Premier League facts for kids
 |
|
| Founded | 20 February 1992 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 20 (since 1995–96) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | EFL Championship |
| Domestic cup(s) | |
| League cup(s) | EFL Cup |
| International cup(s) |
|
| Current champions | Liverpool (2nd title) (2024–25) |
| Most championships | Manchester United (13 titles) |
| Most appearances | Gareth Barry (653) |
| Top goalscorer | Alan Shearer (260) |
| TV partners |
|
The Premier League is a top-level professional association football league in England. It is the highest league in the English football league system. Twenty clubs compete in the league each season. Teams can move up to the Premier League or down to the English Football League (EFL) through a system called promotion and relegation.
A Premier League season usually runs from August to May. Each team plays 38 matches. They play every other team twice: once at their home stadium and once away. Most games happen on weekend afternoons, but some are played on weekday evenings.
The league was started as the FA Premier League on 20 February 1992. This happened after clubs from the old First Division decided to create their own league. The Premier League is a company, and the clubs are its owners. It earns a lot of money from TV deals, which helps clubs buy new players and improve their stadiums.
The Premier League is the most-watched sports league in the world. It is shown in 212 countries to billions of people. It also has the highest average number of fans at games for any football league globally. Many stadiums are almost always full. The Premier League is currently ranked as the best league in Europe based on how well its teams do in European competitions.
Since 1992, 51 clubs have played in the Premier League. Most are from England, but two are from Wales. Seven clubs have won the title. Manchester United has won the most titles with 13. Only six clubs have played in every Premier League season: Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Contents
How the Premier League Started
Early Challenges for English Football
In the 1970s and early 1980s, English football teams were very successful in Europe. But by the late 1980s, things got tough. Stadiums were old, and fans had poor facilities. There was also a lot of hooliganism. English clubs were even banned from European competitions for five years after a disaster in 1985.
The top English league, the Football League First Division, was falling behind leagues in Italy and Spain. Many top English players moved to play abroad.
Turning Things Around
By the early 1990s, English football started to get better. England's national team reached the semi-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The ban on English clubs playing in Europe was lifted in 1990. Soon after, Manchester United won a European trophy in 1991.
A report called the Taylor Report came out in 1990. It said that stadiums needed to be made safer, with all-seater stadiums. This meant clubs had to spend a lot of money on upgrades.
Clubs Want More Money
During the 1980s, big English clubs started to act more like businesses. They wanted to earn more money. Clubs in the First Division threatened to leave the Football League. They wanted a bigger share of TV and sponsorship money.
By 1988, a TV deal with ITV was worth £44 million over four years. The top clubs got 75% of this money. This showed the bigger clubs that they could earn much more if they controlled their own TV rights. They also realized they needed all the First Division clubs to join them, not just a few "super league" teams.
Forming the Premier League
In 1990, Greg Dyke from London Weekend Television met with representatives from the "big five" clubs: Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, and Arsenal. He thought it would be better for TV if only the biggest clubs were shown. The clubs agreed and decided to break away from the Football League.
The FA (the main football body in England) supported the idea. They saw it as a way to make English football stronger. In July 1991, the top clubs signed an agreement to create the FA Premier League. This new league would be independent and could negotiate its own TV and sponsorship deals. The goal was to bring more money into the game so English clubs could compete better in Europe.
BSkyB won the first TV rights deal for £304 million over five years. The BBC got the rights to show highlights on Match of the Day.
In 1992, the 22 First Division clubs officially left the Football League. On May 27, 1992, the FA Premier League was formed as a company. The first season was in 1992–93. The number of teams was reduced from 22 to 20 in the 1995–96 season. The first Premier League goal was scored by Brian Deane of Sheffield United.
Manchester United won the first Premier League title. They became the dominant team, winning seven of the first nine titles. They had strong players like Eric Cantona and young talents from their academy, like David Beckham. Other teams like Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United also challenged for the title. Arsenal also became very strong, winning the league and FA Cup in 1997–98.
Who Dominates the League?
The "Big Four" Era (2000–2010)
In the 2000s, Liverpool became a strong team, joining Arsenal and Manchester United. Then, Chelsea also became a top contender, winning the league in 2004–05. These four clubs were known as the "Big Four": Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United. They usually finished at the top of the league. This meant they almost always qualified for the UEFA Champions League, Europe's biggest club competition.
