The best Premier League players of all time include record goalscorers, legendary creators, title-winning captains and stars who defined entire eras of English football. Thierry Henry leads our ranking, while Alan Shearer, Mohamed Salah, Wayne Rooney and Kevin De Bruyne form an elite group with very different claims to greatness.
FootballerRank ranks these players only on what they achieved in the Premier League from 1992 onward. Champions League trophies, World Cups, La Liga seasons and other achievements do not directly improve a player’s position here. We compare peak level, goals, assists, Premier League titles, individual awards, longevity, big-match impact and historical influence using official Premier League records.
Key Takeaways
- Thierry Henry ranks No. 1 among the greatest Premier League players ever.
- Alan Shearer remains the competition’s record scorer with 260 goals.
- Mohamed Salah finished his Premier League career with 193 goals and 94 assists.
- Salah and Henry share the record with four Premier League Golden Boots each.
- Wayne Rooney recorded 208 goals and 103 assists.
- Kevin De Bruyne finished with 119 assists and six league titles.
- Frank Lampard is the highest-scoring midfielder in Premier League history with 177 goals.
- Ryan Giggs holds the all-time assist record with 162 and won 13 Premier League titles.
- Harry Kane scored 213 goals, the second-highest total in competition history.
- Sergio Agüero scored 184 goals and won five Premier League titles.
Top 10 Best Premier League Players of All Time
| Rank | Player | Main Club | Premier League Highlight |
| 1 | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 4× Golden Boot, 2× Player of the Season |
| 2 | Alan Shearer | Blackburn / Newcastle | Record 260 goals |
| 3 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 193 goals, 94 assists, 4× Golden Boot |
| 4 | Wayne Rooney | Manchester United | 208 goals, 103 assists, 5 titles |
| 5 | Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | 119 assists, 6 titles |
| 6 | Frank Lampard | Chelsea | Record 177 goals by a midfielder |
| 7 | Ryan Giggs | Manchester United | Record 162 assists, 13 titles |
| 8 | Sergio Agüero | Manchester City | 184 goals, 5 titles |
| 9 | Harry Kane | Tottenham Hotspur | 213 goals, 3× Golden Boot |
| 10 | Steven Gerrard | Liverpool | 120 goals and 92 assists |
How We Ranked the Greatest Premier League Players
This ranking covers only the Premier League era.
The competition began in 1992-93.
Players who starred in England’s old First Division before that season are not ranked for achievements that happened before the Premier League began.
Premier League Performance Only
This is the most important rule.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid career does not count.
Thierry Henry’s performances for France do not count.
Mohamed Salah’s Champions League record does not improve his ranking.
We focus on Premier League football.
Peak Level
How dominant was the player at his best?
A player who was clearly one of the league’s best for several seasons receives major credit.
Goals and Assists
Attacking output matters.
However, goals cannot be the only ranking factor because midfielders and defenders have different roles.
Premier League Titles
Winning the league strengthens a player’s case.
We also consider how important that player was to the title-winning team.
Simply being part of many successful squads is not enough on its own.
Individual Awards
Golden Boots, Player of the Season awards and Playmaker awards help show how dominant a player was.
Longevity
Players who maintained elite performance across many Premier League seasons receive extra credit.
Big-Match Impact
Title races, decisive goals and performances against elite opponents also matter.
Historical Influence
Some players became symbols of the Premier League.
Their effect on clubs, playing styles and future generations also forms part of the ranking.
1. Thierry Henry
Club: Arsenal
Premier League Appearances: 258
Goals: 175
Assists: 74
Premier League Titles: 2
Golden Boots: 4
Player of the Season Awards: 2
Thierry Henry ranks first among the best Premier League players of all time.
Few players have combined goals, creativity and peak dominance at his level.
Henry joined Arsenal in 1999.
Arsène Wenger converted him from a wide attacker into a striker.
The move changed his career.
Henry could start from the left, attack space behind defenders and finish with either placement or power.
His scoring record was elite.
He scored 175 Premier League goals in 258 appearances.
However, goals tell only part of the story.
