Following the introduction of VAR in the Premier League back in the 2019/20 season, the focus on penalty kicks has increased, with plenty of controversy over penalty-kick decisions that have been awarded in recent years with the use of technology.
But who has been the most prolific from 12 yards since the Premier League began in 1992? We’ve taken a look at who has scored the most penalty kicks.
|
Rank |
Player |
Penalties scored |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Alan Shearer |
56 |
|
2 |
Frank Lampard |
43 |
|
3 |
Harry Kane |
33 |
|
4 |
Steven Gerrard |
31 |
|
5 |
Mark Noble |
28 |
|
=6 |
Jamie Vardy |
27 |
|
=6 |
Mohamed Salah |
27 |
|
=6 |
Sergio Aguero |
27 |
|
9 |
Matt Le Tissier |
25 |
|
=10 |
Thierry Henry |
23 |
|
=10 |
Wayne Rooney |
23 |
|
=12 |
Luka Milivojevic |
22 |
|
=12 |
David Unsworth |
22 |
|
14 |
Teddy Sheringham |
21 |
|
15 |
Leighton Baines |
20 |
|
=16 |
Bruno Fernandes |
19 |
|
=16 |
Jorginho |
19 |
|
=18 |
Troy Deeney |
18 |
|
=18 |
Yakubu |
18 |
|
=18 |
Danny Murphy |
18 |
|
=18 |
Gareth Barry |
18 |
|
=18 |
Gary McAllister |
18 |
|
=18 |
Ruud van Nistelrooy |
18 |
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The top 11 players who have scored the most Premier League penalties:
11
Wayne Rooney
23 penalties
Starting the countdown is all-time Manchester United record goalscorer Wayne Rooney, who netted 23 times from the spot. However, the Englishman also missed 11 times from 12 yards – the most in Premier League history.
Interestingly, the striker didn’t score one until his third attempt, which was in the 2009/10 campaign against Arsenal.
10
Thierry Henry
23 penalties
Thierry Henry was not only a master goalscorer, but a king from the penalty spot. The Frenchman did miss penalties for Arsenal, but never in the Premier League – scoring each of his 23 attempts (at a significantly higher success rate than Rooney).
One of his most famous was his penalty during the final game at Highbury, as his hat-trick secured a 4-2 win and Champions League football for the Gunners.
9
Matt Le Tissier
25 penalties
Former Southampton star Matt Le Tissier’s penalty record was incredible during his career, with the Englishman scoring 47 of his 48 spot kicks.
25 of those came in the Premier League, with Le Tissier leaving the club in 2002 as their second-highest scorer of all time.
8
Sergio Aguero
27 penalties
Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero is best known for his dramatic title-winner on the final day against QPR in 2012 and being a prolific striker in the Premier League.
He also took plenty of City penalties, and ended on a total of 27 out of 33. The Argentine’s first came against Newcastle back in 2011 and his last was in 2021 against Fulham.
7
Mohamed Salah
27 penalties
Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah has climbed up this list since scoring his first Premier League penalty for the Reds back in 2018.
The Egyptian King has been a constant performer in front of goal at Anfield, but like Aguero, he has also missed six times from 12 yards, including his first-ever attempt in 2017.
6
Jamie Vardy
27 penalties
Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy also sits on 27 penalties, with the first of those coming during the Foxes’ famous 2015/16 title-winning season.
In fact, Vardy scored five in that memorable campaign and scored his first from 12 yards in more than three years in October 2024. He joins Salah and Aguero in missing six top-flight spot-kicks.
5
Mark Noble
28 penalties
Mark Noble scored 28 Premier League penalties and missed five during his 18-year career with West Ham United.
The midfielder’s first two were winners against Birmingham City and Liverpool in 2007/08 and his last was against Watford in 2021.
4
Steven Gerrard
31 penalties
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard scored 46 penalties for the Reds in all competitions, with 31 coming in the Premier League.
The first came in a 1-0 win over Arsenal at Anfield in 2006, however, Gerrard’s last spot kick in the top flight was missed against QPR in 2015.
3
Harry Kane
33 penalties
Tottenham Hotspur and England’s all-time record goalscorer was always going to be on this list. Harry Kane converted 33 times from 12 yards before joining Bayern Munich in 2023.
The striker only missed four for Spurs in the Premier League, although none of his misses were in defeats.
2
Frank Lampard
43 penalties
Chelsea icon Frank Lampard comes in at second on the list with 43 Premier League penalties, with his first two coming while he was at West Ham.
The box-to-box midfielder made the move to Stamford Bridge in 2001 and two years later, he was first-choice from the spot for the Blues.
1
Alan Shearer
56 penalties
Unsurprisingly leading the way is the Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer, Alan Shearer.
The former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United star scored his first spot kick in the top flight in 1992 and his last came for the Magpies against rivals Sunderland in 2006, with only five misses in between.
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