Only a few other clubs managed to qualify for the Champions League during this time. In the 2003–04 season, Arsenal earned the nickname "The Invincibles" because they won the league without losing a single game.
Some people worried that the "Big Four" dominance made the league less exciting. However, the Premier League chief executive said there were still many interesting battles throughout the league table.
Between 2005 and 2012, a Premier League team reached seven out of eight Champions League finals. Liverpool (2005), Manchester United (2008), and Chelsea (2012) won the competition.
The "Big Six" Emerges (2010s)
After 2009, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City started to regularly finish in the top four. This changed the "Big Four" into the "Big Six". These six clubs are Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Manchester City won the title in the 2011–12 season. This was the first time a club outside the "Big Four" had won since Blackburn Rovers in 1995. This season also saw Chelsea and Liverpool finish outside the top four for the first time in a long while.
With only four Champions League spots, the competition became even tougher among these six clubs. In the 2015–16 season, something amazing happened: Leicester City, a team not considered one of the "Big Six," won the Premier League title. They had 5000/1 odds at the start of the season, making it one of the biggest upsets in sports history!
The "Big Six" clubs have a lot of financial power. They earn much more money than other Premier League clubs. This is mostly due to huge television deals. In 2019, all "Big Six" clubs were among the top ten richest football clubs in the world.
| Club | Top 6 finishes |
|---|---|
| Manchester City | 10 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 10 |
| Arsenal | 9 |
| Chelsea | 9 |
| Manchester United | 9 |
| Liverpool | 7 |
| Everton | 2 |
| Leicester City | 2 |
| Newcastle United | 1 |
| Southampton | 1 |
Manchester City's Recent Dominance (2020s)
Since the 2019–20 season, video assistant referees (VAR) have been used in the league. In 2019–20, Liverpool won their first Premier League trophy in 30 years.
In October 2020, a plan called "Project Big Picture" was suggested. It aimed to bring the top Premier League clubs closer to the English Football League. However, it was criticized by the Premier League and the UK government.
The 2022–23 season was the first to have a six-week break in November and December for the winter World Cup. That season, Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion broke into the top six, showing that other teams can challenge the "Big Six." Sadly, Leicester City, who won the league in 2016, was relegated.
In the 2023–24 season, Manchester City won the Premier League for the sixth time in seven years. They became the first English top-flight team to win four league titles in a row. Also, Aston Villa, not a "Big Six" club, finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League.
| Club | Top 6 finishes |
|---|---|
| Liverpool | 6 |
| Manchester City | 6 |
| Chelsea | 5 |
| Arsenal | 4 |
| Manchester United | 4 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 3 |
| Aston Villa | 2 |
| Leicester City | 2 |
| Newcastle United | 2 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 1 |
| West Ham United | 1 |
How the Premier League is Run
The Football Association Premier League Ltd (FAPL) is a company owned by the 20 clubs. Each club has one vote on important decisions like rule changes. The clubs choose a chairman, chief executive, and board of directors to manage the league every day. The FA has a special power to say no to new rules or choices for chairman and chief executive.
The current chief executive is Richard Masters. The chair is Alison Brittain.
Premier League clubs also send representatives to the European Club Association. This group helps make decisions about European competitions like the Champions League.
| Office holders | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | No. | Name | Tenure |
| Chief Executive | 1 | Rick Parry | 1991–1997 |
| 2 | Richard Scudamore | 1999–2018 | |
| 3 | Richard Masters | 2019– | |
| Chair | 1 | Sir John Quinton | 1991–1999 |
| 2 | Dave Richards | 1999–2013 | |
| 3 | Anthony Fry | 2013–2014 | |
| 4 | Richard Scudamore | 2014–2018 | |
| 5 | Gary Hoffman | 2020–2022 | |
| 6 | Alison Brittain | 2023– | |
How the Competition Works
[The Premier League] is very tough and is different. If you compare this league to another league, it's like playing another sport.
In [The Premier League] you never really know what is going to happen, there is very little between the teams.
The League Format
There are 20 clubs in the Premier League. From August to May, each club plays every other club twice. This means 38 games in total for each team. One game is at their home stadium, and the other is at their opponent's stadium.
- Teams get three points for a win.
- They get one point for a draw.
- They get no points for a loss.
