Top 5 appearance-makers in Premier League history

The Premier League is one of the most popular football leagues in the world, attracting a loyal fanbase in many countries near and far. The league has brought huge excitement and joy to its viewers across the globe. Many elite players have played their part in the league's success in the last 28 years. Some of those players have secured their legacy as true Premier League greats.

Only 13 players have ever managed 500 appearances or more in the Premier League's history. Gary Speed was the first-ever footballer to reach the 500 mark.

A player has to play almost their entire career in one league to reach such milestones. There have been very few players who played their entire careers with one Premier League team, and most of them still failed to cross the 500-appearance milestone.

In fact, there are only three one-club players who have managed to cross 500 appearances in Premier League history - Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) and Ryan Giggs (Manchester United). On that note, let's have a look at the top 5 appearance makers in Premier League history:

#5 Gary Speed (535 appearances)

Gary Speed was an integral part of many top-flight English clubs. The former Wales international was a midfielder of the highest quality. The Welshman spent parts of his career at Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United.

Speed was an epitome of consistency throughout his 535 Premier League appearances. He was even named in the PFA Premier League team of the year during the competition's inaugural season.

Speed enjoyed a long-drawn career and played football past his 40th birthday. He possessed a sweet left foot and his habit of arriving late in the box was influential throughout his playing days. The Welshman was a quality player in his time and he racked up a total 535 Premier League appearances in an illustrious career.

#4 David James (572 appearances)

David James was an extremely classy goalkeeper on his day, but those days didn't arrive often enough in his playing career. James started his career at Watford and made the switch to Liverpool after some impressive performances for the Hornets.

Despite being error-prone and nicknamed 'Calamity James' for that, he still managed 7 seasons with Liverpool and racked up over 200 appearances in the process. After leaving Merseyside, he spent short spells with Aston Villa, West Ham, Manchester City, and Portsmouth.

He even went on to claim the record for most consecutive Premier League appearances (166) as he appeared in 166 straight games for Manchester City and Portsmouth respectively. This record which was eventually bettered by Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Tottenham Hotspur's Brad Friedel.

#3 Frank Lampard (609 appearances)

One of Chelsea's and England's best-ever midfielders, Lampard was truly one of the best midfielders at his peak. Lampard's brilliance can be easily seen by his presence in many of the Premier League's all-time records lists.

Lampard was a great passer along who also possessed impressive vision, leadership skills and a great knack for goals.The former England international sits fourth in the Premier League's all-time assist list.

Despite not being a forward, he still ranks fifth in Premier League's all-time scoring charts (177 goals), a remarkable feat for a central midfielder. Lampard started his career at West Ham, but it is at Chelsea where he really developed into a star of English and European football.

Lampard is Chelsea's all-time top scorer (211 goals), a record that will be tough to beat. He later went on to play for MLS side New York City before a short loan spell with Manchester City. In an illustrious career, Lampard racked up to 609 Premier League appearances in total.

#2 Ryan Giggs (632 appearances)

Ryan Giggs spent his entire career with Manchester United. The former Wales international was a devastating winger capable of ripping apart the most solid defences. He was an integral part of Sir Alex Ferguson's all-dominant United side. Perhaps, he was the brightest spark in that side.

Giggs enjoyed unmatched success in his playing career. Coming through the ranks at United, he remained with the club until the end of his career. The Welsh winger won a record 13 Premier League titles in a remarkably long and fruitful career.

He added two Champions League titles to his already full trophy cabinet in 1998/99 and 2007/08 respectively. Giggs won 34 trophies in his 24-year long career. He still holds the record for United's all-time top appearances (963) to this day.

#1 Gareth Barry (653 appearances)

Perhaps the only player in this list still active to this day, Gareth Barry is an epitome of consistency and longevity. Barry is now playing in the Championship with West Bromwich Albion. This shows his passion for, and dedication to, the sport.

Barry was a versatile player capable of playing in deep positions in midfield and central defence at times. He started his career at Aston Villa and spent 11 long years with the Midlands club.

The Englishman later joined Manchester City in 2009 and helped the club end their 44-year long trophy drought with an iconic league title win in 2012. Barry also racked up 53 appearances for the England national team, often being deployed in defensive midfield for the 'Three Lions'.

His record appearance came three years ago with West Bromwich Albion, where he is now chasing Premier League promotion with the club.

Edited by S Chowdhury