Highest scoring defenders in Premier League history: Does van Dijk sneak in?

Last Updated on 12 February 2026

Defenders aren’t supposed to be here. Their job description is simple: keep the ball out, win your duels, and get the clean sheet. Goals are a bonus, moments stolen in crowded penalty areas, usually from corners or free-kicks.

And yet, across the Premier League era, a select group of defenders have turned those “bonuses” into a defining part of their legacy.

Here are the five highest-scoring defenders in Premier League history, and a look at whether Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk sneak into the top five or not.

5 – Virgil van Dijk – 27 goals

Rounding out the top five is Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk, an aerial beast who probably should have way more goals given the amount of headers he wins.

Virgil van Dijk almost always tops the charts of aerial domination and it’s the ease with which he wins headers on corners that makes him so special. For many analysts, given his underlying numbers, van Dijk should be far and above the rest on this list.

He already has two goals in the on-going 2025/26 Premier League campaign, with his second one coming against Sunderland as the only goal of the game.

4 – Gary Cahill and Ian Harte – 28 goals

Two very different defenders, tied by the same number.

Gary Cahill built his reputation as a towering aerial threat.

Across spells with Aston Villa, Bolton, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace, he consistently attacked set-pieces with perfect timing.

Like his long-time partner John Terry, Cahill had a knack for scoring important goals in big moments. Especially during Chelsea’s title-winning seasons during the 2010s.

Ian Harte, meanwhile, brought something entirely different.

The Leeds United left-back possessed one of the most reliable left feet of his generation. Free-kicks, penalties, long-range strikes, Harte’s 28 goals were a product of elite set-piece technique during Leeds’ early-2000s peak.

3 – Leighton Baines – 32 goals

A defender who doubled as Everton’s creative heartbeat.

Leighton Baines was the definition of the modern full-back before the term became fashionable. Across more than a decade at Goodison Park, he combined defensive discipline with attacking intelligence, regularly stepping up for penalties and direct free-kicks.

He also had 53 assists to his name, becoming the first defender to reach 50 assists in Premier League history, as per the BBC.

2 – David Unsworth – 38 goals

Nicknamed “Rhino” for a reason, David Unsworth was one of the most physically imposing defenders of the Premier League’s early years.

Across spells with Everton, West Ham, and Portsmouth, Unsworth became a reliable goal source from the penalty spot, while also possessing a fearsome strike from open play. His 38 goals place him firmly among the most productive defenders the league has seen.

1 – John Terry – 41 goals

At the summit sits John Terry, and by some distance.

The former Chelsea captain remains the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history, with 41 goals, achieved without scoring a single penalty. Every one of his goals came from open play or set-pieces, overwhelmingly headers, built on bravery, positioning, and timing.

Terry was the cornerstone of multiple title-winning Chelsea sides, and his goals often came when they mattered most. In an era of defensive dominance at Stamford Bridge, he embodied the idea of a centre-back who could change games at both ends.

Honourable mention: Virgil van Dijk – 25 goals

The Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk is sixth on the list with 25 goals. He is the only active Premier League player here, just one shy of becoming joint-fifth on this list.

For a centre-back whose primary reputation is built on defensive authority rather than goal-scoring, that’s a striking position to occupy. Van Dijk’s goals have largely come through aerial dominance and impeccable timing at set-pieces, rather than volume shooting or penalties.

Van Dijk signed a new contract with the Anfield club, and should remain on Merseyside up until the summer of 2027. If he does, there is no doubt that the Flying Dutchman should rise further up the ranks here.