Teams are ranked by their total points. If teams have the same points, their goal difference (goals scored minus goals conceded) is used. If still tied, the number of goals scored is used. If teams are still tied for important spots (like winning the league or avoiding relegation), their head-to-head record is checked. Sometimes, a play-off match is played at a neutral stadium to decide the final position.
Moving Up and Down (Promotion and Relegation)
The Premier League is connected to the EFL Championship by a system of promotion and relegation.
- The three teams at the bottom of the Premier League table are relegated (moved down) to the Championship.
- The top two teams from the Championship are promoted (moved up) to the Premier League.
- An additional team is promoted from the Championship after play-off matches. These play-offs involve the teams that finished 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th in the Championship.
The number of clubs in the Premier League was reduced from 22 to 20 in 1995.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
Video assistant referee (VAR) was introduced to the Premier League at the start of the 2019–20 season. VAR uses technology and officials to help the referee make decisions during a match.
The on-field referee still makes the final decision. VAR can only be used for four types of decisions:
- Goals (to check if a goal was scored legally)
- Penalty decisions
- Direct red card incidents
- Cases of mistaken identity (when the referee sends off the wrong player)
VAR officials watch video footage from many camera angles in a central control room. They talk to the referee through a headset. Some fans and experts like VAR because it helps with accuracy. However, others criticize it for slowing down the game and for inconsistent decisions.
Premier League Clubs
Fifty-one clubs have played in the Premier League since it began in 1992.
League Champions
Seven clubs have won the Premier League title. Manchester United has won the most, with 13 titles.
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 13 | 7 | 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 |
| Manchester City | 8 | 3 | 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| Chelsea | 5 | 4 | 2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17 |
| Arsenal | 3 | 8 | 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04 |
| Liverpool | 2 | 5 | 2019–20, 2024–25 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 1 | 1 | 1994–95 |
| Leicester City | 1 | 0 | 2015–16 |
Italics mean former Premier League champions that are not currently in the Premier League.
Clubs in the 2024–25 Season
Twenty clubs are playing in the 2024–25 season. These include the top seventeen teams from last season and three teams promoted from the Championship.
| 2024–25 Club |
2023–24 Position |
First season in top division |
First season in Premier League |
Seasons in top division |
Seasons in Premier League |
First season of current spell in top division |
No. of seasons of current spell in Premier League |
Top division titles |
Most recent top division title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 2nd | 1904–05 | 1992–93 | 108 | 33 | 1919–20 (99 seasons) | 33 | 13 | 2003–04 |
| Aston Villa | 4th | 1888–89 | 1992–93 | 111 | 30 | 2019–20 (6 seasons) | 6 | 7 | 1980–81 |
| Bournemouth | 12th | 2015–16 | 2015–16 | 8 | 8 | 2022–23 (3 seasons) | 3 | 0 | – |
| Brentford | 16th | 1935–36 | 2021–22 | 9 | 4 | 2021–22 (4 seasons) | 4 | 0 | – |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 11th | 1979–80 | 2017–18 | 12 | 8 | 2017–18 (8 seasons) | 8 | 0 | – |
| Chelsea | 6th | 1907–08 | 1992–93 | 90 | 33 | 1989–90 (36 seasons) | 33 | 6 | 2016–17 |
| Crystal Palace | 10th | 1969–70 | 1992–93 | 25 | 16 | 2013–14 (12 seasons) | 12 | 0 | – |
| Everton | 15th | 1888–89 | 1992–93 | 122 | 33 | 1954–55 (71 seasons) | 33 | 9 | 1986–87 |
| Fulham | 13th | 1949–50 | 2001–02 | 30 | 18 | 2022–23 (3 seasons) | 3 | 0 | – |
| Ipswich Town | 2nd (EFL) | 1961–62 | 1992–93 | 27 | 6 | 2024–25 (1 season) | 1 | 1 | 1961–62 |
| Leicester City | 1st (EFL) | 1955–56 | 1994–95 | 56 | 18 | 2024–25 (1 season) | 1 | 1 | 2015–16 |
| Liverpool | 3rd | 1894–95 | 1992–93 | 110 | 33 | 1962–63 (63 seasons) | 33 | 20 | 2024–25 |
| Manchester City | 1st | 1899–1900 | 1992–93 | 96 | 28 | 2002–03 (23 seasons) | 23 | 10 | 2023–24 |
| Manchester United | 8th | 1892–93 | 1992–93 | 100 | 33 | 1975–76 (50 seasons) | 33 | 20 | 2012–13 |
| Newcastle United | 7th | 1898–99 | 1993–94 | 93 | 30 | 2017–18 (8 seasons) | 8 | 4 | 1926–27 |
| Nottingham Forest | 17th | 1892–93 | 1992–93 | 59 | 8 | 2022–23 (3 seasons) | 3 | 1 | 1977–78 |
| Southampton | 4th playoffs (EFL) | 1966–67 | 1992–93 | 47 | 25 | 2024–25 (1 season) | 1 | 0 | – |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 5th | 1909–10 | 1992–93 | 90 | 33 | 1978–79 (47 seasons) | 33 | 2 | 1960–61 |
| West Ham United | 9th | 1923–24 | 1993–94 | 67 | 29 | 2012–13 (13 seasons) | 13 | 0 | – |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 14th | 1888–89 | 2003–04 | 70 | 11 | 2018–19 (7 seasons) | 7 | 3 | 1958–59 |
- Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton were relegated to the EFL Championship for the 2025–26 season.
- Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland were promoted from the 2023–24 season.
- Only two clubs have stayed in the Premier League since their first promotion: Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Non-English Clubs in the League
In 2011, Swansea City became the first Welsh club to play in the Premier League. The first Premier League match outside England was Swansea City's home game in August 2011. In 2013–14, Cardiff City also joined, making it two Welsh clubs.
However, Cardiff was relegated after one season. Swansea City was also relegated in 2017–18. So, currently, there are no Welsh clubs in the Premier League.
There have been talks about Scottish or Irish clubs joining the Premier League. In 1998, Wimbledon FC almost moved to Dublin, Ireland, but the move was stopped. Sometimes, people discuss if Scotland's biggest teams, Celtic and Rangers, should join, but nothing has happened.
European Competitions
How Teams Qualify for Europe
The top four teams in the Premier League automatically qualify for the next season's UEFA Champions League. This is the biggest club competition in Europe. The winners of the Champions League and UEFA Europa League can also get an extra spot in the Champions League if they don't finish in the top four. Up to seven teams from England can play in the Champions League.
The team that finishes fifth in the Premier League qualifies for the UEFA Europa League. The winner of the FA Cup also gets a spot in the Europa League. If the FA Cup winner has already qualified for Europe, their spot goes to the team that finished sixth in the Premier League.
The winner of the EFL Cup qualifies for the UEFA Conference League. If they have already qualified for Europe, their spot goes to the sixth-placed team in the Premier League, or seventh if the FA Cup winner's spot also moved.
The number of spots England gets in European competitions depends on its ranking in the UEFA coefficient. This ranking is based on how well English teams perform in European competitions over five years. England is currently ranked first, ahead of Spain.
Sponsorship and Money
Sponsorship Deals
The Premier League didn't have a main sponsor in its first season. From 1993 to 2001, it was called the FA Carling Premiership, sponsored by Carling. Then, Barclaycard and later Barclays sponsored the league.
| Period | Sponsor | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| 1992–1993 | No sponsor | FA Premier League |
| 1993–2001 | Carling | FA Carling Premiership |
| 2001–2004 | Barclaycard | FA Barclaycard Premiership |
| 2004–2007 | Barclays | FA Barclays Premiership |
| 2007–2016 | Barclays Premier League | |
| 2016–present | No sponsor | Premier League |
Barclays stopped being the main sponsor after the 2015–16 season. The league decided not to have a main title sponsor anymore. They wanted to create a "clean" brand, similar to major sports leagues in the USA.
The Premier League also has other official partners. Nike has been the official ball supplier since 2000. Panini makes collectables like stickers and trading cards. Companies like Cadbury and Castrol sponsor awards like the Golden Boot for the top goalscorer.
League Finances
The Premier League earns more money than any other football league in the world. In 2009–10, clubs made over €2.48 billion in total. In 2013–14, Premier League clubs made a profit of over £78 million, more than any other league.
The Premier League includes some of the richest football clubs. In 2019, the league earned about £3.1 billion per year from TV rights in the UK and internationally.
Clubs agreed to new rules in 2012 to control spending. They wanted to stop most of the new TV money from going straight to players and agents.
