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Who are the Premier League's greatest geriatric goalscorers?
Sometimes, age can be seen as a disadvantage in football, with players expected to drop in quality as they advance in years, yet some icons of the game have proven that experience can be just as valuable as youth.
These Premier League legends not only sustained their goal-scoring abilities into their 30s but also enjoyed some of the most productive periods of their careers during this time.
Here are the top five players who have scored the most Premier League goals after turning 30.
5. Teddy Sheringham – 77 Goals
Teddy Sheringham’s illustrious career spanned more than two decades, with over 15 years spent in the Premier League. Starting with Millwall in 1983, Sheringham became a prominent figure in English football, going on to represent clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Portsmouth, and West Ham United.
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Remarkably, more than half of his 146 Premier League goals were scored after he turned 30.
At 33, Sheringham played a pivotal role in Manchester United’s historic treble-winning campaign in 1998-99. He also holds the distinction of being the only player in Premier League history to score after turning 40, achieving this milestone for West Ham at the age of 40 years and 268 days.
4. Frank Lampard – 82 Goals
By the time Frank Lampard reached 30, he was already regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history, but the ex-Blues captain never rested on his oars.
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Despite his impressive achievements, Lampard kept up his standard after his 30th birthday in 2008, and continued to be a goal-scoring force for Chelsea and Manchester City, adding 82 more Premier League goals to his tally.
He also helped the Blues to the Premier League title in 2009-10, during which he recorded a career-high 27 goals as a 32-year-old.
Lampard’s later years saw him win three more FA Cups, the Champions League in 2012, and the Europa League the following year.
3. Alan Shearer – 84 Goals
As the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer, Alan Shearer’s inclusion on this list is no surprise. The former Newcastle captain and coach scored 84 of his 260 goals after turning 30, playing almost until his 36th birthday before calling it a day in 2006.
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After celebrating his 30th birthday in 2000, Shearer continued to be Newcastle United’s main attacking threat, eventually surpassing Jackie Milburn as the club’s top scorer.
After turning 30, Shearer still managed two 20+ goal seasons in the Premier League and almost made it three in a row, stopping just three goals shy of the 20 mark in the 2002/03 season with 17 league goals for Newcastle.
2. Ian Wright – 93 Goals
Arsenal legend Ian Wright was another notable late bloomer and was already 28 when the Premier League began in 1992 following only three seasons of top-flight football at Crystal Palace and the Gunners.
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Despite his relatively late start, Wright’s goal-scoring feats after turning 30 were remarkable. In fact, the bulk (93) of Wright’s 113 Premier League goals came after he reached 30.
His career was revitalised under legendary Gunners’ coach Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in the late 1990s, allowing him to extend his time at the top level, scoring crucial goals and even finishing as the Premier League’s second-highest goalscorer as a 35-year-old in 1997.
1. Jamie Vardy – 103 Goals
Jamie Vardy’s journey from non-league football to Premier League champion is nothing short of extraordinary, with the ex-England international only hitting his peak when he turned 28 during Leicester City’s incredible 2015-16 season, where he scored 24 goals to help secure their first Premier League title.
Vardy’s success didn’t stop there, as he became the only player to surpass the century mark for goals scored after turning 30 during the 2022/23 season.
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The veteran striker even claimed the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2019-20 season, where he outscored younger stars like Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah to become the oldest player to finish as the competition’s top scorer at the age of 3 years and 197 days.
Vardy is back in the Premier League as a 37-year-old and is already terrorising defenders after scoring on his return to the top division against Tottenham
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