'%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)
The Premier League is the richest football league in the world, and arguably the most competitive one too. That explains why a plethora of world-class players have graced the English top flight over the years.
In its three decades of existence, there have been many prolific scorers in the Premier League. These are not just strikers and midfielders, but defenders and goalkeepers as well.
On that note, here's a look at the highest-scoring XI across positions in Premier League history. A 4-3-3 formation has been considered for this hypothetical lineup. Without further ado, let's get started.
Note: All details as per transfermarkt.
# Goalkeeper - Peter Schmeichel (1 goal)
Peter Schmeichel is one of the most decorated goalkeepers in Premier League history. The five-time Premier League winner is one of only six goalkeepers in the league's history to score a goal.
Schmeichel made over 300 appearances in the Premier League for three different clubs, with most of them coming for Manchester United. The Dane was one of the key players in United's historic treble-winning campaign in 1998-99.
However, his only Premier League goal came after he left United following that historic summer. Schmeichel scored in Aston Villa's 3-2 defeat at Everton in a Premier League game in 2001. The strike marked the first-ever goal by a goalkeeper in the competition.
Schmeichel, a Euro' 92 winner with Denmark, played his last Premier League game for Manchester City in 2003 before retiring from the game.
# Left-back - Leighton Baines (32 goals)
Leighton Baines is one of the most prolific goalscoring full-backs to have graced the Premier League.
The 36-year-old made over 400 appearances in the competition, scoring 32 times and providing 60 assists. Baines, a set-piece specialist, scored a number of spectacular goals in his career, especially in the Premier League.
His most prolific campaign in the competition was in 2010-11, when he scored five goals and provided ten assists. Baines scored five league goals in two of his following three campaigns as well. The former Wigan man retired at the end of the 2019-20 season.
# Centre-back - John Terry (41 goals)
John Terry is one of the most prolific goalscoring defenders in the history of the Premier League.
The five-time Premier League winner made almost 500 appearances in the competition, scoring 47 times and assisting on 18 occasions. Terry, a Chelsea legend, was a colossal presence at both ends of the field for the Blues.
Terry's most prolific Premier League campaign was in 2011-12, when he scored six goals and bagged an assist. He scored in all but two of his 19 seasons in the Premier League.
# Centre-back - Gary Cahill (28 goals)
Gary Cahill is one of the most prolific active goalscoring defenders in the Premier League at the moment.
Now at Crystal Palace, the two-time Premier League winner has scored 28 times in the competition for four different clubs. Cahill has scored most of his goals in the English top flight for Chelsea, with whom he had an eight-season stint.
The 35-year-old is strong in the air at both ends. He enjoyed his most prolific Premier League campaign in 2016-17, scoring six times to help Chelsea win their latest title in the competition. Cahill has also netted five times in 61 appearances for England.
# Right-back - Steve Watson (26 goals)
Steve Watson is the most prolific goalscoring right-back in Premier League history. The 47-year-old scored 26 top-flight goals for four different clubs, with most of his strikes coming while playing for Everton.
Watson enjoyed his two most prolific Premier League seasons with Everton, netting five times apiece in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 campaigns. He played over 350 games in the Premier League and scored some memorable goals.
Watson came close to winning the Premier League with Newcastle United in the mid-90s. However, he never won the competition in his 14 seasons in the Premier League.
# Central Midfielder - Frank Lampard (177 goals)
Frank Lampard is the most prolific scoring midfielder in the history of the Premier League.
During an illustrious 20-season stint in the competition, Lampard played over 600 games, bagging over a century of goals as well as assists. The three-time Premier League winner scored at least ten goals in the competition in ten successive seasons (all with Chelsea).
Lampard's most prolific Premier League campaign was in 2009-10, as he scored 22 times to help Chelsea win their third title in six years. The former Chelsea manager also netted six times for Manchester City in his last Premier League campaign in 2014-15.
# Central Midfielder - Steven Gerrard (124 goals)
Steven Gerrard is one of the most elegant midfielders to have graced the Premier League.
A one-club man throughout his playing career, Gerrard played over 500 Premier League games for Liverpool. He scored over 100 goals in the competition and almost notched up a century of assists as well.
Gerrard came close to winning the Premier League in 2013-14. But a calamitous backpass sparked an epic implosion as Liverpool squandered their points lead in the last few weeks to finish behind Manchester City.
Gerrard registered double-digit goal and assist tallies thrice in his career. His most prolific Premier League season was in 2008-09, when he scored 16 goals and also racked up 11 assists.
Now managing Scottish side Rangers, Gerrard is tipped to be a future Liverpool manager, considering his exploits at the club.
# Central Midfielder - Paul Scholes (107 goals)
Paul Scholes is one of the most decorated midfielders in the history of the Premier League.
The 11-time Premier League winner, another one-club man like Gerrard, played nearly 20 seasons in the competition for Manchester United. Scholes played nearly 500 games in the Premier League, registering a century of goals and over 50 assists.
The now 46-year-old scored many memorable goals throughout his career, including a rare Premier League hat-trick against Newcastle United.
Scholes played his final Premier League game in the 2012-13 season, helping United win their 13th and latest title in the competition.
# Left Winger - Sadio Mane (98 goals)
Sadio Mane is one of the most prolific goalscoring wingers in the history of the Premier League. Along with Mohamed Salah (more on him later) and Roberto Firmino, Mane formed one of the most devastating attacking triumvirates in English football.
The Liverpool ace has racked up nearly 100 goals in the competition. Mane, who won the 2019-20 Premier League title with the Reds, has scored at least ten goals in seven consecutive seasons in the English top flight.
Recently, the 29-year-old scored his third goal of the campaign against Crystal Palace. That made Mane the first player in the Premier League to score in nine consecutive games against the same opponent.
The former Southampton winger's most prolific campaign in the Premier League was in 2018-19. Mane scored 22 times that season as Liverpool finished one point adrift of Manchester City in a titanic title race.
# Centre Forward - Alan Shearer (260 goals)
Alan Shearer is the all-time top scorer in the history of the Premier League. Although the competition has been graced by many world-class centre-forwards, there was none more prolific, ruthless and efficient in front of goal than Shearer.
The now 51-year-old holds a plethora of scoring records in the Premier League. Shearer is the only player in competition history to score over 250 goals and net over 100 goals for two different clubs.
Shearer held the record for most Premier League hat-tricks (11) before Sergio Aguero (12) breached the mark last year. The ultimate goal poacher, Shearer is the only player in Premier League history to register three successive 30-goal campaigns. It is worth noting that only a handful of players have done so even once.
Shearer's most prolific Premier League season came in 1994-95, when he scored 34 times for Blackburn Rovers to win his only title in the competition. He scored his final Premier League goal in 2005-06 for Newcastle United
# Right Winger - Mohamed Salah (101 goals)
Mohamed Salah is the most prolific goalscoring winger in Premier League history. The 29-year-old has scored 101 goals and racked up 40 assists in just 163 games, with all but four of these goal contributions coming for Liverpool.
The Liverpool ace recently scored his 100th goal in the competition, becoming the fifth-quickest player to reach the landmark. Earlier this season, Salah became the first player to score in five consecutive opening-day games in Premier League history.
Salah enjoyed his most prolific Premier League campaign in his debut season for Liverpool in 2017-18, scoring 32 times. The two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner also contributed 19 goals and ten assists in Liverpool's triumphant campaign in 2019-20.
Also Check Out: Mohamed Salah Net Worth