Relegation Challenges
Teams promoted to the Premier League often find it hard to stay up. In most seasons, at least one newly promoted team is relegated back to the Championship. In the 1997–98 and 2023–24 seasons, all three promoted clubs were relegated.
The Premier League gives "parachute payments" to relegated clubs. This money helps them deal with losing the high TV revenue from the Premier League. However, critics say these payments make the gap bigger between Premier League teams and lower league teams. This can make it harder for clubs to get back into the Premier League quickly.
Some clubs that fail to get promoted back to the Premier League face financial problems. They can even go into administration (a type of bankruptcy).
Media Coverage
Television has been very important to the Premier League's success. The league's decision to sell broadcasting rights to Sky in 1992 was a big risk. At the time, paying to watch live football on TV was new in the UK. But it worked, and the value of Premier League TV rights has grown hugely.
The Premier League sells its TV rights for all clubs together. This is different from some other European leagues where clubs sell their rights individually. The money is shared among the clubs. Half is divided equally, one quarter is based on league position, and the last quarter is for games shown on TV. Money from international TV rights is divided equally among all 20 clubs.
Not all Premier League matches are shown live in the UK. There's a rule that no football matches can be shown between 2:45 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. on Saturday matchdays. This is to encourage fans to go to stadiums.
The first TV deal with Sky was worth £304 million over five seasons. By 2015, Sky and BT paid £5.136 billion to show games for three more years.
A new TV rights deal started in the 2019–20 season. Amazon Prime Video also started showing some live matches. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all remaining matches in the 2019–20 season were shown on British TV. For the first time, the BBC showed some live Premier League matches.
In the 2020–21 season, some matches not chosen for broadcast were shown on a pay-per-view basis. Fans had to pay £14.95 per match. Many fans didn't like this and boycotted it, donating money to charities instead.
Stadiums
All Premier League stadiums are all-seater. This means there are no standing areas for fans. This rule came after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. Since the Premier League started, stadiums have been improved. Some clubs have even moved to brand new stadiums.
Stadium sizes vary a lot. For example, Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, can hold over 74,000 fans. Dean Court, home of Bournemouth, holds just over 11,000.
Fans attending matches are a big source of income for clubs. In the 2022–23 season, the average attendance for Premier League matches was over 40,000 fans per game. This was a record high for the league.
Managers
I have never known this level before. Of course, there are managers in Germany, Italy, and Spain, but in the Premier League, these are the best managers, the elite managers. The quality, the preparation. The level is so high.
Managers in the Premier League are in charge of the team. They handle training, choosing players, and buying new players. Managers need a special coaching qualification called a UEFA Pro Licence.
Arsène Wenger is the longest-serving manager in Premier League history. He managed Arsenal from 1996 to 2018, leading them in 828 matches. He broke the record set by Alex Ferguson, who managed Manchester United for the first 21 seasons of the Premier League.
It's interesting to note that no English manager has ever won the Premier League title.
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| Manager | Nationality | Club | Appointed | Time as manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pep Guardiola |  Spain |
Manchester City | 1 July 2016 | 8 years, 348 days |
| Thomas Frank |  Denmark |
Brentford | 16 October 2018 | 6 years, 241 days |
| Mikel Arteta | Spain |
Arsenal | 20 December 2019 | 5 years, 176 days |
| Marco Silva |  Portugal |
Fulham | 1 July 2021 | 3 years, 348 days |
| Eddie Howe |  England |
Newcastle United | 8 November 2021 | 3 years, 218 days |
| Unai Emery | Spain |
Aston Villa | 1 November 2022 | 2 years, 225 days |
| Ange Postecoglou |  Australia |
Tottenham Hotspur | 6 June 2023 | 2 years, 8 days |
| Andoni Iraola | Spain |
Bournemouth | 19 June 2023 | 1 year, 360 days |
| Daniel Farke |  Germany |
Leeds United | 4 July 2023 | 1 year, 345 days |
| Nuno Espírito Santo | Portugal |
Nottingham Forest | 20 December 2023 | 1 year, 176 days |
| Oliver Glasner |  Austria |
Crystal Palace | 19 February 2024 | 1 year, 115 days |
| Arne Slot |  Netherlands |
Liverpool | 1 June 2024 | 1 year, 13 days |
| Fabian Hürzeler | Germany |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 15 June 2024 | 364 days |
| Enzo Maresca |  Italy |
Chelsea | 1 July 2024 | 348 days |
| Régis Le Bris |  France |
Sunderland | 1 July 2024 | 348 days |
| Scott Parker | England |
Burnley | 5 July 2024 | 344 days |
| Ruben Amorim | Portugal |
Manchester United | 11 November 2024 | 215 days |
| Vítor Pereira | Portugal |
Wolverhampton Wanderers | 17 December 2024 | 179 days |
| Graham Potter | England |
West Ham United | 9 January 2025 | 156 days |
| David Moyes |  Scotland |
Everton | 11 January 2025 | 154 days |
Players
Most Appearances
Gareth Barry has played in the most Premier League matches, with 653 appearances.
