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The Premier League has seen some great players over the last three decades and some exquisite finishers as well. However, there are some players that have been unlucky and have hit the woodwork more often than others.
Some Premier League attackers have been unluckier than most
Scoring a goal remains one of the primary objectives of the game but attackers are always in the thick of it. They lead the line and are often difference makers for their side. However, they also run the risk of hitting the crossbar a lot of times.
This could be due to a deflection or a reflex save by the keeper or sometimes the ball comes out instead of going in after hitting the post. Regardless, some forwards have experienced several similar unfortunate moments.
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On that note, let's take a look at 5 players who could have hit the woodwork the most times in Premier League history.
#5 Kevin de Bruyne (Chelsea, Manchester City)
Kevin de Bruyne could arguably go down as a Premier League great by the end of his career. The Belgian international could not make things work at Chelsea but has done exceedingly well with Manchester City.
One of the most creative players of his generation, the 30-year-old ace is incredible on the ball. His awareness, silky touches on the ball and wand of a right foot make him a quality attacking midfielder.
Although his crossing is perhaps his best quality, few shoot the ball better than De Bruyne. The playmaker puts immense power behind his shots. While he does have 49 Premier League goals to his name, he could have had a lot more had not been for the 26 shots that hit the woodwork.
Nevertheless, De Bruyne will not stop trying to score spectacular goals. He is bound to hold a legendary status at Manchester City once he leaves the club or retires.
#4 Wayne Rooney (Everton, Manchester United)
Wayne Rooney is arguably one of the best Premier League players of all time. The attacker broke onto the scene with Everton in 2002 before joining Manchester United a couple of years later.
During his time at the Old Trafford outfit, he became the highest goal-scorer at the club and the second highest scorer in the league, behind Alan Shearer. The Englishman put in a tremendous amount of work-rate and had a god-given talent for scoring goals.
However, he did not always find the back of the net as the woodwork got in the way sometimes. Rooney had 29 strikes that hit the post and landed outside, resulting in unfortunate luck. Had any one of those gone in, he would still have held his record of being the highest scorer for an English club.
Regardless, Rooney will go down as one of the best players of his generation.
#3 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Harry Kane has to be one of the best players to ever don a Tottenham Hotspur jersey in the Premier League era. The English international has been wonderful for Spurs over the last seven seasons since being promoted to the senior setup.
The 28-year-old star is an adept player in build-up play, creative in the final third and lethal in front of goal. The centre-forward has excelled at scoring from outside the box while his aerial abilities are also outstanding.
Kane has managed 171 league goals in total already and could go on to become the highest goal-scorer in the history of the competition. But that task would have been a lot easier if his 33 strikes that hit the woodwork went inside instead of bouncing out.
Nevertheless, Kane still has quite a lot of years on hand to break several records in English football.
#2 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Sergio Aguero will go down as one of the greatest overseas players to ever grace the Premier League. The Argentinian superstar joined Manchester City in 2011 and went on to win a number of personal and team accolades.
Although he had a short stature, Aguero often used his guile to beat defenders. He was always one step ahead of them and his brilliant finishing enabled him to become a breathtaking striker.
The South American star left the Etihad last summer but scored 184 league goals during his 10-year-stay at the club. This led to him becoming the fourth highest goal-scorer in the league's history. But he could have perhaps surpassed Wayne Rooney in second place if his 34 strikes had gone inside the goal instead of hitting the woodwork.
Aguero retired a couple of months ago due to cardiac arrhythmia but he left England and Manchester City fans with lots of memories.
#1 Robin van Persie (Arsenal, Manchester United)
Robin van Persie was one of the most tantalizing strikers in English football during his 11 years in the country. The Dutch international joined Arsenal in 2004 and became a perfect replacement for Thierry Henry after the Frenchman left the club.
During his time at the Emirates, Van Persie turned into a fast and clinical finisher. The 38-year-old ace could go past the best of defenders and score some incredible goals.
In 2012, he joined Manchester United and finally got his hands on a Premier League trophy. He spent three years at Old Trafford before returning to Fenerbahce.
In his decade-long period in England, he scored 144 times in the league. However, this tally could have been higher if he had not hit the post 44 times.
Van Persie retired from the game in 2020.
