In the Premier League, goalscorers often dominate the headlines. They’re the match-winners, the poster boys, the names plastered across the back of replica shirts. But in a league famed for its intensity and tactical evolution, creators have always been just as important. A perfect pass, a teasing cross, a disguised through ball — these are the moments that define Premier League seasons just as much as the goals themselves.

Across football history, some of the game’s finest assist-makers have played their trade in the Premier League, influenced it indirectly, or inspired the creative standards we see today. So, through a Premier League perspective, here are the 11 players with the most assists in football history, and how their legacies echo across England’s top flight.

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11. Ryan Giggs — 277 Assists

When you’re talking Premier League creativity, the discussion always starts with Ryan Giggs. The Manchester United winger remains the league’s all-time assist leader with 162 Premier League assists — a record that still feels untouchable.

For more than two decades, Giggs tormented full-backs with frightening pace and trademark whip-ins. His understanding with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo helped fuel multiple United title wins, and while his international numbers were modest, his Premier League impact places him among the most influential creators English football has ever seen.

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10. Luís Figo — 283 Assists

Figo never played in the Premier League, but his influence certainly touched it. His style — gliding dribbles, perfect weight of pass, elite decision-making — inspired generations of Premier League wingers. The Portuguese icon delivered over 90 assists for each of Barcelona and Real Madrid and remains La Liga’s second-highest assist provider.

His cross-continental excellence contributed to a new standard for wide creators, the sort the Premier League would later welcome in players like David Silva, Riyad Mahrez, and Bernardo Silva.

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9. Cristiano Ronaldo — 304 Assists*

A Premier League legend ranks ninth — but not for what made him famous. Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal record often overshadows his creative force, yet during his early years at Manchester United he was every bit as much a provider as a scorer.

Those stepovers weren’t just for show. Ronaldo routinely beat defenders and cut the ball back to teammates, later adding more assists during spells at Real Madrid and Juventus. His 304 career assists underline something Premier League fans already knew: before he became a goal machine, he was an elite all-round attacker.

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8. Ángel Di María — 313 Assists*

Premier League fans saw Di María only briefly — and unfortunately during a chaotic Manchester United era that far from suited his talents. What they didn’t get to witness was the full picture: a world-class playmaker capable of threading impossible passes and single-handedly unlocking defences.

His assist tally, built across spells in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and with Argentina, illustrates the quality Premier League audiences glimpsed only fleetingly.

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7. Kevin De Bruyne — 316 Assists*

Now we reach arguably the Premier League’s greatest ever passer. Kevin De Bruyne revolutionised creativity in England’s top flight, becoming the fastest player to 100 Premier League assists and finishing his Manchester City career with 177 assists in all competitions.

KDB’s trademark whipped ball across the box — “the De Bruyne zone” — set a new standard for midfielders in the Premier League. Even now, in Serie A, he continues adding to his legacy, and there’s still time for him to climb even higher on this historic list.

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6. Luis Suárez — 317 Assists*

Suárez’s Premier League stint was short but unforgettable. His 2013/14 campaign remains one of the greatest individual seasons the league has ever seen, and while goals made the headlines, his creative numbers were equally elite.

At Liverpool and later Barcelona, Suárez was not just a finisher but a facilitator — linking play, dropping deep, and feeding teammates with disguised passes. His assist total reflects a complete forward who could dominate in any phase of play.

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5. Thomas Müller — 352 Assists*

Müller never played in the Premier League, yet his position — the Raumdeuter, or “space interpreter” — influenced Premier League coaches seeking versatile attackers who operate between lines.

His longevity at Bayern Munich produced staggering numbers, including 19 Bundesliga assists in 2020/21. Like De Bruyne, his vision and movement reshaped the expectations for modern attacking midfielders.

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4. Johan Cruyff — 358 Assists

Cruyff’s philosophy changed football — and changed the Premier League decades later. His influence on Pep Guardiola directly shaped Manchester City’s dynasty, while his Total Football concepts can be traced in clubs like Arsenal, Brighton and Liverpool.

Cruyff’s 358 assists reflect his brilliance long before he became a managerial icon. In many ways, he’s the spiritual godfather of modern Premier League creativity.

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3. Pelé — 369 Assists

Though he never set foot in the Premier League, Pelé established the template for the complete forward: scorer, creator, leader, entertainer. His 369 assists highlight just how well-rounded he was, complementing his legendary goal tally.

Whenever a Premier League striker drops deep, creates space, or slips a teammate through on goal, they’re following in the footsteps of football’s original all-action number 10.

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2. Lionel Messi — 400 Assists*

Messi’s 400-assist milestone is the stuff of football fantasy. Barcelona saw it first, Inter Miami are watching it now, and Premier League teams spent a decade suffering in the Champions League at his hands.

While Messi never joined the English top flight, the Premier League was shaped in part by attempts to stop him. Teams recruited quicker defenders, more athletic midfielders, and more flexible systems — all in response to the “Messi problem” European clubs repeatedly faced.

His creativity, vision and dribbling have inspired countless Premier League playmakers — from Eden Hazard to Phil Foden.

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1. Ferenc Puskás — 404 Assists

Topping the list is a legend from the sport’s golden era. With 404 assists and 708 goals, Puskás averaged more than 1.5 goal involvements per match — numbers even the Premier League’s best struggle to imagine, let alone match.

His influence on attacking football trickled through generations. The Puskás Award, honouring the best goal scored each year, has been won by multiple Premier League players, symbolising the Hungarian’s lasting connection to English football.

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A Legacy That Lives On in the Premier League

These 11 players span eras, continents and positions, but they share one thing: their creativity changed the game. Whether they played in the Premier League, influenced it from afar, or lit up the league themselves, their legacy is visible every weekend.

From Giggs’ wing play to De Bruyne’s passing IQ, from Ronaldo’s evolution to Cruyff’s philosophy — the Premier League continues to be shaped by the world’s greatest creators. And as new playmakers emerge, they’ll be chasing the shadows of giants who made the art of assisting just as thrilling as scoring.