Henry also recorded 74 assists.
In 2002-03, he produced 20 assists, which remained the single-season Premier League record for more than two decades.
He won the Golden Boot four times.
Only Mohamed Salah has matched that total.
Henry was also named Premier League Player of the Season twice.
His biggest team achievement came in 2003-04.
Arsenal completed the full league season without losing a match.
Henry scored 30 Premier League goals as the Invincibles won the title.
He also won the league with Arsenal in 2001-02.
Why Henry ranks No. 1: Four Golden Boots, two Player of the Season awards, elite goals and assists, and his role in the Invincibles give him the strongest combination of peak and impact.
2. Alan Shearer
Clubs: Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United
Premier League Appearances: 441
Goals: 260
Assists: 64
Premier League Titles: 1
Golden Boots: 3
Alan Shearer owns the biggest scoring record in Premier League history.
He scored 260 goals.
No player has passed him.
Shearer was a complete center-forward.
He could score with his right foot, left foot or head.
He could finish from close range or strike from distance.
His greatest team season came with Blackburn Rovers in 1994-95.
Shearer scored 34 league goals as Blackburn won the Premier League title.
He also won the first Premier League Player of the Season award.
Shearer collected three straight Golden Boots.
He later joined Newcastle United and remained one of the league’s leading strikers for many years.
His Newcastle move reduced his chances of winning more titles.
That is the main difference between his career and several players below him.
However, maintaining a 260-goal record across 14 Premier League seasons gives him an exceptional longevity case.
Why Shearer ranks No. 2: The all-time scoring record, three Golden Boots and a title-winning peak with Blackburn make him impossible to rank outside the Top 2.
3. Mohamed Salah
Clubs: Chelsea, Liverpool
Premier League Goals: 193
Premier League Assists: 94
Premier League Titles: 2
Golden Boots: 4
Player of the Season Awards: 2
Mohamed Salah completed one of the greatest attacking careers in Premier League history.
His early Chelsea spell produced very little.
Everything changed after he joined Liverpool in 2017.
Salah scored 32 league goals in his first Liverpool season.
That immediately showed the level he could reach.
He eventually finished his Premier League career with 193 goals and 94 assists.
Only three players scored more goals.
Salah also won four Golden Boots.
That tied Thierry Henry’s Premier League record.
He was named Player of the Season twice.
His 2024-25 season added another historic achievement.
Salah finished with 29 goals and 18 assists.
He won the Golden Boot and Playmaker award while helping Liverpool win the title.
He became the first player to finish a Premier League season with the most goals and assists while also winning Player of the Season.
Salah won two Premier League titles with Liverpool.
He finished his English league career in 2026 after nine seasons at Anfield.
Why Salah ranks No. 3: Four Golden Boots, 193 goals, 94 assists, two titles and repeated elite seasons give him one of the strongest Premier League attacking careers ever.
4. Wayne Rooney
Clubs: Everton, Manchester United
Premier League Appearances: 491
Goals: 208
Assists: 103
Premier League Titles: 5
Wayne Rooney produced elite Premier League football across different stages of his career.
He first became famous at Everton.
At only 16, Rooney scored a brilliant goal against Arsenal.
Manchester United later signed him in 2004.
Rooney became central to one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.
He won five Premier League titles.
His attacking numbers are also exceptional.
Rooney scored 208 Premier League goals.
Only Shearer and Harry Kane scored more.
He also recorded 103 assists.
That combination separates Rooney from many traditional strikers.
He could score, create, press and drop deeper into midfield when needed.
His flexibility sometimes reduced his personal scoring numbers because he played several attacking roles.
Rooney still produced more than 300 combined Premier League goals and assists.
Why Rooney ranks No. 4: More than 200 goals, more than 100 assists and five league titles give him one of the most complete records in Premier League history.
5. Kevin De Bruyne
Clubs: Chelsea, Manchester City
Premier League Appearances: 288
Goals: 72
Assists: 119
Premier League Titles: 6
Player of the Season Awards: 2
Playmaker Awards: 3
Kevin De Bruyne ranks as our highest pure midfielder.
