'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Premier League has been one of the best and most competitive leagues across Europe since its inception in the 1992/93 season, when it replaced the erstwhile Football League First Division in England.
In its 27 years of history, it has seen some of the best players in the business plying their trade with various clubs. These players have left their marks on the league for years to come, with their scintillating performances and also in form of some really incredible records.
There's an old adage that goes - Record are meant to be broken, but when it comes to the English top-flight, despite its relatively short history in comparison with the rest of Europe's top leagues, there are some records that just might remain untouchable for the future crop of players to come.
So, let's take a look at the 5 Premier League records that would be a nearly impossible break (at least for the foreseeable future) and which players hold them currently.
*All stats accurate as of 17-09-2019
#1 Most Premier League appearances - Gareth Barry, 653 (Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Brom)
We kick off our list with one of those records, that in a true sense belongs in the archives and might as well go down as an everlasting one.
Gareth Barry, Premier League winner with Manchester City in 2012, currently leads the way in terms of appearances made in the English top-flight, with a staggering 653 appearances under his belt.
More than half of his ridiculous tally consists of the matches that he played for his youth club Aston Villa, where he spent 12 years in total, also becoming their captain by the time he called it a day.
He spent his entire playing career in England, having been a top-flight regular for 21 seasons and only getting the taste of the second-tier when he got relegated from the PL with his last club, West Brom in 2018.
Interestingly, despite making the most appearances in the league, he does not hold the record for having played in the maximum number of seasons, with his career coming to an end in his 21st season. That record belongs to Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, who played 22 seasons for the Red Devils.
#2 Most Clean sheets in the Premier League - Petr Cech, 202 (Chelsea & Arsenal)
Petr Cech is counted amongst one of the finest goalkeepers of his generation and was one of the most easily recognizable footballers, thanks to his distinctive rugby-style scrum cap, that he had to make part of his on-field attire ever since he sustained a skull fracture against Reading in 2006.
Considered by many as the greatest Premier League goalie of all-time, he has got the stats to back the huge claim, with an unbelievable 202 shut-outs in his spells with Chelsea and Arsenal. He is the only player in the history of the league to reach the double century of clean sheets.
He reached the top at a young age for a keeper, brought to Blues in 2004-2005, he couldn't have asked for a better start to his career in England. He not only deputized for the incumbent Blues No.1 Carlo Cudicini, who was out injured, but also cemented his place as their new first-choice No.1 after keeping a record 24 clean sheets that season.
The Czech international's incredible record of 24 clean sheets in 38 games that season is yet to be broken and apart from his total haul of 202 clean sheets, it might also be one such record that might never be broken.
Manchester United No.1 David de Gea is the closest of any active player to his record, with 102 clean sheets so far, but a dip in his form and an unreliable defensive line ahead of him are denting his already slim chances of equaling or bettering the Chelsea legend's tally.
In the age of modern, ball-playing goalkeepers, he was the epitome of traditional keepers - tall, agile, strong, brave, with characteristic quick reactions and always well positioned.
After retiring from professional football last season, he has now taken up the position of new technical and performance advisor at his former club Chelsea.
#3 Most assists in the Premier League - Ryan Giggs, 162 (Manchester United)
Welshman Ryan Giggs will go down in history as one of the most well known one-club footballers of all-time.
He spent a total of 22 seasons at Old Trafford, a record in itself, in which he was also a part of one of the most successful English teams of all-time, winning the treble in 1998-99 and 34 trophies in all.
The tricky winger remained a crucial part of his side throughout his spell, particularly in the attacking third. Though, not a prolific goalscorer himself, he still managed to score 109 goals for the club.
But it was his ability to dribble pass opponents and an eye for setting up a goal that have made him a legend. He currently leads the all-time assist charts in the league with 162 to his name, 51 more than his closest rival Cesc Fabregas.
Having drawn the curtains on his playing career in 2014, he is now at the helm of Wales national football team.
#4 Most headed goals in Premier League - Peter Crouch, 53 (Aston Villa, Southampton, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur & Stoke City)
There have been a lot of prolific goalscorers in the Premier League, but Peter Crouch stands apart from them having scored almost half of his all top-flight goals through headers.
Usually when on the pitch, he used to be the tallest guy around and that naturally gave him an advantage in the air and boy, did he make the most of it.
In his career spanning nearly over two decades, the former Tottenham Hotspur youth player scored an astonishing 53 headed goals before retiring from professional football this July.
He had scored at lease one headed goal for every team he had played for in his career, including the England National Team, but he failed to find the back of the net for the last club he played for (Burnley) in the sparse six appearances he made for the club.
Nonetheless, he earned a place for himself in the famed Guinness World Records magazine in 2018 for his head-turning aerial ability.
Alan Shearer, who has the most goals of any player in the league, managed 46 headed goals, even though 87% of his goals were from inside the box. That just gives us an idea of how difficult it is to direct a ball into the goal, especially when you have defenders throwing their bodies at you.
#5 Most goals in the Premier League - Alan Shearer, 260 (Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers)
Finally, we reach the culmination of our list with the greatest record of them all. With 260 goals in the English top-flight, it would not be wrong to say that Alan Shearer has cemented his place as a Premier League legend.
Shearer, who was in his prime in the last decade of the twentieth century, scored the colossal tally of goals split between his spells with the Blackburn Rovers first and then with Newcastle United at an impressive ratio of 0.59 goals per match, while also providing 64 assists.
As one would expect, he has numerous goalscoring records to his name, which include the most hat-tricks, most goals scored from inside the box and most goals scored from penalties just to name a few.
Though, it should be noted here that he may soon lose the hat-trick record to Manchester City's Sergio Aguero, who also has 11 hat-tricks for City and looks as sharp as ever in front of the goal.
Only two players have reached double-century of goals in the Premier League, Shearer and his compatriot Wayne Rooney. Harry Kane, arguably the best English striker at the moment already has 128 goals for Spurs at the age of 26. Can he beat the tally of the former England No.9? Only time will tell!
