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The Premier League has been home to some of the greatest free-kick takers in the history of the beautiful game.
Scoring directly from free-kicks is one of the most satisfying sights on a football pitch. It requires a player to have immaculate technique and composure. Taking free-kicks on the training ground and converting them is quite different than doing it during a game.
The Premier League has seen many free-kick specialists
Most teams have free-kick specialists in their ranks. Such players could become the difference makers in tight games. When teams find it hard to break down oppositions and score goals, direct free-kicks offer an alternative route to goal.
Over the years we have seen so many legendary free-kick takers in the Premier League. Their styles and techniques might differ but the objective remains the same and that is to place the dead ball in the back of the net.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who have scored the most free-kick goals in Premier League history.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo - 11 free-kick goals
Back in the day when Cristiano Ronaldo was burgeoning into a monster during his first stint with Manchester United, he was rapidly adding new skills to his repertoire. It was during this time that the Portuguese international blossomed from a mercurial winger to a prolific goalscorer.
Ronaldo's long-range shooting had been impressive since he joined the club as a teenager. But he worked a lot on his technique and soon became the go-to free-kick taker at Manchester United.
Ronaldo's knuckleball technique, whereby he induces plenty of power, dip and swerve on the ball, is imitated by plenty of top players today. Even his teammate Marcus Rashford's free-kick taking style is identical to Ronaldo's.
Between 2003 and 2009, the 36-year-old scored 11 direct free-kicks in the Premier League.
#4 Laurent Robert - 11 free-kick goals
Laurent Robert is a former French international who spent his peak years in the Premier League, the best of which came at Newcastle United. The left winger established himself as one of the best free-kick takers in the business during that time.
This was a time when Newcastle United were still one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League and Robert turned in several stellar performances for the Magpies. He scored two direct free-kicks in a 4-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in December 2003.
Robert scored 11 free-kick goals in the Premier League. He left Newcastle United under controversial circumstances after publicly criticizing manager Greame Souness and his teammates.
#3 Thierry Henry - 12 free-kick goals
Thierry Henry is one of the best players in the history of the Premier League. He was arguably the best striker in Europe during his prime years. The Frenchman's exquisite technique and ability to come up clutch earned him cult status among the Premier League fanbase.
Henry was phenomenal during Arsene Wenger's early years when the Gunners browbeat Manchester United and succeeded in breaking their monopoly over the league title. Henry was a dynamic and versatile marksman and his finishing was simply exemplary.
Henry was arguably the finest free-kick taker in the Premier League during the early 2000s. He scored 12 free-kick goals in the English top flight before joining Barcelona in 2007 after a 10 year stint with Arsenal.
#2 Gianfranco Zola - 12 free-kick goals
Gianfranco Zola used to practice free-kicks with Diego Maradona at Napoli and it showed. After a successful stint with Napoli, he joined Parma before eventually arriving at Chelsea in 1996. Zola used to play as a second striker or an attacking midfielder and is one of the best technicians to have graced the Premier League.
In addition to creating plenty of chances and providing assists to his teammates, Zola was also very reliable when it came to set-pieces. The Italian was known for his ability to manipulate the deadball. Zola's bending free-kicks were one of the most attractive features of his game.
He scored a total of 12 goals from direct free-kicks. He left the Blues before the Jose Mourinho era and hasn't unfortunately won a Premier League title.
#1 David Beckham - 18 free-kick goals
David Beckham is the undisputed king of free-kicks. He was so good at it that they even named a movie after it called 'Bend it like Beckham'. The Englishman's meticulous technique and ability to make a demanding task look gorgeous deserves a lot of praise.
Beckham used to practice free-kicks by leaving a tire hanging on the goalposts. He would try to consistently slot the ball in through the tire and that's one of the reasons behind his extremely accurate set-pieces.
Beckham has scored some wonderful free-kick goals for Manchester United. He still leads the list of most free-kick goals in the Premier League and is doing so by quite a distance. He has scored a whopping 18 direct free-kicks in his Premier League career.