His greatest strength was creating high-quality chances from positions that looked harmless.
De Bruyne could pass through a defence, cross early or shoot from outside the penalty area.
He finished his Premier League career with 119 assists.
Only Ryan Giggs has more.
The difference is that De Bruyne reached his total in far fewer matches.
His team record is also outstanding.
De Bruyne won six Premier League titles with Manchester City.
He became a central player in Pep Guardiola’s most successful teams.
De Bruyne won Player of the Season twice.
He also won the Playmaker award three times.
In 2019-20, he recorded 20 assists in one season.
That tied Thierry Henry’s record at the time.
Bruno Fernandes later moved the single-season record to 21 in 2025-26.
Why De Bruyne ranks No. 5: Six titles, 119 assists, two Player of the Season awards and an elite creative peak make him one of the competition’s greatest midfielders.
6. Frank Lampard
Clubs: West Ham United, Chelsea, Manchester City
Premier League Appearances: 609
Goals: 177
Assists: 102
Premier League Titles: 3
Player of the Season: 2004-05
Frank Lampard produced scoring numbers that no other Premier League midfielder has matched.
He scored 177 goals.
That remains the highest total by a midfielder in competition history.
Lampard also recorded 102 assists.
That puts him among a small group of players with more than 100 Premier League goals and 100 assists.
His consistency was another major strength.
Lampard scored at least 10 league goals in ten consecutive seasons.
He became one of the main players as Chelsea changed from a challenger into a dominant Premier League team.
The club won back-to-back titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Lampard added another title in 2009-10.
He was named Premier League Player of the Season in 2004-05.
His late runs into the penalty area became one of the defining features of his game.
Why Lampard ranks No. 6: A record 177 goals from midfield, 102 assists and three titles give him one of the greatest Premier League midfield careers.
7. Ryan Giggs
Club: Manchester United
Premier League Appearances: 632
Goals: 109
Assists: 162
Premier League Titles: 13
Ryan Giggs owns two records that may stand for a long time.
He won 13 Premier League titles.
No player has won more.
Giggs also recorded 162 assists.
That remains the competition record.
His Premier League career stretched across more than two decades.
During his younger years, Giggs was a fast left winger who attacked defenders directly.
As he aged, his game became more controlled.
He moved into central areas and relied more on passing and movement.
Giggs scored 109 Premier League goals.
He also scored in each of the competition’s first 21 seasons.
His longevity is unmatched among the attacking players in this Top 10.
His individual peak was less dominant than Henry, Salah or De Bruyne.
That keeps him seventh despite the huge trophy and assist totals.
Why Giggs ranks No. 7: Thirteen titles, a record 162 assists and more than 600 appearances give him the greatest longevity and team-success case.
8. Sergio Agüero
Club: Manchester City
Premier League Appearances: 275
Goals: 184
Assists: 47
Premier League Titles: 5
Golden Boot: 1
Sergio Agüero became the defining striker of Manchester City’s rise.
He scored 184 Premier League goals in only 275 appearances.
His finishing was quick and accurate.
Agüero could score from tight angles and needed very little space inside the box.
His most famous moment came in his first Premier League season.
Manchester City needed a late goal against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of 2011-12.
Agüero scored in stoppage time.
The goal gave City its first Premier League title.
It remains one of the most famous moments in competition history.
Agüero eventually won five titles.
He also won the 2014-15 Golden Boot.
He scored 12 Premier League hat-tricks, which remains the competition record.
Injuries stopped him from playing as many matches as Shearer, Rooney or Kane.
His scoring rate and trophy record remain exceptional.
Why Agüero ranks No. 8: 184 goals, five titles and the most iconic title-winning goal in Premier League history give him a clear Top 10 position.
9. Harry Kane
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League Appearances: 320
Goals: 213
Assists: 46
Premier League Titles: 0
Golden Boots: 3
Playmaker Awards: 1
Harry Kane ranks second on the Premier League’s all-time scoring list.
He scored 213 goals for Tottenham.
Only Alan Shearer has more.
