The oldest goalscorers in Premier League history are not just footballers who could outlast the stern physical demands of the game but also the legends who defied time and age to have their names carved in the record books.
Scoring goals in the world’s toughest league isn’t easy, but doing so when most players have already hung up their boots? That’s something else.
These players showed that while the legs may slow down, the mind and footballing instincts remain sharp, enabling them to find the back of the net long after they were supposed to fade into retirement.
Of course, age is just a number, and here are the ten oldest goalscorers in the history of the Premier League, each of whom brought a little extra magic to the pitch in their twilight years.
- 1. Teddy Sheringham – 40 years, 268 days
- 2. Dean Windass – 39 years, 235 days
- 3. Thiago Silva – 39 years, 198 days
- 4. Ryan Giggs – 39 years, 86 days
- 5. Stuart Pearce – 38 years, 215 days
- 6. Graham Alexander – 38 years, 182 days
- 7. Mark Hughes – 38 years, 149 days
- 8. Tugay – 38 years, 98 days
- 9. Mick Harford – 38 years, 34 days
- 10. Gary Speed – 37 years, 351 days
1. Teddy Sheringham – 40 years, 268 days
The one who can rightly be referred to as the undisputed king of oldies in the Premier League is Teddy Sheringham.
Having had his career spanning two decades, he featured for some of the biggest clubs in England, namely Tottenham, Manchester United, and finally West Ham.
By the time he scored his last goal in the league, he was already 40 years and 268 days old-seasoned, battle-hardened, but still sharp as ever.
Sheringham’s swan song came on Boxing Day 2006, as West Ham took on Portsmouth. He rolled back the years with a typical poacher’s finish, securing his place in Premier League history.
It was goal number 146 in a glittering career, but what makes Sheringham’s longevity even more impressive is that he occupies eight of the top 11 oldest goals scored in the Premier League.
When you think of the term “ageless wonder,” Sheringham is the blueprint.
He continued to shine well into his 40s, moving through football with a theatricality and timing that had made him one of the most prolific forwards throughout the entirety of the 90s and early 2000s.
2. Dean Windass – 39 years, 235 days
It is poetic that Dean Windass makes this list. He is the ultimate “never-say-die” footballer, a man who gets his teeth dug in and battles down to the final whistle—perfectly summed up by his late-career heroics.
Aged 39 years and 235 days old, Windass scored an equalizer against Portsmouth back in the 2008-09 season to become the oldest goalscorer for Hull City.
But this was no ordinary goal-it was a goal at the vital end of Hull’s maiden Premier League season.
Windass’s equaliser earned them a critical point as they fought to survive in the top flight, with another veteran in Portsmouth goalkeeper David James on the losing side that day.
While Windass didn’t get many starts in the Premier League, his influence was monumental.
Just the season before, he had scored the only goal in the Championship play-off final to send his hometown club into the Premier League.
He may not have been a week-in-week-out starter, but he showed that age wasn’t about to slow him down.
3. Thiago Silva – 39 years, 198 days
The moment the name of a veteran player is mentioned in the Premier League, very rarely does it relate to defenders-except if you’re talking about the great Thiago Silva.
Age 39 years and 198 days old, Thiago Silva scored against Sheffield United in April 2024 to make him third on the list of oldest PL goalscorers.
Not a fluke from Silva: classic Silva in many ways, as he seemed to get to that corner perfectly to head it and showed the Brazilian’s powers at the other end of the pitch.
His header broke the deadlock, but despite Sheffield United being a record-breaking disaster of a team that season, Chelsea managed to fumble their lead and drew 2-2.
Silva’s spell at Chelsea from 2020 until this summer of 2024 was a chaotic phase for the Stamford Bridge outfit, which consistently stayed as one of the few shining lights in an otherwise irrepressible storm.
There was little going right for the Stamford Bridge unit that often looked rudderless on many fronts, calming, tactically astute, and worldly in leadership.
Had he remained for a longer period in Stamford Bridge, there is every good chance he might have toppled Sheringham’s record because of his staying power.
Now back home, captaining Fluminense in Brazil’s Serie A, Silva continues proving that age hasn’t dulled his footballing instincts.
4. Ryan Giggs – 39 years, 86 days
Giggs has for many years been an institution in the Premier League. A record of 13 Premier League titles still stands and probably will, and his longevity is nothing short of incredible.
At 39 years and 86 days, Giggs scored his final Premier League goal in February 2013 during Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers. That goal helped push United 15 points clear at the top of the table; they did not look back.
His influence at Manchester United was not just about his goals.
The player still with the most assists in the Premier League and also within the top three for most appearances, he transformed himself as he grew older from a blistering winger to a more central, creative midfielder-a process that was a big proof to his footballing IQ and professionalism.
And while that goal against QPR wasn’t exactly vintage Giggs-it was more opportunistic than breathtaking-it did feel apt for a player who had made a career out of being in the right place at the right time.
Following his playing career, Giggs had a short spell as Manchester United’s interim player-manager in 2014 before taking to the coaching role full-time.
