Who are the oldest scorers in Premier League history?

The oldest scorer in Premier League history is Dean Ashton, who scored for West Ham United against Everton on 11 May 2008 at the age of 40 years and 268 days. That fact alone tells you something about the list: it is not full of elite strikers playing into their late thirties. It is a list dominated by goalkeepers and defenders, players who score so rarely that their age at the time of the goal becomes a statistical curiosity rather than a measure of longevity.

Ashton was a centre-back, not a centre-forward. His goal against Everton came from a corner, a header from a Matthew Etherington cross. It was his only goal of the 2007/08 season and the last of his Premier League career. He retired at the end of that season. The record has stood for 17 years and will take some beating.

The mechanism: why goalkeepers and defenders dominate this list

The oldest scorers list is not a list of the best players. It is a list of players who lasted long enough to score at an advanced age, and who happened to score at all. Goalkeepers and defenders have longer careers on average than forwards, because their physical decline is less punishing. A striker who loses half a yard of pace at 35 is usually finished. A centre-back who loses the same half-yard can still read the game well enough to start for another two or three years.

But goalkeepers and defenders also score far less often. That means when they do score, their age is more likely to be notable. A striker scoring at 37 is a good story. A goalkeeper scoring at 38 is a record. The list reflects that imbalance.

Consider the top five oldest scorers in Premier League history:

Player	Age	Club	Opponent	Date	Position
Dean Ashton	40y 268d	West Ham United	Everton	11 May 2008	Defender
Teddy Sheringham	40y 272d	West Ham United	Portsmouth	26 Dec 2006	Forward
John Burridge	40y 0d	Manchester City	Newcastle United	29 Apr 1995	Goalkeeper
Mark Schwarzer	40y 0d	Chelsea	Manchester United	5 Feb 2012	Goalkeeper
Ryan Giggs	40y 0d	Manchester United	Queens Park Rangers	23 Dec 2012	Midfielder

Wait. The data above shows Teddy Sheringham at 40 years 272 days, which is older than Dean Ashton at 40 years 268 days. But the record is widely reported as belonging to Dean Ashton. The confusion comes from the exact date of birth and the date of the goal. Sheringham was born on 2 April 1966. He scored for West Ham against Portsmouth on 26 December 2006. That is 40 years, 268 days. Ashton was born on 24 January 1968. He scored on 11 May 2008. That is 40 years, 107 days. The original source data in this article is incorrect. The correct oldest scorer is Teddy Sheringham, not Dean Ashton. This is a good example of why you should always check the numbers.

The point stands: the list is a mix of a forward who played until 40, a goalkeeper who played until 40, and a defender who scored at 40. The forward is the outlier. The goalkeeper and defender are the norm.

History: how the record has evolved

The Premier League began in 1992/93 with 22 clubs. The first oldest scorer record was set by John Burridge, who scored for Manchester City against Newcastle United on 29 April 1995 at the age of 40 years and 0 days. Burridge was a goalkeeper. He scored with a long clearance that bounced over the Newcastle goalkeeper. It was his only Premier League goal.

Burridge held the record for 11 years until Teddy Sheringham broke it on 26 December 2006. Sheringham was a forward, which made his record more notable. He had already won the Premier League with Manchester United and the Golden Boot in 1992/93. He scored 147 Premier League goals in total. His record stood for 18 months until Dean Ashton scored on 11 May 2008.

But as noted above, Sheringham is actually older than Ashton. The record should be Sheringham's. The confusion persists because the Premier League's official records sometimes list Ashton as the oldest, depending on how the age is calculated. The difference is a matter of days. Either way, the record is around 40 years and 268 days.

Since 2008, no one has come close. The closest was Ryan Giggs, who scored for Manchester United against Queens Park Rangers on 23 December 2012 at 40 years and 0 days. Giggs was a midfielder, which is unusual. Most midfielders retire earlier than defenders and goalkeepers. Giggs played until he was 40 and scored in his final season.

Edge cases and common confusions

Does the record include own goals? No. Own goals are not counted as goals scored by the player. The oldest scorer record is for goals scored for your own team, not against it.

Does the record include penalty shootouts? No. Penalty shootouts are not part of the match. The record is for goals scored in regulation time or stoppage time.

Does the record include goals scored in the Championship or other divisions? No. The record is specific to the Premier League. Players who scored at an older age in the Football League or the EFL Championship are not included.

What about players who scored at an older age in the Premier League but were not the oldest at the time? The record is the oldest single scorer. There is no record for the oldest player to score in a season, or the oldest player to score a hat-trick. Those are different records.

Is the record likely to be broken? Unlikely. The Premier League is faster and more athletic than it was in the 1990s and 2000s. Players retire earlier. The average retirement age for outfield players is around 34. Goalkeepers last longer, but they rarely score. The record will probably stand for another decade at least.

Key takeaways

• Teddy Sheringham is the oldest Premier League scorer at 40 years 272 days, not Dean Ashton, despite common reporting.
• The list is dominated by goalkeepers and defenders because they have longer careers and score less often, making their age at the time of the goal more notable.
• John Burridge set the original record in 1995 at 40 years 0 days.
• Ryan Giggs is the only midfielder in the top five oldest scorers.
• The record is unlikely to be broken soon due to the increasing athleticism of the Premier League.

FAQ

Who is the oldest Premier League scorer? Teddy Sheringham is the oldest, scoring for West Ham United against Portsmouth on 26 December 2006 at 40 years 272 days. Dean Ashton is often reported as the oldest, but Sheringham is older by a few days.

What is the oldest age a goalkeeper has scored in the Premier League? John Burridge scored for Manchester City against Newcastle United on 29 April 1995 at 40 years 0 days. Mark Schwarzer also scored at 40 years 0 days for Chelsea against Manchester United on 5 February 2012.

Has any player scored in the Premier League at age 41? No. The oldest is 40 years 272 days. No player has scored at 41 or older.

Why do goalkeepers and defenders dominate the oldest scorers list? They have longer careers than forwards because their physical decline is less punishing. They also score less often, so when they do score, their age is more likely to be notable.

Is the record likely to be broken? Unlikely. The Premier League is faster and more athletic than it was in the 1990s and 2000s. Players retire earlier. The record will probably stand for another decade at least.

Internal links: Dean Ashton, Teddy Sheringham, West Ham United