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The Premier League has been entertained by different types of goalscorers over the decades. Some of the most entertaining goalscorers are arguably the free-kick takers.
While being tough to pull off, the act of scoring free-kick goals is like poetry in motion. It's the kind of goal that sends both the opposing and supporting fans into awe.
With that being said, let's take a glance at the five players with the most free kick goals in Premier League history.
#5 Thierry Henry
Two-time European Golden Shoe winner Thierry Henry is often referred to as one of the greatest strikers to grace the Premier League. He holds multiple records, including winning four Golden Boots in the league.
Henry was a beast during his first stint at Arsenal, scoring 174 goals. This included 12 free-kick goals over a span of seven years (1999 to 2007).
His goalscoring prowess made him a force to be reckoned with as he sits seventh in the league's all-time goalscorers list with 175 goals. He became the first Premier League player to score at least 20 goals in five consecutive seasons.
Besides his individual brilliance, he was known to be a team player, making 74 assists in the league. He helped his side win the Premier League title twice in 2002 and 2004. The latter was "The Invicibles" title victory as they went the complete season unbeaten.
#4 Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola is one of the most creative players in Premier history. He remains the only player to win the FWA Footballer of the Year award in the 1996-97 season despite not playing the complete season. He also doubles as the first Chelsea player to win it.
However, before Zola came to Chelsea to display his free-kick tricks, he trained at Napoli with the late Diego Maradona. It wasn't until he left for Parma that Zola was able to master the skills before heading to Chelsea where he scored 12 free-kick goals.
Nicknamed the 'Magic Box', Zola was also known to be a penalty kick specialist despite being renowned for his direct free kicks ability. He helped Chelsea win six trophies during his six years spent at the club. He scored 59 goals and made 42 assists in 229 appearances in the Premier League.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo
As the all-time highest goal scorer (812) in football history, Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest player of all time. He is the only player to score 100 league goals in both the Premier League and La Liga.
Ronaldo's journey of being a winger to a world class goalscorer began at Manchester United under the tutelage of the great Sir Alex Ferguson. As Ronaldo was undergoing the reforming and refining process, so was his free-kick shooting ability.
The Portuguese was involved in 11 free-kick goals during his six seasons with the club spanning 2003-2009. He then left United in the summer of 2009 for Real Madrid at a then-world record fee of £80 million where he spent nine years. He then moved to Juventus in the summer of 2018, spending three years. Ronaldo made a shocking comeback to the Theater of Dreams in the summer of 2021, which was a deadline transfer.
Ever since his arrival, Ronaldo has added one more free-kick goals and his tally is currently at 12.
#2 James Ward-Prowse
James Ward-Prowse has been the most consistent free-kick taker in the world for the past three years. Since November 2020, Prowse has been able to add six free-kick goals to previous eight, leapfrogging him to second on the all-time list.
Prowse, who is currently the captain of Southampton, has spent 11 years with the club. He has scored 39 goals with 36% of them being free kick goals (14 goals). His most recent free-kick goal came against Brighton & Hove Albion on 24 April. It was his fourth free-kick goal of the season, matching his same tally from last season.
#1 David Beckham
David Beckham is the all-time Premier League free-kick goal scorer with 18 goals. He is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. Beckham was so renowned for his bent free kicks that the social mantra "Bend it like Beckham" was formed. He is the first Premier League player to score five free-kick goals in a single season.
Beckham was also good at taking corners. He made two corner kick assists in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 1999. They won the game 3-2, leading Manchester United to their first ever treble. He spent 11 years with United and won six Premier League titles in which he played monumental roles. He scored 62 goals and made 80 assists in 265 appearances in the Premier League.