Kane started as a penalty-box striker but developed into a much more complete attacker.
Later in his Tottenham career, he often dropped deeper to create chances.
That led to one of his most impressive seasons.
In 2020-21, Kane won both the Golden Boot and Playmaker award.
He finished as the league’s leading scorer and assist provider.
Kane won three Golden Boots in total.
His biggest weakness is clear.
He never won the Premier League.
Tottenham came closest in 2015-16 and finished second the following season.
The lack of a title keeps Kane below Agüero, despite his higher goal total.
His individual record still makes a Top 10 place easy to justify.
Why Kane ranks No. 9: Being the second-highest scorer in Premier League history with three Golden Boots outweighs his lack of a league title.
10. Steven Gerrard
Club: Liverpool
Premier League Appearances: 504
Goals: 120
Assists: 92
Premier League Titles: 0
Steven Gerrard completes our Top 10.
He never won the Premier League.
That fact matters, but it cannot erase the level of his individual career.
Gerrard scored 120 Premier League goals.
Only Frank Lampard has scored more among players primarily remembered as central midfielders.
He also recorded 92 assists.
Gerrard could defend, pass, create and score from distance.
He carried a large share of Liverpool’s midfield responsibility for many seasons.
His best chance to win the Premier League came in 2013-14.
Liverpool finished second after a dramatic title race with Manchester City.
Gerrard’s lack of a league medal keeps him below midfielders such as De Bruyne, Lampard and Giggs.
His 17-year Premier League career still gives him the final place.
Why Gerrard ranks No. 10: 120 goals, 92 assists and years as Liverpool’s central figure give him enough individual value to overcome the missing league title.
Full Ranking of the Greatest Premier League Players Ever
| Rank | Player | Goals | Assists | Titles |
| 1 | Thierry Henry | 175 | 74 | 2 |
| 2 | Alan Shearer | 260 | 64 | 1 |
| 3 | Mohamed Salah | 193 | 94 | 2 |
| 4 | Wayne Rooney | 208 | 103 | 5 |
| 5 | Kevin De Bruyne | 72 | 119 | 6 |
| 6 | Frank Lampard | 177 | 102 | 3 |
| 7 | Ryan Giggs | 109 | 162 | 13 |
| 8 | Sergio Agüero | 184 | 47 | 5 |
| 9 | Harry Kane | 213 | 46 | 0 |
| 10 | Steven Gerrard | 120 | 92 | 0 |
Who Is the Greatest Premier League Player of All Time?
Thierry Henry is the greatest Premier League player of all time in our ranking.
Alan Shearer scored 85 more goals.
Ryan Giggs won far more titles.
Mohamed Salah came close to Henry’s attacking peak.
Henry has the strongest balance.
He won four Golden Boots and two Player of the Season awards.
He scored 175 goals while also creating 74 assists.
He was also Arsenal’s main attacking star during the Invincibles season.
That combination of peak performance, goals, creativity and team success gives Henry first place.
Thierry Henry vs Alan Shearer: Who Was Better?
Shearer has the stronger longevity and scoring record.
He scored:
260 Premier League goals
Henry scored:
175 Premier League goals
The difference is huge.
However, Henry offered more creativity.
He recorded 74 assists and once created 20 goals in one season.
Henry also won four Golden Boots compared with Shearer’s three.
Both won Premier League titles.
For pure career scoring, Shearer takes the advantage.
For overall attacking ability and peak level, we rank Henry first.
Thierry Henry vs Mohamed Salah: Who Ranks Higher?
This is one of the closest modern debates.
Both players won four Golden Boots.
Both won two Premier League titles.
Both won Player of the Season twice.
Salah scored more Premier League goals:
Salah: 193
Henry: 175
Salah also recorded more assists:
Salah: 94
Henry: 74
The difference is peak style and dominance.
Henry combined elite scoring with chance creation during an era when Arsenal went unbeaten for an entire season.
He was widely viewed as the defining player of the Premier League during his peak years.
Salah comes extremely close.
Our order remains:
1. Thierry Henry
3. Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah vs Wayne Rooney: Who Ranks Higher?