| Rank | Player | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Gareth Barry (ENG) |
653 |
| 2 | James Milner (ENG) |
638 |
| 3 |  Ryan Giggs (WAL) |
632 |
| 4 | Frank Lampard (ENG) |
609 |
| 5 | David James (ENG) |
572 |
| 6 | Gary Speed (WAL) |
535 |
| 7 | Emile Heskey (ENG) |
516 |
| 8 |  Mark Schwarzer (AUS) |
514 |
| 9 | Jamie Carragher (ENG) |
508 |
| 10 | Phil Neville (ENG) |
505 |
Italicised players still playing professional football. Bolded players still playing in Premier League. |
||
Player Transfers and Foreign Players
Players can only be bought or sold during special times called transfer windows. These windows are usually in the summer and in January. Clubs must register a maximum of 25 players over 21 years old. At least eight of these players must be "home-grown." This means they were trained in England or Wales for at least three years before they turned 21.
When the Premier League started in 1992, only 11 players in the first games were from outside the UK or Ireland. By 2004–05, almost half the players were foreign. In 1999, rules were made stricter for non-EU players to get work permits.
After Brexit in 2021, all foreign players need a special endorsement to play in the UK, no matter where they are from.
Top Goalscorers
The Premier League Golden Boot award is given to the top goalscorer each season. Former striker Alan Shearer holds the record for most Premier League goals with 260.
Thierry Henry has won the Golden Boot four times, which is a record. Erling Haaland holds the record for most goals in a single Premier League season (38 matches) with 36 goals. Ryan Giggs has scored in every one of the first 21 Premier League seasons. He also holds the record for the most assists, with 162.
| Rank | Player | Years | Goals | Apps | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Shearer |
1992–2006 | 260 | 441 | 0.59 |
| 2 | Harry Kane |
2012–2023 | 213 | 320 | 0.67 |
| 3 | Wayne Rooney |
2002–2018 | 208 | 491 | 0.42 |
| 4 | Andy Cole |
1992–2008 | 187 | 414 | 0.45 |
| 5 |  Mohamed Salah |
2014–2015 2017– |
186 | 301 | 0.62 |
| 6 |  Sergio Agüero |
2011–2021 | 184 | 275 | 0.67 |
| 7 | Frank Lampard |
1995–2015 | 177 | 609 | 0.29 |
| 8 | Thierry Henry |
1999–2007 2012 |
175 | 258 | 0.68 |
| 9 | Robbie Fowler |
1993–2007 2008 |
163 | 379 | 0.43 |
| 10 | Jermain Defoe |
2001–2003 2004–2014 2015–2019 |
162 | 496 | 0.33 |
Italics means players still playing professional football,
Bold means players still playing in the Premier League.
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Player Wages and Transfer Fees
There is no limit on how much a team or player can earn in the Premier League. Player wages have increased a lot because of the valuable TV deals. In the 2018–19 season, the average yearly salary for a Premier League player was £2.99 million.
The Premier League has some of the highest player wages compared to other European leagues. This makes the Premier League very competitive, as teams can afford top players.
