Former Tottenham Hotspur player Gareth Barry holds the record of having the most number of Premier League appearances so far. Premier League is regarded as the toughest and most exciting football league all over the world as it has an enormous viewership and large fan base.
A Plethora of talented players have plied their trades on English soil but is not easy not to stay on the top of your game and contribute week in and week out. Premier League players are bound to engage in difficult battles every week as it is currently the most difficult league in the world.
The participating Premier League clubs also get a huge chunk of the broadcasting revenue while the clubs do attract a large number of supporters on matchday which also generates a lot of revenue.
The following list includes the top five with the most Premier League appearances and some of them have been pretty successful winning the Premier League title multiple times.
| Player | Clubs | Appearances |
| Gareth Barry | Brighton & Hove Albion, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton, West Bromwich Albion | 653 |
| Ryan Giggs | Manchester United | 632 |
| Frank Lampard | West Ham United, Chelsea, Manchester City, New York City | 609 |
| James Milner | Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Swindon Town | 589 |
| David James | Liverpool, Manchester City, Bournemouth, Bristol City, Portsmouth, West Ham United, Aston Villa, Watford, Kerala Blasters | 572 |
| Gary Speed | Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Bolton Wanderers | 535 |
| Emile Heskey | Leicester City, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Aston Villa | 516 |
| Mark Schwarzer | FC Kaiserslautern, Bradford, Middlesbrough, Fulham, Chelsea, Leicester City | 514 |
| Jamie Carragher | Liverpool | 508 |
| Phil Neville | Manchester United, Everton | 505 |
Premier League most appearances: Top five players list
Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry is leading the list in Premier League appearances. The veteran midfielder represented a number of teams in the English top flight with the likes of West Ham United, Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion and Everton.
He went on to be involved in 653 Premier League games, a record which is yet to be broken. Barry made his debut for Aston Villa against Sheffield Wednesday in 1988 and hung up his boots in 2020.
He has one Premier League title and one FA Cup in his trophy cabinet. Barry enjoyed a very successful record as he rarely had any substitute appearances from the bench. The defensive midfielder had a whopping 618 starts in his Premier League career.
Ryan Giggs
The former Manchester United winger is second on this list. Ryan Giggs came through the academy of Manchester United and spent his entire career at Old Trafford. The former Welsh national team member appeared 632 times for United in the English top flight and also registered 162 assists which are also the highest in the Premier League.
The wide man won 13 Premier League titles with the English outfit and also recorded the most number of wins (407) in the league so far. Giggs made his debut for United in 1991 and choose to retire in 2014.
Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard is third on this coveted list. The former Chelsea midfielder is one of the highest scoring midfielders in the Premier League with 201 goals and played 609 games in the Premier League.
The West Ham United academy product made it big at the other London club and he got recognition in the blue jersey only. He also went on to appear for Manchester City in the twilight of his career and retired on US soil as he played his last game for MLS side New York City.
Lampard won three Premier League titles and one Champions League title and played his last Premier League match in the 2014-15 season.
James Milner
James Milner has been one of the most decorated players to have ever graced the Premier League. The Liverpool midfielder climbed through the steps of Leeds United and was the youngest player to score in the Premier League at that time.
Milner has three Premier League, one Champions League and two FA Cup titles in his kitty. The 36 year old is the only active player in the top ten list and could reduce the gap with the top three as he is set to be involved in more games this season.
He has made 589 appearances in the Premier League so far and could leapfrog Frank Lampard this season.
David James
David James is the fifth player on this list. The former England goalkeeper plied his trade for a number of clubs with the likes of Watford, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham United.
He is the second in the most clean sheet list as he has 169 clean sheets in the Premier League which is yet to be breached. The talented shot stopper had a long stint seven year stint at Anfield and later represented a host of clubs but failed to lift the Premier League title once in his career. With 572 appearances in the Premier League he stands in the fifth place.
FAQs
Which goalkeeper has the most Premier League appearances?
David James has the most Premier League appearances as a goalkeeper.
Who has the most Premier League appearances among the active players?
James Milner is the only active player who has the most number of Premier League appearances.
