According to the data from 2021, 113 different nationalities have taken part as a player in English Premier League, the most loved and watched football league in the world. It’s every football player’s dream to play in the Premier League. But did you know which players have the most Premier League appearances? And where are they now? Well, Football Devils presents you with the TOP 10 players with MOST Premier League appearances in this article.
10. Phil Neville – 505 Appearances
English Defender Phil Neville makes the list of top 10 players with the most premier league appearances. He achieved it with different Premier League clubs in England. He has a total of 505 appearances with Manchester United and Everton in the time duration from 1995 to 2013.
Phil’s success on the pitch came during his 10 years stay at Manchester United. During that time, he won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, three FA Charity Shields, the Intercontinental Cup, and the Champions League.
Source: Mirror
The full-back, Neville started his career with the Manchester United Academy. On 11 February 1995, he made his debut in a 3–0 Manchester derby win away to Manchester City. Phil then went to make 263 appearances for the Red Devils.
On 4 August 2005, Neville joined Everton on a five-year contract for a fee in excess of £3 million. He made his debut in a UEFA Champions League qualifier against Villarreal. During his time at the Everton, he had made a total of 242 appearances.
| Clubs | Start | End | Appearance |
| Manchester United | 1995 | 2005 | 263 |
| Everton | 2005 | 2013 | 242 |
| Total | 505 |
Where is Phil Neville now? What does he do?
Phil Neville announced that he would leave Everton at the end of the season when his contract ended on 9 April 2013. Now he is a head coach of MLS team Inter Miami which is owned by his former teammate David Beckham.
9. Jamie Carragher – 508 Appearances
On number 9, we have another English defender from Liverpool, Jamie Carragher. Jamie made a total of 508 appearances in the Premier League. The one-club servant spent all of his playing career at Liverpool staying 17 years with the club.
He was Liverpool’s vice-captain for 10 years and is the club’s second-longest ever serving player. His honors with Liverpool include a total of two FA Cups, three League Cups, two Community Shields, one Champions League, one UEFA Cup, and two Super Cups.
Carragher began his career with the Liverpool Academy in 1988. On January 11, 1997, defender Jamie made his Premier League debut as a substitute in a 0-0 draw with West Ham United. Carragher played his 500th league game for Liverpool on 9 March 2013, in a 3–2 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
| Club | Start | End | Appearances |
| Liverpool | 1997 | 2013 | 508 |
Where is Jamie Carragher now? What does he do?
Jamie Carragher announced that he would retire at the end of the season on 7 February 2013. Following his retirement, he joined Sky Sports, where he appears as a commentator and pundit. He is now CBS Sports Champions League studio broadcast team member.
8. Mark Schwarzer – 514 Appearances
Now the name on the TOP 8 might surprise you a bit. He is an Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. He is the only Non-European player to make this list with 514 appearances during the time period from 1997 to 2015. Schwarzer is also regarded as one of the greatest Premier League goalkeepers of all time.
Schwarzer started his Premier League journey with Bradford in 1996. Then he eventually joined Middlesbrough in February 1997, where he spent most of his career.
The goalkeeper spent most of his life in England playing for Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea, and Leicester City. Out of his 514 caps, he made 332 caps for Middlesbrough. He is a proper Premier League legend.
| Clubs | Start | End | Appearances |
| Middlesbrough | 1997 | 2008 | 332 |
| Fulham | 2008 | 2013 | 172 |
| Chelsea | 2013 | 2014 | 4 |
| Leicester City | 2014 | 2016 | 6 |
| Total | 514 |
Where is Mark Schwarzer now? What does he do?
Schwarzer was released from Leicester after the end of the 2015–16 season at the age of 43. He is currently retired from playing professional football. The goalkeeper joined Optus Sport as a panelist via video link on the now-defunct Countdown to Kickoff program.
Schwarzer was later involved in the network’s coverage of UEFA Euro 2020 and regularly appears as a guest on the station’s GegenPod podcast. Mark is involved in different football-related activities although he’s not playing on the pitch.
7. Emile Heskey – 516 Appearances
Emile Heskey, in full Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey, is also an English footballer who made a total of 516 Premier League appearances for different clubs in the Premier League. He spent most of his playing career at Liverpool making 150 appearances for the club. The striker, in his 516 Premier League appearances, netted 110 goals and provided 53 assists.
Heskey progressed through the Leicester youth system, he made his first-team debut at the age of 17 while still a first-year trainee in a Premier League match against Queens Park Rangers on 8 March 1995.
