Top 10 players with most Own Goals in History

While every footballer grows up dreaming about scoring goals and guiding their teams to victory, scoring their own goals remains one of their worst nightmares. While the list of footballers who have scored great goals over the years is long, there have also been some great players who have topped the chart for scoring against their side, unfortunately.

List of footballers with the Own Goals in Football

While some goals are unlucky deflections or goalkeeping errors, they still cost their teams the same. Despite some players having great professional careers, you will be shocked to see some of the game’s greats in this list of the top ten footballers with the most own goals.

10. Gareth McAuley (5)

Former West Brom and Rangers defender Gareth McAuley is the last name on this list, with five own goals. McAuley became a regular player in his 30s, and despite scoring some crucial goals for West Brom, he still could not stop himself from unintentionally putting the ball into his net.

However, his worst own-goal moment did not come at club level but for his nation, Northern Ireland, during the Euro 2016. In the 75th minute against Wales in the Round of 16 match, McAuley misjudged the ball from Gareth Bale and redirected it into his own goal, which became the deciding point of the game, helping Wales secure the victory while eliminating Northern Ireland from the tournament.

9. Frank Sinclair (6)

Frank Sinclair is another well-known name from the Premier League. He represented several top-flight clubs like Chelsea and Leicester City and was known for his versatility and aggressiveness. However, Sinclair often found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Despite winning trophies like the FA Cup or the League Cup with Chelsea and making over 750 professional appearances, his own goal against Middlesbrough in March 2002 remains one of the most remembered early football moments. He tried to pass the ball back to his goalkeeper Ian Walker, 40 yards back from his goal, and unfortunately, the ball could not reach Walker’s feet, eventually rolling into Leicester’s net, which helped Middlesbrough win the game 1-0.

8. Ryan Shawcross (6)

Ryan Shawcross was a legendary Stoke City defender who, unfortunately, scored six own goals. He was a physical defender who dominated the game through his aerial presence. However, he often found himself in situations that led to fastball deflections into his net.

He was also the Stoke City captain for many years, making over 370 appearances for the English club. His worst own-goal moment came in 2017 against AFC Bournemouth when a shot from Josh King was deflected off him, resulting in a 2-2 draw, keeping Stoke away from their first away win in two months.

7. Jonny Evans (6)

Johny Evans was once considered one of the best youngsters at Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson, and he had a career that resonated with that statement. He was essential to the Leicester City team that won the Premier League. His longevity also helped him return later in his career at Manchester United.

Evans’ worst luck with his own goals came during Leicester City’s 4-1 defeat against AFC Bournemouth when he kicked the ball into his net. This marked the sixth own goal in his Premier League career. Evans has over 500 professional appearances, 23 goals at club level, and over 100 appearances, six goals for his country.

6. Wes Brown (6)

Wes Brown is fondly remembered as an iconic figure in Premier League history. He emerged through the ranks from the famous Manchester United academy and could play as a center-back or a right-back during his career. With over 200 top-flight appearances to his name, he was also unlucky with his own goals, netting the ball into his net six times.

Brown has five Premier League titles and two Champions League titles. His worst own-goal moment came in an ironic fixture against Manchester United when he played for Sunderland on November 5, 2011, which eventually helped the Red Devils win the match 1-0 in a closely fought title race.

5. Phil Jagielka (7)

Phil Jagielka is another Premier League name who was known on the other side of Merseyside for his tough tackling and reliability in the backline. However, he would also go on to score seven own goals in his Premier League and professional career which puts him at number 5 on this list.

Jagielka was not a bad player as he had 40 caps for England alongside 350 appearances for Everton. However, his goals were deflections due to unlucky goalkeeping mistakes. One of his unluckiest moments with own goals came while playing for Sheffield United in a Yorkshire derby at Elland Road when he redirected the ball to goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, which he could not intercept properly, conceding and giving Leeds United a lead in the fixture.

4. Jamie Carragher (7)

This is another shocking name in the list of own goals, as Jamie Carragher is remembered as one of the most consistent and dependable defenders of his time. He made 700 appearances for Liverpool and was also part of the 2005 Champions League-winning team led by Steven Gerrard in Istanbul. Carragher’s own goal in the 1999 FA Cup final against Manchester United cost Liverpool a trophy as they lost 2-1, and is one of the lowest points of his career.

Despite such a legendary career, Carragher holds the record for being on top when it came to scoring own goals, with 7 to his name. Carragher was also fouled several times, and his goals were conceded due to errors or mistimed challenges, which could also be why he never lifted the Premier League in all his time with the Scousers.

3. Martin Škrtel (7)

Martin Skrtel was another aggressive defender of his time, hailing from Slovakia. He is best remembered for his time at Liverpool, scoring seven own-goals in the Premier League. Often, these goals came from deflections or mistimed challenges while he attempted to clear the ball, making him one of the unluckiest players.

While he was an essential name in the squad for over eight seasons and a fan favorite, he could sometimes lose concentration and cost his team the match. He managed to win the 2012 League Cup with Liverpool and still is remembered fondly by the Anfield crowd.

Skrtel’s worst moment with own goals came when Liverpool was in the title race with Manchester City in the 2013-14 season and ended up putting the ball in his net, which helped the Cityzens secure a point from the 2-2 draw.

2. Franco Baresi (8)

This may be the most surprising name on the list, as Franco Baresi is regarded as one of the best defenders ever. He is an AC Milan legend, and one of the most talked about stats, besides his filled trophy cabinet, would be that during his partnership with Paolo Maldini, the duo would play 196 matches together and concede just 23 goals.

However, that does not hide the fact that Baresi also scored eight own goals in his career while his career was filled with moments of highs more than lows. He is also in the Italian Hall of Fame for Football and is still remembered as one of the key figures of Milan and Italy’s golden era. One thing that separates Baresi from others on this list is that he never scored a match or trophy-turning his own goal, with the worst coming in a Copa Italia semifinal, which was also recovered by the AC Milan attack.

1. Richard Dunne (10)

Richard Dunne is remembered fondly by the clubs he played for as a solid defender; however, having the record for the most own goals certainly is not the most significant achievement in his career. He had a physical playstyle, which often meant he would go in to head a ball but, unfortunately, deflect it into his net.

He was named Manchester City’s Player of the Year over four times and has 430 Premier League appearances with career-spanning teams like Everton, Aston Villa, and Queens Park Rangers, as well as a center-back. He also has over 80 appearances for Ireland with eight goals.

Also Read: 10 Best Header Goals of All Time in Football

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