Top 5 Players with the Most Premier League Appearances in History

Some players spend their entire careers with one club. Others change clubs quite often, relishing the opportunity to work under different managers and share the dressing room with some big personalities. A few players have also had their careers cut short by recurrent injuries, forcing them to stop doing what they love the most. 

In this post, we celebrate some players who achieved something quite incredible; making the most Premier League appearances.  

1. Gareth Barry (653 Apps)

Gareth Barry spent 12 years at Aston Villa, making 365 Premier League appearances for The Villains before completing his Manchester City move in the summer of 2009. 

At Manchester City, the Hastings-born ex-England international won the Premier League title and the FA Cup, making 132 appearances before moving to Everton on loan in September 2013.

The loan became permanent in 2014 after his first successful season with the Toffees. 

While at Everton, Gareth Barry made 131 appearances for the Toffees, becoming only one of the three players to reach the 600 mark. 

He spent his final years in the top flight with West Brom, featuring 25 times for the Baggies to set a record as the player with the most appearances in the Premier League. 

2. Ryan Giggs (632 Apps)

A few players embody loyalty quite as well as Ryan Giggs. The ex-Welsh international belongs to a distinguished category of one-club men who ruled the premier league for years while only turning out for a single club. Other examples include Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), John Terry (Chelsea), Tony Adams (Arsenal), and Jamie Carragher (Liverpool). 

Ryan Giggs joined Manchester United in 1991 when he was only 14 years old. He made his debut the same year, starting a successful career that would go on for the next 23 years. Primarily a left winger, Giggs was part of the Manchester United squad that dominated English football in the 1990s and 2000s, winning 13 Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups, 2 UEFA Champions League trophies, a UEFA Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup, and 9 Community Shields. 

He retired from active playing in the 2013-2014 season, having made 632 Premier League appearances for Manchester United. His distinguished achievements earned him a role as the club’s player-manager in the 2013-2014 season after David Moyes was sacked over poor performances. 

3. James Milner (619 Apps)

James Milner began his professional career with Leeds United in 2002 as the second youngest Premier League player at the time at only 16 years and 309 days. Unfortunately, James had to leave his boyhood club after Leeds United got relegated in the 2003-04 season. He moved to Newcastle United to continue his footballing ambitions, making over 100 appearances for The Magpies. 

Milner was sent to Aston Villa on loan in 2005, a move that became permanent two years later. After impressive performances for The Villains that saw him winning the 2010 PFA Young Player of the Year, Milner moved to Manchester City, where he made 147 premier league appearances, winning 2 Premier League titles, one League Cup, an FA Cup trophy, and 1 Community Shield. 

He ditched the Cityzens for Liverpool in 2015 as a free agent, becoming an integral part of a Jürgen Klopp side that won the UEFA Champions League for the first time in almost 15 years. He also helped the Reds win their first-ever Premier League title in the 2019-20 season. 
Looks like the ex-England international isn’t slowing down anytime soon, having recently agreed a one-year contract with Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton and Hove Albion as a free agent. Despite his aging legs, Milner will undoubtedly bring a wealth of experience and leadership skills to a young De Zerbi side that’s desperate for success in English football. 

4. Frank Lampard (609 Apps)

He might not have had the best start to his managerial career, but Frank Lampard will always be a Chelsea legend. Known for his prolific goal-scoring abilities from midfield, Frank began his career at West Ham, making his debut in 1996 against Coventry City.

After a tough start to life at West Ham, Frank broke into the first team in the 1997-98 season. He left West Ham for Chelsea in 2001, making his Premier League debut for the Blues in an opening day 1-1 draw against Newcastle United. 
It is at Chelsea that Frank established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, with prolific goal-scoring records. Lampard made 429 appearances for Chelsea over a 13-year stint and was part of a formidable Jose Mourinho side that ended Arsenal and Manchester United’s league dominance in the early 2000s. 

Individually, Frank scored 211 goals in all competitions throughout his Chelsea career, becoming the club’s record goal scorer. The ex-England midfielder left Chelsea for Manchester City after the 2013-2014 season, making 32 appearances for Manuel Pellegrini’s side before moving to New York City FC in the Major League Soccer (MLS).

5. David James (572 Apps)

David James is the only goalkeeper on this list, having featured for the likes of Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham United, and Manchester City throughout a 2-decade-long career. He ranks as the goalkeeper with the second-highest clean sheets (169) in Premier League history after Chelsea legend Peter Cech (202). 

James’ made his Premier League debut with Watford in 1990 before moving to Liverpool two years later in a deal worth around £1.25 million.
Uniquely, David James is the only Premier League shot-stopper to ever play as an outfield player, having featured upfront in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough in the 2004-2005 season. 

With Manchester City pushing for a European qualification spot on the final day of the season against Middlesbrough, City manager Stuart Pearce made a tactical change in the dying minutes of the game, pushing James further forward to play as a striker. 
While the game ended in a 1-1 draw, with James having little to no impact, he got a rare opportunity to write a piece of history, a record that is still intact to date.

Honorable Mentions

• Gary Speed (535 apps): Played for Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, and Bolton. 
• Emile Heskey (516 apps): Played for Leicester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Wigan Athletic, and Aston Villa.
• Mark Schwarzer (514 apps): Played for Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea, and Leicester.
• Jamie Carragher: (508 apps): Played Liverpool. 
• Phil Neville (505 apps): Played for Manchester United and Everton.