In the world of football, defenders are celebrated for keeping the opposition at bay and preventing goals. However, every now and then, they end up in the spotlight for the wrong reasons—own goals. While these mishaps are part of the game, some players have unfortunately made a name for themselves by scoring more than their fair share of them in the Premier League. Here, we take a closer look at the players who have scored the most own goals in Premier League history, their teams, and the lasting impact of these unfortunate moments.

Richard Dunne: The King of Own Goals

With a total of 10 own goals, Richard Dunne holds the record for the most in Premier League history. His career spanned Everton, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Queens Park Rangers (QPR), and despite his unfortunate own goals tally, he still managed to be a reliable centre-back throughout his career. Dunne’s first own goal came in December 2004 while playing for Manchester City against West Brom, where a misjudged clearance ended up in the net. This marked the beginning of a painful trend, with half of his own goals coming in the final 15 minutes of matches, often at crucial moments. His most notable mistake came in 2011, when he scored a 93rd-minute equalizer for QPR in a match against Aston Villa. Despite these blunders, Dunne redeemed himself with 13 goals scored for the right reasons during his Premier League career.

Teams that benefitted from Dunne’s own goals included West Brom, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool, among others.

The Seven-Goal Club: Carragher, Skrtel, Jagielka, and Dunk

While no one has quite matched Dunne’s 10 own goals, several players have come close, each scoring seven own goals.

• Jamie Carragher (Liverpool): Carragher, a stalwart for Liverpool with 508 Premier League appearances, scored three goals in his career but had a far more impactful contribution at the wrong end of the field. His most infamous moment came in 1999, during a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, when he scored two own goals in the same match. Carragher’s own goals against Tottenham and Hull City further cemented his place among the Premier League’s unfortunate contributors.
• Martin Skrtel (Liverpool): The Slovakian defender set the record for most own goals in a single Premier League season during 2013-14, scoring four in one campaign. Though Liverpool managed to win three of the four games in which Skrtel scored an own goal, his record of seven is a painful reminder of the unpredictable nature of football.
• Phil Jagielka (Sheffield United & Everton): Jagielka’s seven own goals came across two clubs, Sheffield United and Everton, with his first coming in 2007. Despite the unfortunate tally, Jagielka is remembered for his heroics as a goalkeeper for Sheffield United in 2006, when he kept Arsenal at bay in a 1-0 win. Teams benefiting from his own goals included Arsenal, Portsmouth, and Wigan Athletic.
• Lewis Dunk (Brighton): Dunk joined the seven-goal club after scoring an own goal in February 2024 while playing for Brighton. His tally puts him alongside Carragher and Skrtel as one of the most unfortunate defenders in the league.

Six Own Goals: Shawcross, Brown, Sinclair, Evans, Coleman

Though not as prolific as the seven-goal players, several defenders have managed to score six own goals in their Premier League careers.

• Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City): Known for his robust defending, Shawcross found himself on the wrong side of the scoreline six times in his 401 Premier League appearances for Stoke City. Despite these own goals, Shawcross remained a key player for Stoke and was even called up to the England squad in 2012, although his international career was brief.
• Wes Brown (Manchester United & Sunderland): Brown enjoyed a successful career with Manchester United, winning multiple Premier League titles. However, his most memorable moment came in 2011 when, while playing for Sunderland, he scored an own goal against his former club at Old Trafford, a match that ended 1-0 in United’s favor.
• Frank Sinclair (Chelsea & Leicester City): The original Premier League king of own goals, Sinclair held the record for many years. Though no longer at the top of the leaderboard, his six own goals left a lasting legacy in the annals of Premier League misfortune.
• Jonny Evans (Manchester United, Sunderland, West Brom, Leicester City): Evans scored six own goals during his career with several clubs, including Manchester United, Sunderland, and West Brom. His unfortunate tally is a testament to the unpredictability of defensive errors.
• Séamus Coleman (Everton): Coleman, a long-serving Everton defender, added his name to the six-goal list with an own goal against Bournemouth in March 2024. His six own goals span a decade of Premier League action, starting with his first in 2014.

The Unpredictability of Own Goals

Own goals are a part of the beautiful game, but they can never be fully anticipated. For defenders, it’s a reminder that even the most reliable players are susceptible to the occasional mishap. Richard Dunne’s record may stand for a long time, but the likes of Jamie Carragher, Martin Skrtel, and others will forever be part of Premier League folklore for their unfortunate contributions to the wrong end of the pitch. These own goals, while painful for the players involved, are a testament to the unpredictable and often cruel nature of football.

Ultimately, own goals are a reminder that no matter how good a player is, everyone is capable of the occasional slip-up. They might be an unwanted record, but they are part of what makes the game so thrilling and unpredictable.