Top 10 highest scoring centre-backs in Premier League history

The majority of these defenders’ goals have come from set-pieces and headers.

Football is widely known for team play, and without proper coordination and strategy, it is very hard to stay consistent. Forwards will get you goals, which surely define the matches, while midfielders act as the heart of the team, but being the defensive wall in every fixture is not an easy task.

The English Premier League, which is also considered one of the toughest football leagues in the world, has a reputation for producing intense matches day in and day out. Some of the centre-backs have carved their own path and built a reputation. They don’t just stop the goals, but are widely known for scoring some for their team when needed.

Stars like John Terry and Gary Cahill made scoring goals an art form from the set pieces. They timed their runs well and also dominated in the air. Their consistency in front of the goal sometimes became a nightmare for their opponents. This made them a threat in both boxes.

Centre-backs don’t get frequent chances in front of the goals, and this makes the numbers even more impressive.

Modern era examples like Virgil van Dijk, Gabriel Magalhaes and even Harry Maguire have been impressive in front of goal to help their teams win games on big occasions.

List of centre-backs with the most goals in Premier League history

10. Robert Huth (21 goals)

The German defender has played for multiple English football clubs, including Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Stoke City and Leicester City. He debuted in 2002 for the Blues and played his final game for Leicester City in 2018. Robert Huth scored the most goals with the Potters (13), and in total, he has scored 21 goals in the Premier League as a centre-back.

9. Sami Hyypia (22 goals)

The majority of his career was with Liverpool, where he played a total of 318 matches and scored 22 goals. He debuted for the Reds in 1999 and became one of the most dangerous centre-backs in the history of the English top division.

8. Laurent Koscielny (22 goals)

During his time in the English Premier League, Laurent Koscielny was a part of Arsenal. He competed for them in 255 league games and scored 22 goals in the process. He defended well and also looked good in front of the goal on multiple occasions.

The French centre-back can be considered as one of the top defenders to ever play for the Gunners.

7. Matt Elliott (22 goals)

The Scottish international became a part of the English top division when he joined Leicester City. In a total of 199 appearances for the Foxes, he scored 22 goals. Apart from that, he knew how to create plays for his fellow teammates.

6. Joleon Lescott (24 goals)

He competed for multiple clubs in the Premier League. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, Aston Villa, West Brom and Manchester City are the teams he featured for. He scored a total of 24 goals in the English top division.

5. William Gallas (25 goals)

William Gallas also competed for different EPL clubs during his career. He joined Chelsea in 2001 and scored a total of 12 goals with them. The French centre-back then aligned forces with Arsenal in 2006, scoring 12 goals.

In 2010, Gallas became a player for Tottenham Hotspur, where he scored one goal. As a defender, he scored a total of 25 goals in the top division of English football.

4. Gary Cahill (28 goals)

Gary Cahill is a product of the Aston Villa academy. He first debuted in the Premier League for the Villans and then went on to join Bolton Wanderers. He scored 13 goals for the Trotters and then put up similar numbers for Chelsea.

The English centre-back also played for Crystal Palace. In total, he scored 28 goals during his time in the EPL.

3. Virgil van Dijk (29 goals)

The Netherlands international is considered one of the top defenders in the modern era of football. He has done well in the defensive back position for both his club and country. His first four Premier League goals came while he was a part of Southampton from 2015 to 2018.

Virgil van Dijk later joined Liverpool and scored 25 more goals in the English top division.

2. Ian Marshall (33 goals)

Despite being one of the top defenders of his time, Ian Marshall also looked in front of the goal. During his time in the EPL, he competed for various clubs including Oldham Athletic, Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers. The English defender scored 33 goals while playing for all those clubs.

1. John Terry (41 goals)

Also known as a legend for Chelsea FC, John Terry is the centre-back with the most goals in the history of the English Premier League. He scored a total of 41 goals for the Blues while playing for them from 1998 to 2017. During the set-piece situation, he always looked like a constant threat to the opponent’s defence.

Modern-day defenders surely have a chance to take this record down, but it could be a very tough task.

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