10 Premier League Players With Most Offsides Since Records Began

Is there anything more frustrating to a football fan than a striker who always seems to find themselves ruled offside?

Every Premier League fan could probably name a player or two who falls into this category and there are multiple reasons why a player is constantly found offside. Whether it is simply a lack of football intelligence, a lack of pace or an inability to time their runs, it is interesting to note that the majority of the players on the list are not blessed with pace.

There’s the famous quote from Sir Alex Ferguson about Italian striker Filippo Inzaghi, who claimed he must have been ‘born offside’ and it may well apply to a few players on this list. It’s important to consider that some of these players played in a VAR-less world, which could have had some influence on the final figures.

With that in mind, GIVEMESPORT has decided to look at which players have been the biggest serial offenders regarding offsides, as we’ve gathered the top 10 players with the most offsides in Premier League history since records began – which was in 2006.

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Semi-automated offsides will be introduced this season in the Premier League after it was voted through by the competing clubs.

10 Robin van Persie

Offsides: 198

While the former Arsenal and Manchester United striker had impeccable timing when it came to volleys and first-time finishes – the perfect example being the volley against Aston Villa in 2013 to secure the title – Robin van Persie’s timing was off when it came to offsides.

Not gifted with great pace, it is likely that his lack of any real acceleration to other strikers in his position may have had a significant impact, meaning he often tried to get the edge on defenders and perhaps strayed into an offside position more than others.

9 Chris Wood

Offsides: 200

Currently, Chris Wood is playing the best football of his career at Nottingham Forest, enjoying a brilliant season, but it has been a long journey for the New Zealand international to reach his current level.

With stints at five clubs across his Premier League career to date, the best may be yet to come, but he falls into the category of a striker who isn’t blessed with great pace, which is likely why he features high on the list.

8 Harry Kane

Offsides: 204

Harry Kane was one of the most natural strikers we’ve seen in the Premier League, capable of doing just about anything his team needed, as well as being a ruthless finisher with either foot. Interestingly, he’s high on the list because he typically liked to drop deep rather than run in behind.

Never blessed with great pace, he has always been a very clever striker who made smart runs, but perhaps his downfall was trying to get that extra yard or two over defenders, resulting in a high number of offsides.

7 Romelu Lukaku

Offsides: 206

At his best Romelu Lukaku was a sight to behold, bullying defenders with his raw pace and power that allowed him to score goals at a regular rate across his spells at four different clubs.

His best years came at Everton, as he became a fan favourite and grew into one of the best strikers in the league. However, he was often caught astray trying to get on the other side of defenders, playing on the last shoulder, leading to his place on his list. Perhaps this played a role in his struggles for Man United and Chelsea.

6 Christian Benteke

Offsides: 227

More of a target man in his prime, Christian Benteke quickly became one of the most interesting strikers in the 2010s due to his size, strength, power and ability to pull off the extraordinary and he was a true ‘Barclaysman’ if there ever was one.

Aston Villa got the best out of him before he struggled to replicate that form at Liverpool and Crystal Palace, although he did have his moments. Never someone who possessed that true burst of pace, he’s yet another example of someone who is on this list because of that.

5 Dimitar Berbatov

Offsides: 238

The mercurial striker has a very strong claim to having the best first touch in Premier League history. Everything he did seemed effortless and people may have forgotten just how talented he was and how effective he was across his peak days.

With great feet, a sharp football IQ and an immaculate first touch, Dimitar Berbatov is a real fan favourite but, again, he certainly wasn’t a quick player and he wasn’t one for tracking back – he played the game on his own terms and simply always wanted to be in advanced attacking positions.

4 Darren Bent

Offsides: 276

Funnily enough, Darren Bent formed a partnership with Berbatov at Tottenham for a period, making those two a deadly offside duo with a combined 514 offsides. His career saw him eventually reach the 100 club after spells at Charlton, Ipswich, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Fulham. He was part of the last trophy that Spurs won as well as winning the League Cup, his only major honour, in 2008 against Chelsea at Wembley.

Despite going up against some elite strikers at international level for England, he managed a modest four goals in 12 appearances. Despite being no stranger to the offside flag, he certainly knew where the back of the net was.

3 Jamie Vardy

Offsides: 292*

If you were to describe Jamie Vardy’s profile as a striker, then that would explain why he’s so high on this list. He has made a career of playing on the last shoulder of defenders, always looking to run in behind.

Blessed with a brilliant burst of pace, we will have to put this one down to over-eagerness and his inconsistent timing of runs. Now in his late 30s, he is a certified Premier League legend who may be in his last season in the top flight.

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2 Jermain Defoe

Offsides: 314

If you feature this high on the list, then the only conclusion we can come to is that they were offside far too frequently. However, to give Jermain Defoe the benefit of the doubt, his 314 offsides came in 496 games and he has the most games on this list by some distance.

A very long career playing on the shoulder was always likely to result in something like this but it doesn’t take away from how electric and brilliant he was to watch in his prime. His best days came in a Tottenham shirt, but he was impressive for the likes of Sunderland, Bournemouth, West Ham United and Portsmouth​​​​​​.

1 Emmanuel Adebayor

Offsides: 328

The Togo striker is one of just two players on this list to have more offsides than games (along with Berbatov) but Emmanuel Adebayor’s record of having 328 offsides in 242 games is a ridiculous figure.

With 328 offsides, he combined playing on the last shoulder with poor timing of his runs and a lack of concentration but, when he was on form, he was spectacular to watch and was capable of scoring at any moment – infamously coming back to haunt former club Arsenal during his time at Manchester City with that kneeslide celebration.