham Forest, 21 goals in 38 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur
- ↑ See also: List of footballers with 100 or more Premier League goals
References
edit- 1 2 3 "Premier League Golden Boot award winners". Premier League. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ↑ Ed McCambridge (7 March 2023). "Ranked! The Premier League's all-time foreign top scorers". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ↑ "Mohamed Salah equals Premier League all-time record in Liverpool masterclass vs. Southampton". World Soccer Talk. 8 March 2025. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- 1 2 3 "My Football Facts & Stats - Legendary Football Players - Steve Bloomer". www.myfootballfacts.com.
- 1 2 "George Robledo - The First Foreign Golden Boot". The Sporting Blog. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 "Premier League Player Stats - Goals". Premier League. Archived from the original on 26 June 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Top Flight Highest Scorers 1888-89 to 2021-22". My Football Facts. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ↑ "IFFHS". IFFHS. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ↑ Ross, James M. (2 September 2021). "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ↑ "Haaland breaks single-season goals record". Premier League. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ↑ "Dixie Dean Hall Of Fame Profile". Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ↑ "Dixie Dean". EFC Statto. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- 1 2 "England - All-Time Topscorers". RSSSF.
- ↑ Lanigan, Adam (27 September 2013). "Sporting memories - Jimmy Greaves breaks the British transfer record". The Sunday Post. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
- ↑ "HENRY (Thierry Daniel Henry) - FC Barcelona and France". 23 October 2007. Archived from the original on 23 October 2007.
- ↑ "Top 10 Premier League Golden Boot Winners Average Goals Per Game - The Top Tenner". 12 January 2014.
- ↑ "English Premier League Statistics". ESPN FC.
- 1 2 3 "Premiership Golden Boot, History and Information". www.napit.co.uk. 10 February 2022.
- ↑ "English Premier League Statistics - ESPN FC". ESPN FC.
- ↑ "English Premier League Statistics". ESPN FC.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Andy Wilson". Doing the 92. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Bobby Smith". Doing the 92. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Bobby Charlton". Doing the 92. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Steve Bloomer". Doing the 92. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 "Chelsea top scorers of all time with full details". 11 October 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "Jimmy Greaves". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Jimmy Greaves". Doing the 92. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "Lee Chapman". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "Peter Beardsley | Football Stats". Soccer Base. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "Matt Le Tissier | Football Stats". Soccer Base. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Dennis Viollet". Doing the 92. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Ray Charnley". Doing the 92. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "Peter Harris". Pompeyrama. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Stan Mortensen". Doing the 92. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ George Elliott". Doing the 92. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
- ↑ "Harry Kane joins Bayern Munich ending record-breaking Tottenham career". BBC Sport. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ↑ "Premier League + 1. Division - All-time Topscorers". WorldFootball.net. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ↑ "Marcus Bent Forward, Profile & Stats". Premier League. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Arthur Rowley". Doing the 92. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
- ↑ "Football League - facts, stats and history". Football History. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Cliff Bastin". Doingthe92. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Eric Brook". Doingthe92. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Ron Davies". www.Doingthe92. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Ted Harper". Doingthe92. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Jackie Milburn". Doingthe92. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- 1 2 "Frank Stapleton". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ "FA Carling Premiership | United smash Foxes". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ↑ "His brother's keeper: remembering George and Ted Robledo". AroundTown Magazine. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ↑ "FA CARLING PREMIERSHIP | Man Utd run riot". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ↑ "ROBLEDO". IBWM. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
- ↑ "Derek Dougan". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ "Jimmy Dunne". Nifootball. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ↑ "George Best | Man Utd Legends Profile". Manchester United F.C. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Billy Gillespie (Player)". National Football Teams. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Jimmy McIlroy (Player)". National Football Teams. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ Clarke, Ryan. "The top 25 Irish goalscorers in English top-flight history". OTB Sports. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ "Robbie Keane Forward, Profile & Stats". Premier League. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Niall Quinn (Player)". National Football Teams. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Johnny Giles (Player)". National Football Teams. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ "John Aldridge » Club matches". WorldFootball.net. 7 January 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Ian Rush (Player)". National Football Teams. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Trevor Ford". Doing the 92. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ "DT92 ~ Grenville Morris". Doing the 92. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ "Mark Hughes". WorldFootball.net. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Roy Vernon (Player)". National Football Teams. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ↑ Smyth, Andrew (4 October 2021). "African players in Premier League: Check Out The Full List Here". Ace Football. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ↑ "Craig Johnston » Club matches". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
- ↑ "Ronny Rosenthal". 11v11.com. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- 1 2 "Top Division English League Goal Scorers 1888-2022 (201-300)". Free-Elements. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
- ↑ "Son makes history with 100th Premier League goal". Premier League. 8 April 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ↑ "John Giles: Sky didn't invent football and it didn't begin in 1992 either". Independent.ie. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ↑ "Dixie Dean Hall Of Fame Profile". Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ↑ "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ↑ "Sunderland AFC - Statistics, History and Records - from TheStatCat". www.catstattery.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- ↑ "Haaland equals Salah's 32-goal Premier League record". www.premierleague.com. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ↑ "Premier League + 1. Division - All-time best penalty takers". worldfootball.net. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ↑ "Lee Franny". Manchester City FC. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
- ↑ "Nostalgia: The record-breaking Bolton football star who boasted many claims to fame". InYourArea.co.uk. 16 July 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- 1 2 3 "QosFC: Legends - Dave Halliday". qosfc.com.