Own goals, that rare and tragic moment where a player’s name ends up on the scoresheet for all the wrong reasons. It’s the gift that keeps on giving… just not to your team.
The Premier League is a stage for the best footballing talents, with moments of brilliance that live long in the memory. However, for every 30-yard screamer, there’s a mishit clearance, a mistimed header, or an unfortunate ricochet that sees the ball hit the back of the wrong net.
Since Mark Crossley’s fateful fumble for Nottingham Forest in 1992, Premier League fans have witnessed over 1,000 own goals, each one a tiny dagger to the hearts of the unfortunate defenders who will never live them down.
But among those 1,000+ calamities, a few names rise above the rest as repeat offenders.
1. Richard Dunne (10 Own Goals)
When it comes to own goals, no one quite owns it like Dunne. The man holds the record for the most own goals in Premier League history, with a total of 10.
Dunne had the unfortunate knack of finding the back of his own net more than anyone else. To top it off, he also shares the record for the most red cards in the league (8) with Duncan Ferguson and Patrick Vieira. Talk about a one-man wrecking crew.
His misadventures began at Manchester City in 2004, against West Brom.
The scene was set for a comfortable win when a long ball struck off his shin and looped into his own net. Robert Earnshaw attempted to claim it, but Dunne would not be denied. It was the first of many.
It became a trend with Dunne. Anytime he scored an own goal, his team never won the match. Half of these “oops” moments came in the last 15 minutes, including a memorable 93rd-minute equalizer for QPR while he was playing for Aston Villa in 2011.
Even as he neared the twilight of his career, he was still at it. His final own goal came against Liverpool in 2014, while at QPR. The match saw not one, but two own goals from QPR players, gifting Liverpool a 3-2 win.
At least Dunne balanced the scales a bit, scoring 13 legitimate goals during his Premier League career. But it’s his infamous 10 that everyone remembers.
2. Jamie Carragher (7 Own Goals)
Carragher is a Liverpool legend—just don’t mention his record for own goals. He was an ironclad defender for the Reds, amassing over 500 appearances, but he found the wrong net 7 times in his career.
To put that in context, Carragher only scored 3 goals in the right direction for Liverpool. So yeah, he doubled his output… just for the opposition.
His first own goal came against Tottenham Hotspur when he was just 20 years old. It would be the first of many, but perhaps his darkest day came on September 11, 1999.
That day, in front of the famous Kop, he managed to score not one, but two own goals in a 3-2 defeat to bitter rivals Manchester United.
The first came just three minutes into the game, a spectacular headed finish from Ryan Giggs’ cross. The second was pure chaos. A David Beckham free-kick pinballed off several players before ricocheting off Carragher and into the net.
He wasn’t the last to score two own goals in one game—Michael Proctor (Sunderland) and Jonathan Walters (Stoke) would later share that dubious honor—but Carragher set the trend.
3. Martin Škrtel (7 Own Goals)
Another Liverpool defender, and another spot on this list. Škrtel had a remarkable gift for scoring own goals, particularly during the 2013-14 season when he set a single-season Premier League record with four own goals.
He racked up a total of 7 own goals in his Premier League career, all within a relatively short span of five years.
Unlike Carragher, who took over a decade to accumulate his tally, Škrtel was an overachiever in his own goal department.
Remarkably, despite the Slovakian defender’s generosity toward the opposition, Liverpool won three of the four matches in which he scored own goals during the 2013-14 season, including a thrilling 4-3 win over Swansea.
His own-goal misfortune wasn’t limited to club football either—Škrtel also managed to score one for the opposition while playing for Slovakia. His tally may have only reached 7, but he certainly made them count.
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4. Phil Jagielka (7 Own Goals)
Phil Jagielka is another Premier League stalwart who found himself a little too comfortable with his net.
Over a career spanning more than a decade, he managed to score 7 own goals, including one at the ripe old age of 38—just missing out on the record for the oldest outfield player to score an own goal by 23 days (Stuart Pearce takes that honor).
His first own goal came way back in 2006 when he was playing for Sheffield United. He scored three times for the opposition before taking his talents to Everton, where he added to his tally.
