The Most Headed Goals In Premier League History

One of the most satisfying vignettes in Premier League football sees a winger beat his opponent and float a pinpoint delivery onto the bonce of a big target man.

That short passage of play has a bit of everything, from pace and trickery, to accuracy from both players involved. There is the timing too of the forward’s leap, not to mention the power mustered from straining neck muscles.

For a while back there it seemed like speculative crosses were going out of fashion at the highest level of English football but thankfully it’s back with a bang this season, with Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest leading the way. This increases the chances of current players joining the fabled list below, with Ollie Watkins not far off, and Erling Haaland an inevitable inclusion in the future.

For now though let’s celebrate the ten players who have strained their neck muscles the most in Premier League history and planted a beauty into the far corner.

Kenwyne Jones – 22

The 6ft 2 Trinidadian was primarily impactful for Stoke and Sunderland though he began his footballing journey in England at Southampton, compared at an early age to Didier Drogba.

Being equally as good with his back to goal or running in behind, it is not the most ludicrous claim in the world, even if their levels differed.

At Stoke in particular, Jones was used as a focal point, and he thrived off a route-one mandate that viewed long throw-ins as set pieces.

Tim Cahill – 22

Signed by Everton in 2004, Tim Cahill quickly became one of the Premier League’s best goal-scoring midfielders. A final tally of 56 goals from 226 appearances is testament to that.

Given full license by David Moyes to venture into the box at every opportunity, the Australian skipper’s aggression and physicality ensured he could compete with much bigger defenders, and even at 5 ft 10 he was a constant menace in the air.

Andy Carroll – 24

Andy Carroll’s Premier League career will chiefly be remembered for Liverpool’s massive deadline day mistake.

Carroll never lived up to expectations on Merseyside, and the remainder of his time in the top-flight was blighted by injuries.

There’s no denying however Carroll’s aerial prowess, a bundle of brawn, height and ponytail throwing himself at anything air-bound that came his way.

The big Geordie scored almost half of his Premier League goals with his head, a percentage not many strikers can match.

Romelu Lukaku – 25

The Belgian striker’s vast transfer fees somewhat over-shadow his achievements in the Premier League, of which some are substantial.

A fertile loan spell at West Brom led to four seasons at Everton, where Lukaku fired 68 goals in 141 outings. Even his output at Manchester United can be viewed kindly in hindsight. He was not the flop he was widely portrayed as. Not really.

Admittedly, the less said about his time at Chelsea, the better, but even at the Bridge he won silverware in the form of a Club World Cup.

All told, when Lukaku was ‘on it’ he was a nightmare for defenders, and this was especially true off the ground.

Michail Antonio – 25

A surprising name perhaps on this list, Antonio’s versatility has counted against him at times, deployed as a right-back as well as on the wing.

Undoubtedly though he is most effective up front, a direct, quick runner who is a real nuisance on the counter. With the ability too to ‘hang’ in the air, he will typically post three to four headers per season if given the right service.

Presently out of action following a horrific car accident, we are all hoping for a full recovery and to see him terrorise centre-backs again very soon.

Chris Wood – 23

It may all go south quickly, but right now, in the present, Nottingham Forest are making a mockery of their Premier League odds, offering up a genuine challenge for a top four spot. Unquestionably they are this year’s surprise package.

So much of their over-achievement is due to the regular goals of Wood, four to date in 2024/25 with his head, and another seven for good measure.

Despite scoring wherever he has played, the New Zealander was in danger of being downplayed as a journeyman. Solid, but not spectacular.

Like his club, he is disproving such misguided thinking on a weekly basis and enjoying every minute of it.

Olivier Giroud – 32

The ever-so-handsome Frenchman was an excellent link-up player for both Arsenal and Chelsea while his movement off the ball was never less than nuanced.

He also had the chops to caress a ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards when the mood took.

It was in the air though where his supreme ability really took flight, his innate timing giving him that extra split-second to guide a cross rather than simply connect with it.

Very few of Giroud’s headed goals burst the net. Instead it invariably rippled.

Christian Benteke – 33

After arriving from Genk in 2012, Christian Benteke was one of the league’s most dangerous strikers for Aston Villa. Regrettably, a woeful season with Liverpool, and a big money move to Crystal Palace that didn’t work out saw his stock plummet.

Despite scoring over 80 goals in the English top-flight, and despite being utterly unplayable in spells, the Belgian has become almost a forgotten figure now. A quiz answer. Oh yeah, him.

He deserves much better than that, as 33 headed goals perfectly illustrates.

Peter Crouch – 40

Standing at 6’7 and with 108 Premier League goals, it’s perhaps surprising that Peter Crouch only converted 40 with his head.

The explanation for this oddly lies with his extremely tall frame, because for him a cross pinged over at ‘head height’ lent itself to a volley.

The popular player-turned-pundit-turned-podcaster scored for six different Premier League clubs, and though his CV reads like a journeyman we all know better.

So too did Harry Redknapp, Rafa Benitez, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello who all entrusted him to lead their line.

Harry Kane – 40

It speaks to Kane’s all-round talents that he’s not renowned as an aerial force, yet still he has notched an unsurpassed number with his head.

Until his move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, the Spurs hit-man was well on course to break Alan Shearer’s all-time record for Premier League goal-scoring and his phenomenal consistency in front of goal brought him three Golden Boots.

Seeing Tottenham struggle now it is all-too-apparent just how much they relied on his incredible strike-rate. He moved the dial for the Lilywhites. He improved their football odds simply by being on the team-sheet.