Gone are the days of defenders simply heading and kicking the ball into row Z, with most now more than capable of making an impact in the final third. But which defender has been the most prolific in front of goal since the Premier League began in 1992?
In 2026, almost every defender – and even every goalkeeper – in the Premier League is comfortable with the ball at their feet, with Spurs duo Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, as well as Newcastle’s Malick Thiaw, topping the list of highest-scoring defenders in the current campaign with four strikes to their names.
Meanwhile, several players have netted three times, with Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhães among them, while Everton’s Michael Keane, Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Aston Villa’s Matty Cash have also contributed three Premier League goals for their respective sides.
Elsewhere in Europe, Alejandro Grimaldo has netted eight times for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, while Federico Dimarco has chipped in with six strikes for Inter.
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Nineteen-year-old Spurs loanee Luka Vušković has registered five goals for Hamburg, which will no doubt excite fans of the north London club, with the player set to return upon completion of his season-long loan ahead of next season.
Several modern-day players have made it into the Premier League’s top 20 highest-scoring defenders, but a number of stars who played in the 90s and early 2000s also feature. Can you name them all?
Topics: Premier League, Football, Arsenal
Luke Davies