His finest moment didn’t involve a mistake. In 2006, when Sheffield United had no goalkeeper available, Jagielka stepped in between the sticks and kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Arsenal. At least there’s that.
5. Ryan Shawcross (6 Own Goals)
Shawcross may be best known for his hard-hitting defensive play and his single (albeit ill-fated) appearance for the England national team, but he’s also made a name for himself in the world of own goals, with 6 in his career.
Shawcross was a rock for Stoke City during their 10-year Premier League stint, but now and then, he just couldn’t help but get in his own way.
Despite the own goals, he managed to score 25 times for Stoke—mostly at the right end—making him a solid Fantasy Football pick for those willing to live dangerously.
His international career might be best forgotten. In his sole appearance for England in October 2012, Zlatan Ibrahimović scored a hat-trick, including a mind-blowing overhead kick that effectively ended Shawcross’ international hopes.
6. Wes Brown (6 Own Goals)
Brown spent the majority of his career winning trophies with Manchester United, but he also had the unfortunate knack for own goals, scoring 6 in his Premier League career.
His most memorable one came after he departed from Old Trafford when he lined up for Sunderland against his former team.
In 2011, he scored the only goal in a match between Sunderland and Manchester United—unfortunately for him, it was for the Red Devils.
It was one of those nightmare scenarios where you’ve spent years training to keep the ball out of the net, only to put it in yourself in a game against the club where you made your name.
SEE ALSO | 10 Longest Football Bans in Premier League History
7. Frank Sinclair (6 Own Goals)
The original king of Premier League own goals, Frank Sinclair once held the record before being overtaken by others on this list.
Sinclair scored 6 own goals during his time with Chelsea and Leicester City. For a while, his name became synonymous with mishaps in front of his own goal.
His misfortune earned him more than his fair share of ridicule, but it’s worth noting that he was a solid defender throughout his career.
His tally of 6 own goals may pale in comparison to some of the more recent contenders, but Sinclair walked so others could run.
8. Jonny Evans (6 Own Goals)
Jonny Evans, one of Northern Ireland’s finest, has been a reliable defender for Manchester United, West Brom, and Leicester City over the years, but he’s also managed to find himself on the wrong side of the scoresheet 6 times.
He’s still playing, so there’s every chance he could add to that tally before his career is over.
His own goals have come against some of the Premier League’s top sides, and while he’s had a long and successful career, it’s those moments of misfortune that seem to stick in the memory.
9. Lewis Dunk (6 Own Goals)
Dunk is fast catching up to some of the other own-goal greats. The Brighton and Hove Albion captain has scored 6 own goals so far, and given his current form and position, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him surpass some of the names above.
He has been a key figure in Brighton’s rise through the leagues, and despite his own goals, he remains one of the Premier League’s most respected defenders.
He’ll be hoping to leave his mark on the Premier League in more ways than just scoring for the opposition.
10. Séamus Coleman (6 Own Goals)
With his sixth own goal coming against Bournemouth in March 2024, Coleman joins the unfortunate club of players who have scored six times into their own net.
These own goals have been spread out over a long span of nearly a decade, beginning back in April 2014 when Coleman accidentally redirected the ball into his own net in a match against Southampton.
Despite these rare blunders, it’s important to remember that own goals don’t define a player of Coleman’s quality.
The Irish defender’s contribution to Everton goes far beyond a few mishaps at the back. He’s made over 350 appearances for the club, captained them for several seasons, and is often regarded as one of the Premier League’s top right-backs in his prime.
Honorable Mentions
- Michael Duberry – 5 own goals
- Rio Ferdinand – 5 own goals
- Henning Berg – 5 own goals
- Zat Knight – 5 own goals
- Federico Fernández – 5 own goals
- Scott Dann – 5 own goals
- John O’Shea – 5 own goals
- Phil Neville – 5 own goals
- Richard Rufus – 5 own goals
- Neil Ruddock – 5 own goals
- Gareth McAuley – 5 own goals
- Ben Mee – 5 own goals
