The Premier League is widely hailed as the most competitive football division in the world. Many football aficionados believe it is imperative for a player to succeed in the Premier League to prove his greatness. Of course, thriving in a league teeming with world-class players is easier said than done, with only a chosen few managing to do so over the years. Today, we will pay homage to some great men who have made it into the history books, defining consistency in the English top flight.
Join us as we take a look at the top 10 players who needed the fewest appearances to score in 100 Premier League matches. Let’s begin!
#10 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink: 262 Appearances
Kicking off the list is Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, with him needing 262 games to score in 100 Premier League games. He began his English top-flight career at Leeds United in 1997, joined Chelsea in 2000, pledged allegiance to Middlesbrough on a free in 2004, and finally ended his EPL run with a single-season (2006-07) stint at Charlton Athletic.
Across four clubs, Hasselbaink played 288 Premier League matches, scoring 127 times and providing 58 assists. He won two Golden Boots, once at Leeds United (1998-99) and another time at Chelsea (2000-01).
#9 Michael Owen: 259 Appearances
The last English player to win the Ballon d’Or, Michael Owen took 259 appearances to score in 100 Premier League games. Owen was at the top of his game during his stint at Liverpool between 1996-97 and 2003-04. In the summer of 2004, Real Madrid lured him away to Spain, but the switch turned out to be a disaster, as a lack of opportunities saw Owen return to England with Newcastle United in the 2005-06 season. In 2009, he joined Manchester United but failed to capture his best form. Finally, after three mediocre seasons, he ended his English stint with a one-season spell at Stoke City.
Owen played 326 Premier League games in his career, scoring 150 goals and claiming 31 assists. He won two Golden Boots at Liverpool and the 2010-11 championship with Manchester United.
#8 Jamie Vardy: 253 Appearances
Arguably Leicester City’s greatest-ever player, Jamie Vardy needed 253 appearances to score in his 100th Premier League game. Vardy, who has only represented the Foxes in the English top flight, was pivotal as they won the championship in 2015-16. He chipped in with 24 goals in 36 games, winning the Player of the Season award.
Vardy, 37, has racked up 322 appearances in the league, scoring 142 goals and providing 47 assists. He won the Golden Boot in the 2019-20 season, scoring 23 goals in 35 games.
#7 Robin van Persie: 242 Appearances
Arsenal and Manchester United legend Robin van Persie is in seventh place, having taken 242 games to score in his 100th Premier League game. Van Persie spent eight seasons with Arsenal between 2004-05 and 2011-12, scoring an impressive 96 times in 194 games. However, the Gunners could not win the Premier League title.
Searching for the coveted title, Van Persie controversially joined arch-rivals Manchester United. Arsenal fans turned him into public enemy No. 1, but Van Persie did not care, as he won the Golden Boot as well as the top-flight title in his debut 2012-13 season. He spent two more seasons at Old Trafford before joining Fenerbahce. Between the two clubs, Van Persie played 280 league games, scoring 144 goals and providing 53 assists.
#6 Andrew Cole: 237 Appearances
Manchester United legend Andrew Cole required 237 matches to score in his 100th English top-flight match. Cole represented Newcastle United (1993-1995), Manchester United (1995-2001), Blackburn Rovers (2001-2004), Fulham (2004-05), Manchester City (2005-2007), Portsmouth (2006-07), and Sunderland (2007-08) in the league.
Across clubs, Cole played a whopping 414 matches in the league, scoring 187 goals and providing 73 assists. He won one Golden Boot and five Premier League titles — all with Man Utd.
#5 Harry Kane: 212 Appearances
Tottenham Hotspur icon Harry Kane had clocked 212 appearances before he scored in his 100th match in the Premier League. Kane Played briefly for Leicester City (1 game) and Norwich City (3 games) but failed to score for either team. All of his goals came for Tottenham Hotspur between the 2013-14 and 2022-23 seasons.
Kane played a total of 320 matches before jetting off to Bayern Munich last summer. He scored 213 times — emerging as the division’s second-highest scorer of all time — and claimed 46 assists. Unfortunately, Kane never tasted Premier League success but won three Golden Boots and one Playmaker Award.
#4 Mohamed Salah: 208 Appearances
Narrowly edging out Harry Kane, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has clinched the fourth position. The Egyptian winger required 208 appearances to score in 100 games in the Premier League. Salah entered England with Chelsea in the 2013-14 season, but a lack of opportunities saw him exit the club for AS Roma in the summer of 2015. Two years later, he returned to the English top flight with Liverpool, and the rest, as they say, is history.
One of the best foreign players in Premier League history, Salah has played 278 matches for the Reds, scoring 170 goals and providing 78 assists. Salah, a three-time Golden Boot winner, guided Liverpool to the title in the 2019-20 season.
#3 Thierry Henry: 208 Appearances
Arsenal’s greatest-ever recruit, Thierry Henry also reached the special Premier League landmark in 208 appearances. The 1998 FIFA World Cup winner joined the Gunners in the summer of 1999 and spent eight seasons at the club before leaving for Barcelona. He returned to North London on a brief loan spell in the 2011-12 season.
Across two spells, Henry took part in 258 Premier League matches for the Gunners, scoring 175 goals and providing 74 assists. He won two titles with Arsenal, including the unbeaten one in 2003-04, and claimed two Player of the Season awards. Henry is also the only player in the league’s history to win four Golden Boots.
#2 Sergio Aguero: 201 Appearances
Former Manchester City talisman Sergio Aguero is in second, having made 201 appearances to score in 100 Premier League games. Aguero, who prematurely retired from the sport due to a heart problem, joined the Cityzens from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011. He left the Etihad Stadium for Barcelona as a free agent in the summer of 2021.
Aguero, the man who started Manchester City’s era of Premier League dominance with a historic goal against QPR on the final day of the 2011-12 season, played 275 games before his exit, scoring 184 goals and claiming 47 assists. He won five titles with Man City and the Golden Boot in 2014-15.
#1 Alan Shearer: 193 Appearances
Alan Shearer, the most prolific goalscorer in Premier League history, also happens to be the most clinical, with him hitting triple digits in only 193 appearances. Shearer started his Premier League legacy at Blackburn Rovers in the 1992-93 season. During his four-season stint at Rovers, he won two Golden Boots, one Player of the Season award, and a Premier League title. In the summer of 1996, Shearer joined Newcastle United and stayed put until hanging up his boots in 2006. He did not lift the title with the Magpies but won one Golden Boot.
Across these two clubs, the great Shearer played 441 games, scoring a record 260 goals and claiming 64 assists.