He then signed for Liverpool on 10 March 2000 in a long-anticipated £11 million move, which, at the time, set the record transfer fee paid by the Merseyside club. He also played for the Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, and Aston Villa in England.
| Clubs | Start | End | Appearances |
| Leicester City | 1995 | 2000 | 124 |
| Liverpool | 2000 | 2004 | 150 |
| Birmingham City | 2004 | 2006 | 68 |
| Wigan Athletic | 2006 | 2009 | 82 |
| Aston Villa | 2009 | 2012 | 92 |
| Total | 516 |
Where is Emile Heskey now? What does he do?
Emile is currently 44 years old as of 2022 and has of course retired from playing. But he currently serves as head of football development and interim manager of Leicester City Women’s Team. He was released by Bolton when his contract expired at the end of 2015–16.
6. Gary Speed – 535 Appearances
The 6th spot in the list of players with the most Premier League Appearances in History goes to a Welsh Wizard Gary Speed. He was rarely troubled by injury or suspension which helped him to be in the top six of this list with 535 appearances.
During his time in England, he played for Newcastle United, Leeds United, Bolton Wanderers, and Everton. The midfielder, Speed started his career and Premier League journey with Leeds United in 1992.
Then Gary joined Everton for two seasons. On 6 February 1998, Speed signed for Newcastle United for a fee of £5.5 million. This is where the player made most of his appearances i.e 535 for the club. After that, he joined Bolton Wanderers to play the rest of his career.
| Clubs | Start | End | Appearances |
| Leeds United | 1992 | 1996 | 143 |
| Everton | 1996 | 1998 | 58 |
| Newcastle United | 1998 | 2004 | 213 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 2004 | 2008 | 121 |
| Total | 535 |
Where is Gary Speed now? What does he do?
Gary Speed’s professional career started in 1992 and ended in 2007 which made him one of the most Premier League appearances in history. Sadly, the midfielder is no more with us.
On 27 November 2011, his wife Louise found his body hanging in the garage of his home. It was later reported that Speed’s death had been a suicide. A sad ending for a legendary football player.
5. David James – 572 Appearances
Moving into the top 5 we have another legendary English goalkeeper, David James. He played in 572 top-level matches and held the Premier League record for most clean sheets with 169 until Petr Cech surpassed this record. James still holds the record for most penalties saved in Premier League history (13).
The professional journey of James started with Liverpool where he spent seven seasons with the club. At Liverpool, he made 214 appearances for them. He then went on to feature in the Premier League for Aston Villa, West Ham United, and Manchester City. His final four seasons in Premier League ended with Portsmouth.
| Clubs | Start | End | Appearances |
| Liverpool | 1992 | 1999 | 214 |
| Aston Villa | 1999 | 2001 | 67 |
| West Ham United | 2001 | 2003 | 64 |
| Manchester City | 2003 | 2006 | 93 |
| Portsmouth | 2006 | 2010 | 134 |
| Total | 572 |
Where is David James now? What does he do?
David James was signed by Kerala Blasters FC for the 2014 Indian Super League season as a player. James retired at the end of the season after losing the ISL final against Atletico de Kolkata by 1-0. He then went on to manage the Kerala Blasters.
James currently works as a pundit on Sony Network India. Sometimes he is also featured on Sky Sports football coverage, The Premier League Production as well as other different football charity matches.
4. James Milner – 588* Appearances
When it comes to durability there isn’t more player like James Milner. This English player is just BUILT DIFFERENT! He spent more than twenty years of his life playing for different clubs in England AND the crazy thing is he’s STILL DOING IT. James Milner is the only player on this list who is still playing, let alone in the Premier League.
As of the 2021/22 season, James has made 588 appearances in the Premier League starting from 2001. The appearances will only increase as the player has shown no sign of retirement. A versatile player, Milner has played in multiple positions, including on the wing, in midfield and at full-back.
He won the Champions League, three Premier Leagues, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, FA Cup, EFL Cup, and FA Community Shield while playing for Manchester City and Liverpool as of now.
Milner’s professional debut came with Leeds United on 10 November 2002, in a match against West Ham United. The financial problems eventually forced Leeds United to sell their asset James Milner to Newcastle United for £5 million.
After a season, Milner was loaned to Aston Villa, before signing for Aston Villa permanently in 2008. In 2010, Milner joined Manchester City where he made 147 appearances. On 4 June 2015, Milner agreed to join Liverpool on a free transfer from Manchester City. Then he went on to make 199 appearances (and counting) winning the big trophies like the Champions League, Premier League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
| Clubs | Start | End | Appearances |
| Leeds United | 2002 | 2004 | 48 |
| Newcastle United | 2004 | 2009 | 94 |
| Aston Villa | 2009 | 2011 | 100 |
| Manchester City | 2011 | 2015 | 147 |
| Liverpool | 2015 | Present | 199* |
| Total | 588* |
Where is James Milner now? What does he do?