We rank Salah slightly above Rooney.
Rooney has the stronger longevity and team trophy record.
He won five league titles compared with Salah’s two.
Rooney also recorded 208 goals and 103 assists.
Salah has the stronger individual awards.
He won four Golden Boots and two Player of the Season awards.
His 2024-25 campaign also combined the Golden Boot, Playmaker award and league title.
That individual peak gives Salah third place.
Who Is the Premier League’s Greatest Midfielder?
Kevin De Bruyne ranks highest among our traditional midfielders.
His closest rivals are Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Ryan Giggs, depending on whether Giggs is classified as a winger or midfielder.
De Bruyne finished with 119 assists.
He won six Premier League titles.
He also won Player of the Season twice and the Playmaker award three times.
Lampard has the stronger scoring record.
Giggs has more titles and assists.
Gerrard had a broader all-action role.
For peak creative midfield performance, De Bruyne takes our top spot.
Who Is the Premier League’s Greatest Striker?
Thierry Henry ranks first among Premier League forwards overall.
Among traditional center-forwards, Alan Shearer has the strongest case.
He scored a record 260 goals.
Harry Kane ranks second on the scoring list with 213.
Wayne Rooney finished with 208.
Sergio Agüero scored 184.
Each had a very different style, but Shearer’s record keeps him at the top among classic No. 9s.
Who Has Scored the Most Premier League Goals?
Alan Shearer holds the record with:
260 goals
The leading totals among our Top 10 are:
- Alan Shearer – 260
- Harry Kane – 213
- Wayne Rooney – 208
- Mohamed Salah – 193
- Sergio Agüero – 184
- Frank Lampard – 177
- Thierry Henry – 175
Shearer’s record has stood since his retirement in 2006.
Who Has the Most Premier League Assists?
Ryan Giggs holds the all-time assist record with:
162 assists
Kevin De Bruyne ranks second with 119.
Other major totals include:
- Cesc Fàbregas – 111
- Wayne Rooney – 103
- Frank Lampard – 102
- Mohamed Salah – 94
- Dennis Bergkamp – 94
- Steven Gerrard – 92
Giggs’ combination of longevity and Manchester United’s long period of dominance helped him build a huge lead.
Who Has Won the Most Premier League Titles?
Ryan Giggs holds the player record with:
13 Premier League titles
He won every title with Manchester United.
His first came in 1992-93.
His final title came in 2012-13.
No other player has reached double figures.
Who Has Won the Most Premier League Golden Boots?
Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah share the record.
Both won the award four times.
Henry won in:
- 2001-02
- 2003-04
- 2004-05
- 2005-06
Salah won in:
- 2017-18
- 2018-19
- 2021-22
- 2024-25
Alan Shearer, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland have each won three.
Why Isn’t Cristiano Ronaldo in the Top 10?
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers ever.
That does not automatically make him one of the ten greatest Premier League careers.
Ronaldo scored 103 goals and recorded 37 assists in 236 Premier League appearances.
He won three league titles and one Golden Boot.
He also won Player of the Season twice.
His peak between 2006 and 2009 was exceptional.
However, much of Ronaldo’s greatest football happened after he left England.
His Real Madrid goals, Champions League records outside England and international career do not count toward this ranking.
Players such as Kane, Gerrard and Giggs produced much larger Premier League bodies of work.
Ronaldo is therefore one of our closest near misses.
Great Premier League Players Who Missed the Top 10
Several legends could reasonably challenge for the final positions.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo won three Premier League titles and two Player of the Season awards.
He also scored 103 goals.
His elite peak was strong enough for a Top 10 argument, but his total Premier League career was shorter than those of the players selected.
Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona helped change Manchester United’s modern history.
He won four Premier League titles in five seasons.
His influence on the early Premier League era was huge.
His shorter career keeps him outside the final ten.
Roy Keane
Roy Keane was the midfield leader of one of the Premier League’s greatest dynasties.
He won seven league titles with Manchester United.
His leadership and defensive midfield influence give him a strong case.
