Historic English Premier League records. Who can rewrite the stats in the near future?

The English top-flight football competition has been making history since the 1992/93 season. This is the twenty-ninth season of the Premier League, the most watched football league since its inception. In the nearly thirty years of the competition’s existence, many interesting, admirable and seemingly hard-to-break records have of course been set. The aim of this text is not only to present or list the most interesting of them, but also to point out the still active players who sooner or later have a chance to surpass some of the historical milestones or to move up to the top.

The best scorer

the 260 goals scored by the Premier League champion with Blackburn, the legendary Alan Shearer, still feels a bit like an unreachable benchmark even after fifteen years since the legendary English striker ended his professional career. With Wayne Rooney (208 goals) hanging up his cleats and Argentine goal scorer Sergio Agüero (184) apparently leaving the British Isles for good, there are only three active players left in the historic Top 20 who could theoretically and potentially shoot their way into the top 20.

The biggest favourite to speak to the historical records at the moment can be none other than Tottenham’s still only twenty-eight-year-old striker Harry Kane. Kane is currently seventh in the historical table with 167 goals. Considering his age, and also assuming he avoids serious injuries or stays in England, his assault on the top of the tables is not unrealistic.

Next on the tape, historically the 16th top scorer, is Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy with 125 goals. The life story of this English striker probably needs no reminding, as it is notorious. Although he started his professional, top-flight career at a later age, it can already be said that he has clearly made his mark in the annals of the Premier League.

While Vardy may not be in danger of heading outside of England just yet, he is already thirty-four years old and it is questionable how much longer he will last at the highest level. Thirteenth-placed Robin Van Persie (144), for example, is only 19 goals away and the gap between the other positions is very close. Let’s see how far the English stormer can take it.

The top 20 is rounded off by Chelsea’s Belgian goal scorer Romelu Lukaku (116). Even Lukaku is still only 28 years old, if he continues to play in the Premier League and score goals at the rate he has been doing, he can certainly attack at least the top 10. We must also keep in mind his two seasons spent at Inter Milan, from which he returned to the Isles this year.

Most games played

With 653 games played, this statistic is dominated by the legendary Gareth Barry, a Brighton offspring who played the most for Aston Villa, won two titles with Manchester City and then added more games for Everton or WBA. In other positions there are no less legends like Ryan Giggs (632 games), Frank Lampard (609) or David James (572).

Already the fifth position of the historical tables is occupied by a still active player. Of course, it is thirty-five-year-old Liverpool footballer James Milner (569). Milner has scored games for Leeds, Newcastle, won two titles with Manchester City and one with Liverpool. Another active player is currently up to 37th, it is the famous thirty-four year old West Ham captain Mark Noble (405).

Then the third active player currently in the table, in 43rd place overall, is also thirty-four-year-old Aaron Lennon (392) of Burnley. He has accumulated his games mainly for Tottenham, but also for Leeds, Everton or the aforementioned “The Clarets”.

In 53rd place is Ashley Young (375) from Aston Villa, who has played for Watford, Manchester United and the aforementioned Villa. One place further is another legendary footballer, this time it is Southampton’s Theo Walcott (373), thirty-two years old, who has collected games at Everton and most of all, of course, at Arsenal.

Most assists

Even in the historical table of goal assists, this is a long-term record, which is at least one or two notches above the other competitors. At the top of the ranking is the long-time legend of the “Red Devils”, thirteen-time champion of England, Ryan Giggs. The Welsh midfielder has an impressive 162 goal assists to his credit.

Other equally legendary players who have also retired, such as Cesc Fabregas (111 assists), Wayne Rooney (103) and Frank Lampard (102), are now 50 assists or more behind Giggs. Of the active players, three are in the top twenty, two of them veterans. Eighth place belongs to Liverpool’s James Milner (86), with Aston Villa’s Ashley Young (69) in fourteenth position.

Of the real contenders and long-term challengers, Manchester City’s Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (78) rounds out the top ten of the historical assists table. De Bruyne is 30 years old, in the prime of his career and, assuming he continues to stay in the English top flight, can certainly attack the second spot of the table.

Giggs’ finish, meanwhile, seems far out of sight. Then there are two players in the top 40 in the twilight of their careers – Juan Mata (54) of Manchester United and the aforementioned Theo Walcott (54) of Southampton. Finally, the top 40 is rounded off by another potential top contender, the still twenty-six-year-old Raheem Sterling (51) of Manchester City.

Although there has been and probably will be many speculations about the English winger with Jamaican roots moving away from the islands, given his age, location and possible future prospects, it is impossible not to mention his name.

So much for today’s British Premier League stats window. In a future text, we’ll surely cover some other well-known, but also less obvious stats, whether in a long-term or current context. We will, of course, also look beyond the British Isles or into domestic waters.

Source: Premier League