To every United fan, Giggs will forever be a synonym for loyalty, class, and longevity.
5. Stuart Pearce – 38 years, 215 days
You don’t get a nickname like “Psycho” without being a tough-as-nails footballer. Stuart Pearce was a fearsome defender, a rocket of a left foot, and a leader on and off of the pitch.
He became one of the oldest Premier League goalscorers when he rifled home a trademark left-footed strike from outside the box for West Ham against Southampton.
His time in the Premier League came predominantly with Nottingham Forest, where he is a club legend, but Pearce’s influence was undoubted at every club he graced.
He played 22 years professionally, captaining England en route to earning 76 caps. Not bad for a guy who spent his early years working as an electrician before his professional football career took off.
Typical Psycho was the goal of Pearce—unapologetically powerful, with enough venom to rip through any defence. In his late 30s, Pearce showed that age couldn’t stop him from having a crack on goal.
6. Graham Alexander – 38 years, 182 days
A name that may not immediately jump out at you, but make no mistake: Graham Alexander was a solid footballer and an even better leader.
There, in April 2010, he became 38 years and 182 days old when he scored for Burnley against Hull City. As cool as ice from the penalty spot, his legendary composure was well expressed with this goal, just another example of how cool he was with finishes under pressure.
Burnley might have struggled through those Premier League campaigns, but Alexander’s experience was invaluable nonetheless.
He had this knack for taking responsibility in high-pressure moments, thus making his name as one of the most reliable penalty-takers in the game.
That reliability was no doubt influenced by years of leadership at clubs such as Preston North End and Burnley.
7. Mark Hughes – 38 years, 149 days
Mark Hughes was a beast of a striker who was very physical, strong, and a finisher. By the time he scored his final Premier League goal, Hughes was 38 years and 149 days old, playing for Blackburn Rovers against Leicester City in March 2002.
It was a scrappy, hard-fought match, and was thus the perfect scene for a man who made a career out of scrapping his way to the top.
Throughout his career, Hughes had stints in clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea, and Barcelona, where his blend of finesse and aggression earned him widespread respect.
During the late 30s also, Hughes was capable of bullying defenders before finding the back of the net to show that age might slow a man down, but it doesn’t sap his competitive edge.
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8. Tugay – 38 years, 98 days
There have been few players as cultured in the Premier League as Tugay Kerimoğlu. Technically gifted, with a passing vision of high quality, he was more of a midfield maestro rather than a goal scorer.
Whenever he used to score, it would often be in spectacular fashion. He scored a sweet goal for Blackburn Rovers against Portsmouth in November 2008 when he was 38 years and 98 days old.
Tugay was no “old man” footballer.
He was a class act on the ball, and as the years went by and his legs decided to slow up, his brain and technique never did. He was the player who could pick a pass from 40 yards out with pinpoint accuracy, then sit back and admire his work as his team reaped the rewards.
9. Mick Harford – 38 years, 34 days
Mick Harford was just an old-school target man: tall, strong, and fearsome in the air, he was just that sort of player who made life miserable for a lot of defenders.
At 38 years old, he became one of the oldest goalscorers in the Premier League when he found the net for Wimbledon against West Ham in March 1997.
Whatever Harford did on a pitch was never about finesse – all about power, grit, and pure physicality.
A lower-division mainstay for much of his career, he played a key role in Wimbledon’s infamous “Crazy Gang,” whose name says it all about their approach to the beautiful game.
The goal against West Ham wasn’t artistry, but this merely served to illustrate his ability to play to brief well into an age when most professional players would be hanging up their boots.
He had that “warrior mentality” that resonated with both fans and teammates alike.
Wimbledon may have had a name for their rough-and-tumble football, but Harford brought an added level of leadership and experience into the fray.
At 38, he wasn’t afraid to throw himself into challenges, chase down loose balls or outmuscle defenders half his age. That he was still doing that—and scoring—at such an advanced age is a tribute to his sheer willpower.
10. Gary Speed – 37 years, 351 days
Rounding off this list is a player who epitomized professionalism. Aged 37 years and 351 days, Speed scored for Bolton Wanderers against Reading in August 2007 to make his place among the oldest goalscorers in the Premier League.
His career was nothing short of extraordinary, while his longevity in the game stemmed from his dedication, fitness, and intelligence.
He was versatile and capable of playing in both central midfield and on the wing, the years having modified his game accordingly.
His goal against Reading wasn’t spectacular in terms of the strike itself, but it was the result of his typical hard work and tactical awareness. He had a knack of being in the right place at the right time, even late in his career when his physical attributes were not what they once were.
Speed’s career spanned Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers, and Sheffield United.
Leadership on and off the pitch saw him become a captain at many clubs he played for, while his influence stretched far beyond scoring goals.
Tragically, Speed passed away in 2011, leaving behind a legacy of professionalism and class that will be etched in the footballing history forever. This feels like a nod to his being timeless and a career that deserved everything that came its way.
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