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira won three Premier League titles with Arsenal.
He captained the Invincibles in 2003-04.
His rivalry with Keane became one of the defining battles of the era.
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes won 11 Premier League titles.
His passing and technical quality made him central to several different Manchester United teams.
His individual statistical record is less dominant than the midfielders in our Top 10.
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp scored 87 Premier League goals and created 94 assists.
His technique and creativity helped transform Arsenal’s attacking football.
He won three league titles.
David Silva
David Silva scored 60 goals and produced 93 assists.
He won four Premier League titles with Manchester City and became one of the best creative midfielders of his era.
John Terry
John Terry has one of the strongest defensive cases.
He captained Chelsea through several title-winning seasons and was central to some of the Premier League’s best defensive teams.
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole ranks among the strongest left-backs in Premier League history.
He won titles with Arsenal and Chelsea and was part of Arsenal’s Invincibles squad.
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is already building a historic Premier League record.
He won his third Golden Boot in 2025-26 after scoring 27 goals.
He now has three Golden Boots in his first four Premier League seasons.
His career is still too short for our all-time Top 10.
If he maintains this scoring level for several more seasons, that can change quickly.
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes produced a historic 2025-26 season.
He recorded 21 assists, breaking the previous single-season record of 20 held by Henry and De Bruyne.
He was also named Premier League Player of the Season.
His all-time case is still developing.
Is Alan Shearer’s Goal Record Still Unbroken?
Yes.
Alan Shearer remains the Premier League’s record scorer with 260 goals.
Harry Kane came closest among retired or departed Premier League players.
Kane left Tottenham with 213 goals.
Mohamed Salah finished with 193.
Erling Haaland remains an active threat to the record.
How close he eventually gets will depend on how many more seasons he spends in the Premier League.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best Premier League player of all time?
Thierry Henry ranks as the best Premier League player of all time in our list. He won four Golden Boots, two Player of the Season awards and two league titles.
Who are the Top 5 Premier League players ever?
Our Top 5 are Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Mohamed Salah, Wayne Rooney and Kevin De Bruyne.
Who is the Premier League’s all-time top scorer?
Alan Shearer holds the record with 260 Premier League goals.
Who has the most Premier League assists?
Ryan Giggs holds the record with 162 assists.
Who has won the most Premier League titles?
Ryan Giggs won 13 Premier League titles with Manchester United, more than any other player.
Who has won the most Premier League Golden Boots?
Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah share the record with four Golden Boots each.
How many Premier League goals did Mohamed Salah score?
Salah finished his Premier League career with 193 goals. He scored 191 of those for Liverpool and two during his earlier Chelsea spell.
How many Premier League goals did Thierry Henry score?
Henry scored 175 Premier League goals in 258 appearances for Arsenal.
How many Premier League goals did Wayne Rooney score?
Rooney scored 208 goals in 491 appearances for Everton and Manchester United.
Who is the greatest Premier League midfielder?
Kevin De Bruyne ranks highest among traditional midfielders in our list. Frank Lampard, Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard also make the Top 10.
Why is Cristiano Ronaldo not in the Top 10?
This ranking considers Premier League performance only. Ronaldo had an exceptional peak in England, but his 236 appearances provide a smaller Premier League career than most players in our Top 10.
Is Erling Haaland already a Top 10 Premier League player?
Not yet in our ranking. He has already won three Golden Boots in four seasons, but his Premier League career is still much shorter than those of the established all-time legends.
Does this ranking include players from before 1992?
No. This page covers the Premier League era beginning with the 1992-93 season. Achievements from the old English First Division are not included.
Conclusion
Thierry Henry ranks first among the best Premier League players of all time, followed by Alan Shearer and Mohamed Salah. FootballerRank reached this order by judging Premier League performance only, using peak level, goals, assists, league titles, individual awards, longevity and historical impact rather than a player’s complete football career. Wayne Rooney, Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Lampard, Ryan Giggs, Sergio Agüero, Harry Kane and Steven Gerrard complete a Top 10 that represents more than three decades of Premier League history.