The record for a player transfer fee (the money paid to buy a player from another club) has also grown. Before the first Premier League season, Alan Shearer was bought for over £3 million. Now, the record is much higher. Enzo Fernández is the most expensive player bought by a Premier League club, costing £106.8 million.
| Rank | Player | Fee (£ million) | Year | Transfer | Reference(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Enzo Fernández (ARG) |
£106.8 | 2023 | Benfica |
Chelsea |
|
| 2 | Jack Grealish (ENG) |
£100 | 2021 | Aston Villa |
Manchester City |
|
 Moisés Caicedo (ECU) |
£100 | 2023 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
Chelsea |
||
| Declan Rice (ENG) |
£100 | 2023 | West Ham United |
Arsenal |
||
| 5 |  Romelu Lukaku (BEL) |
£97.5 | 2021 | Inter Milan |
Chelsea |
|
| 6 |  Paul Pogba (FRA) |
£89 | 2016 | Juventus |
Manchester United |
|
| 7 |  Antony (BRA) |
£82 | 2022 | Ajax |
Manchester United |
|
| 8 | Harry Maguire (ENG) |
£80 | 2019 | Leicester City |
Manchester United |
|
| 9 |  Joško Gvardiol (CRO) |
£77 | 2023 | RB Leipzig |
Manchester City |
|
| 10 | Romelu Lukaku (BEL) |
£75 | 2017 | Everton |
Manchester United |
|
| Rank | Player | Fee (£ million) | Year | Transfer | Reference(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philippe Coutinho (BRA) |
£105 | 2018 | Liverpool |
Barcelona |
|
| 2 | Moisés Caicedo (ECU) |
£100 | 2023 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
Chelsea |
|
| Declan Rice (ENG) |
£100 | 2023 | West Ham United |
Arsenal |
||
| Jack Grealish (ENG) |
£100 | 2021 | Aston Villa |
Manchester City |
||
| 5 | Eden Hazard (BEL) |
£89 | 2019 | Chelsea |
Real Madrid |
|
| 6 | Harry Kane (ENG) |
£86.4 | 2023 | Tottenham Hotspur |
Bayern Munich |
|
| 7 | Gareth Bale (WAL) |
£86 | 2013 | Tottenham Hotspur |
Real Madrid |
|
| 8 |  Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) |
£80 | 2009 | Manchester United |
Real Madrid |
|
| Harry Maguire (ENG) |
£80 | 2019 | Leicester City |
Manchester United |
||
| 10 | Romelu Lukaku (BEL) |
£75 | 2017 | Everton |
Manchester United |
|
 Virgil van Dijk (NED) |
£75 | 2018 | Southampton |
Liverpool |
||
Awards
The Premier League Trophy
The Premier League has two trophies: the real one for the champions and a spare. This way, if the title is decided on the last day, a trophy can be presented right away.
The trophy was designed by Royal Jewellers Garrard & Co/Asprey of London. It has a golden crown and a green base made of a stone called malachite. The green color represents the football field. The design is based on the Three Lions symbol of English football. Two lions are on the handles. The third lion is shown when the winning captain lifts the trophy. In 2004, a special gold trophy was made for Arsenal because they won the title without losing a single game.
Player and Manager Awards
Besides the main trophy, many other awards are given out each season:
- Man of the Match: Given to the best player in a single game.
- Monthly Awards: For the best manager, player, and goal each month.
- Annual Awards: For the best manager, player, goal, and young player of the season.
- Golden Boot: For the top goalscorer.
- Playmaker of the Season: For the player with the most assists.
- Golden Glove: For the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets (games without conceding a goal).
New awards started in the 2021–22 season:
- Save of the Season: For the most impressive save by a goalkeeper.
- Game Changer of the Season: For the player with the most game-changing performance.
- Most Powerful Goal: For the goal with the fastest shot speed.
- Most Improbable Comeback: For the team that makes the biggest comeback to win a match.
Players also get special awards for reaching milestones. For example, for playing 100 games or scoring 50 goals.
20 Seasons Awards
In 2012, the Premier League celebrated its 20th birthday with special awards:
- Best Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
- Best Player: Ryan Giggs
- Most Appearances: Gareth Barry (652)
- Top Goalscorer: Alan Shearer (260)
- Best Goal: Wayne Rooney's goal against Manchester City in 2011.
- Best Team: Arsenal 2003–04 (The Invincibles)
Images for kids
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The official logo of the Premier League.
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Eden Hazard playing for Chelsea in 2012.
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Cristiano Ronaldo preparing for a free kick in a 2009 match.
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The Nike "Maxim" ball used in the Premier League in 2012.
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Gareth Barry, the player with the most Premier League appearances.
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Alan Shearer, the Premier League's all-time top goalscorer.
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Thierry Henry, who won the Golden Boot four times.
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The Premier League trophy.
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The special gold Premier League trophy awarded to Arsenal in 2004.
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Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, the longest-serving manager in Premier League history.
