Own goals are one of football’s most embarrassing individual moments, as a player inadvertently hands the opposition side a huge helping hand.
Throughout the Premier League era we’ve seen many own goals, from the mightily misfortunate to the downright bizarre. Here, we detail the Premier League players to have scored the most own goals, an unwanted record for each.
The players with the most own goals in Premier League history:
=5. Frank Sinclair, Wes Brown, Ryan Shawcross, Jonny Evans and Lewis Dunk (6)
A five-man shortlist kick off this list of own goalscorers, with Frank Sinclair, Wes Brown, Ryan Shawcross, Jonny Evans and Lewis Dunk having each put through their own net on five occasions.
Manchester United’s Evans and Brighton captain Dunk are the only active players on this list and each will be hoping to avoid climbing higher.
Dunk holds the unfortunate record for the most own goals in one Premier League season, with four of his five coming in the 2017/18 campaign alone. No other player scored more than one own goal that season.
Lewis Dunk’s own goal on Saturday means he is the first player in Premier League history to score for Liverpool, Man City and Man Utd in the same season.
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) December 4, 2017
=2. Martin Skrtel (7)
Martin Skrtel’s desire to defend was often appreciated at Liverpool, though the Slovakian centre-back had a habit of making unwanted interventions. Skrtel scored seven own goals during his Premier League career, including a huge four during the 2013/14 campaign.
Skrtel’s season perhaps summarised the chaotic nature of Brendan Rodgers’ title challengers, as the defender scored seven Premier League goals for Liverpool and four against the Reds.
Remarkably, he was the leading scorer against ‘Big Six’ opposition that season, having also netted against Arsenal (2), Manchester City and Chelsea, in addition to his four own goals against Liverpool.
=2. Jamie Carragher (7)
Jamie Carragher is another ex-Liverpool defender to feature on this list, with the former Red having scored more Premier League goals against Liverpool (7) than he managed for them (3).
Incredibly, Carragher scored as many goals for Tottenham (3) as he did for Liverpool, while he also memorably scored two own goals in a 3-2 defeat to arch-rivals Manchester United at Anfield in 1999.
One to forget, that.
=2. Phil Jagielka (7)
Phil Jagielka shares the runners-up position on this list with Carragher and Skrtel, having scored seven own goals during his Premier League career.
Jagielka made 376 appearances in the Premier League during spells with Sheffield United and Everton, where he won five club Player of the Season awards during his time at both clubs.
The centre-back also won 40 caps for England at international level, scoring three times at the right end of the pitch for the Three Lions.
1. Richard Dunne (10)
Richard Dunne’s record for the most Premier League own goals looks set to be unchallenged for some time, with the former Manchester City and Aston Villa centre-back the only man to have reached double figures for own goals.
Dunne was an immensely popular figure at Manchester City after signing from Everton and won four consecutive Player of the Year awards with the Citizens, before later stints at Villa and Queens Park Rangers.
The 80-cap Ireland international also holds another unwanted Premier League record, for the most red cards in the division. Dunne was sent off on eight occasions during his Premier League career, alongside Duncan Ferguson and Patrick Vieira.
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