The Defenders with the most goals in the Premier League
Many defenders have a knack for finding the back of the net and scoring vital goals. These are the defenders in Premier League history.
Image Credits: Chelsea's John Terry celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Premier League
Table of Contents
Goalscoring defenders can be the difference between winning and losing a league title. Towering central defenders leap above the opposition to score from free kicks and corners. Flying fullbacks cut inside outstretched defenders and send the ball past the despairing goalkeepers. Goals from defenders bail out their teams when the attacking players cannot find the back of the net.
The English Premier League (EPL) has had many outstanding goalscoring defenders. Joleon Lescott, Branislav Ivanović, and Robert Huth are all recently retired goalscoring defenders who regularly bailed out their teams with crucial goals. Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Gabriel Magalhães are current players scoring consistently for their clubs.
Image Credits: Brian Minkoff
Who are the Highest-Scoring Defenders in the Premier League?
John Terry is the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history. He played 492 matches for Chelsea, scoring 41 goals and providing 12 assists. Terry – “Captain, leader, legend” – is a rare one-club player. He is the fourth-most-capped EPL defender and part of several immense defensive units.
Some lists have Ashley Young as the defender with the most goals in the Premier League. However, Young played a substantial portion of his career as a midfielder, wingback, or winger. Most of his 49 goals came in an attacking midfield or forward role, which excludes him from this top 10 list of highest scoring defenders.
Under José Mourinho, Chelsea broke many defending and goalkeeping records, some of which still stand. Terry has 214 clean sheets to his name, the most by any defender. Terry is the most decorated defender on the list. The controversial captain led Chelsea to five Premier League titles, making Terry the most successful skipper in EPL history. He has more goals and clean sheets than other defender.
The 10 Highest-Scoring Defenders in the Premier League
| Rank | Player | Nationality | Goals | Assists | Clean Sheets | Matches |
| 1 | John Terry | England | 41 | 12 | 214 | 492 |
| 2 | David Unsworth | England | 38 | 18 | 90 | 364 |
| 3 | Ian Marshall | England | 33 | 6 | 24 | 159 |
| 4 | Leighton Baines | England | 32 | 53 | 113 | 420 |
| =5 | Ian Harte | Republic of Ireland | 28 | 36 | 67 | 237 |
| =5 | Gary Cahill | England | 28 | 11 | 103 | 394 |
| =7 | Steve Watson | England | 26 | 22 | 77 | 351 |
| =7 | Marcos Alonso | Spain | 26 | 16 | 63 | 179 |
| 9 | William Gallas | France | 25 | 3 | 122 | 321 |
| 10 | Julian Dicks | England | 24 | 7 | 33 | 134 |
Data Accurate as of 19/07/2024
1. John Terry (5x Premier League Champion)
Terry tops the all-time Premier League scoring charts for defenders, three ahead of David Unsworth. Terry owns most of the all-time EPL defensive records and accolades, but his goalscoring record is under threat. Alexander-Arnold will pass Terry in the next few seasons if he stays at Liverpool. Van Dijk is not far behind, but his age could hinder his efforts.
2. David Unsworth
Unsworth held the record for most goals by a Premier League defender before Terry pipped the fellow Englishman. Unsworth scored 38 goals and added 18 assists in his 364-game career. He scored most of his goals during two spells at Everton, where he netted 33 times.
3. Ian Marshall
Marshall scored 33 league goals in 159 appearances for Oldham Athletic, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Bolton Wanderers. Unfortunately for Marshall, the Premier League was formed during the middle of his career. First Division goals do not count towards the EPL and time spent in the EFL Championship, also hampered his top-flight scoring records.
4. Leighton Baines
Baines scored 32 goals during his 17-year career in England’s top division. Only three of his goals were for Everton, and three for Wigan Athletic in his first two EPL campaigns. Baines (420 games) is the eleventh-most capped Premier League defender, one of twelve to play 400 matches or more.
He has 53 assists, the most on the top 10 highest-scoring defenders’ chart and the fourth-most in history. Andy Robertson (59) and Alexander-Arnold (58) passed Baines in 2024. Kyle Walker (36) and Kieran Trippier (35) are the only players close to overtaking his 53 assists.
Image Credits: Football.ua
5. Ian Harte
Harte is the fifth-highest-scoring defender and the highest-scoring fullback in the EPL. He notched 28 goals. He tied with Gary Cahill for goals scored, but Harte (36) provided 25 more assists than Cahill (11). The Republic of Ireland defender is the highest-scoring non-English player.
6. Garry Cahill (2x Premier League Champion)
Cahill is another goalscoring centre half. He won two EPL titles in 22 seasons, both at Chelsea. He scored 28 goals for four clubs, but half of his goals came during his 10-year stint at Chelsea. Cahill is one of four players from The Blues to score 25 or more goals and win a league title with the West London club.
7. Steve Watson
Watson edges Marcos Alonso because of assists. Both players scored 28 times, but the English defender added 22 assists, six more than the Spaniard. Watson played for four Premier League clubs, scoring 11 goals in six seasons for Newcastle United, 14 times for Everton, and once for West Bromwich Albion.
8. Marcos Alonso (1x Premier League Champion)
Alonso, another EPL champion with Chelsea, has scored 26 goals in 179 appearances for the London side. All but two of the Spaniard’s goals came during his six-year stint at Chelsea. He netted twice in eighteen games for Bolton Wanderers across four seasons before moving to The Blues.
Image Credits: Ronnie Macdonald
9. William Gallas (2x Premier League Champion)
Gallas, like Terry, was part of the Mourinho revolution at Stamford Bridge. He won two titles at Chelsea before playing for London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Gallas netted 12 times in five seasons at the Bridge and a dozen times for Arsenal. The Frenchman scored once for Spurs during his four-year stay at White Hart Lane.
10. Julian Dicks
Dicks, another goalscoring left-back like Harte, found the back of the net 24 times in 134 games. Had he played more matches in the Premier League, he’d be near the top of the charts. Dicks scored three goals in his only season at Liverpool. The rest of his EPL strikes came for West Ham during his six-year stay with The Hammers.
Image Credits: Egg Head 06
FAQs
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Kaylan Geekie is a sports fanatic. He attended Durban High School before moving to Scotland, where he lived for 15 years. During his time in the United Kingdom, Kaylan graduated with a first-class BA Honours Degree in Sports Journalism at the University of the West of Scotland. Kaylan worked for nine years as the Match-Day Editor of SuperXV.com, reporting on Super Rugby, The Rugby Championship, the 2015 Men's Rugby World Cup and the 2017 British & Irish Lions series for the website.