James Milner is now 36 years old and he still plays professional football for Liverpool. Milner was not a regular starter during the 2020–21 season. He made just 11 starts and made 26 appearances in all competitions. As a result, he registered the first goalless season of his career. A versatile player still remained an important player for Liverpool.
3. Frank Lampard – 609 Appearances
In the next spot, we have another legendary English midfielder Frank Lampard who is ranked in the top three of most Premier League appearances in history. He played for Manchester City, West Ham United, and Chelsea in England.
Lampard is regarded as one of the best midfielder, England has ever seen. Legendary football manager Jose Mourhino once said the following quote on Lampard.
One of my best players ever, one of my best professionals ever, a Chelsea legend and a legend in the Premier League.
Altogether Frank made 609 appearances in Premier League. Lampard is best known for his 13 years of stay at Chelsea where he won three Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, four FA Cups, and two Football League Cups.
Lampard began his career in 1995 at West Ham United. A creative and technically gifted box-to-box midfielder signed for Chelsea in 2001 for £11 million. And as they say, the rest was history!
He has the record for the most goals by a midfielder in the Premier League (177) and scores the highest number of goals from outside the box (41). Lampard is also fourth in the Premier League’s all-time assists ranking, with 102 assists.
| Clubs | Start | End | Appearances |
| West Ham United | 1996 | 2001 | 148 |
| Chelsea | 2001 | 2014 | 429 |
| Manchester City | 2014 | 2015 | 32 |
| Total | 609 |
Where is Frank Lampard now? What does he do?
Frank Lampard is currently a manager of Everton FC. He announced his retirement from playing on 2 February 2017 after turning down several offers. He already managed Derby County and his beloved club Chelsea before joining Everton at the age of just 44 years.
2. Ryan Giggs – 632 Appearances
Second, on the list of the players with the most Premier League Appearances is none other than Ryan Giggs. He is a Welsh player who made a total of 632 Premier League appearances. He is one club man just like Jamie Carragher was for Liverpool. But, Giggs played his entire professional career for Manchester United.
Ryan is one of the most decorated footballers of all time. During his time at United, he won 13 Premier League, four FA Cup, three League Cup, two UEFA Champions Leagues, a FIFA Club World Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, a UEFA Super Cup, and nine FA Community Shield.
Giggs signed his first professional contract with Manchester United on 1 December 1990, at the age of 17. His Premier League debut came against Everton at Old Trafford on 2 March 1991, in a 2–0 defeat. Giggs spent 24 years at Manchester United, scoring 109 goals and providing 162 assists.
The greatest football manager of all time Sir Alex Ferguson who was also Giggs’s manager once said:
It’s almost impossible to replace a player like Ryan Giggs – you do not find many players like him. He is a rarity. He has world class attributes and has achieved so much at one club. You can only look up to him
| Club | Start | End | Appearance |
| Manchester United | 1992 | 2014 | 632 |
| Total | 632 |
Where is Ryan Giggs now? What does he do?
Ryan Giggs was the current manager of the Wales national team up until June 2022. He decided to leave because Ryan is accused of controlling and coercive behavior against his former girlfriend Kate Greville. Giggs will face trial and he didn’t want Wales to distracted because of him in the World Cup.
Giggs announced his retirement from professional football on 19 May 2014 in an open letter to all Manchester United fans posted on the club website. Giggs is also a co-owner of Salford City football club. His next big plan is yet to be seen.
1. Gareth Barry
On the top, there remains England’s most durable player of all time Gareth Barry. He is an English player with most Premier League appearances who made a total of 653 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion.
Barry is a defensive midfielder who scored 53 goals and provided 64 assists in the League. Although being a player with most Premier League appearances, he managed to win Premier League only once with Manchester City in the 2011/12 season.
Berry started his professional career with Aston Villa and made his debut on 2 May 1998, a 3–1 win at Sheffield Wednesday. He joined Manchester City for a fee of £12 million in June 2009. Then he was loaned to Everton in 2013 for one season where later he joined them on a three-year contract.
During the final stages of his Premier League career, Barry played for West Bromwich Albion. Since Barry played mainly for mid-table clubs he may not be highly decorated as other players on the list. But he’s surely the toughest of them all.
Premier League legend Gareth Barry decided to hang up his boots at the age of 39. This record set by Barry is nearly impossible for the upcoming players to break. But only time will tell.
| Clubs | Start | End | Appearance |
| Aston Villa | 1998 | 2009 | 365 |
| Manchester City | 2009 | 2014 | 132 |
| Everton | 2014 | 2018 | 131 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 2018 | 2021 | 25 |
| Total | 653 |
Where is Gareth Barry now? What does he do?
Gareth Barry is now retired from playing professional football. He announced his retirement on 27 August 2020. Barry is now 41 years old as of 2022 and he is enjoying his life with his childhood sweetheart Louise.
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