Top 10 Players With The Most Premier League Assists Of All-Time

Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne campaign spent most of the 2023/24 campaign sidelined with injury, unable to help his team defend their historic treble. Ultimately, Pep Guardiola's side missed out on the Champions League and the FA Cup; however, they didn't let the Belgian's absence stop them from becoming the first team to storm to four consecutive Premier League titles. And when De Bruyne did play, he made the most of his game time, amassing a seriously impressive 10 assists in just 18 games and edging toward the top of the table of the players with the most assists in Premier League history.

But has Man City's star creator done enough during his long spell with the club to break this particular record? In this article, you'll find out, as we work our way through the top 10 players with the most Premier League assists ever. Before we get into that list, though, we'll spend a bit more time exploring what an assist is in soccer, and how long this statistic has been playing a part in match analysis.

What Is An Assist In Soccer?

In football, an assist is a pass that directly leads to a goal. Whether or not a player fully intended to direct the ball toward the goalscorer is irrelevant; all that matters is the final player who touched it before it went through to the goalscorer. It could be a sweeping cross into the box, a hopeful lob over the top of an opposition backline, or a scuffed shot that rolled through to another attacker and allowed them to slot home — if not intercepted or touched by another player, all these examples would count as an assist

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Assists were first recorded by world football's governing body FIFA in 1994, but they took a little while to become a standard part of footballing parlance amongst everyday fans. However, the volume of discussion surrounding assists in soccer has grown massively in recent years. Even as recently as a couple of decades ago, statistics regarding assists weren't widely publicised; now, they're a crucial part of how we analyse individual performances in football. The trend of recording 'goal contributions' (aka goals and assists combined) shows how creativity is valued almost alongside goalscoring, and it's true that in some cases an assist can be much more impressive than the goal it leads to.

At this time, there is no standardised system for awarding assists, which means that different competitions, organisations and statistics companies can record assists in different ways. For example, sometimes the player who wins a penalty might be awarded an assist if that penalty is then converted, but on other occasions this won't be seen as a significant enough contribution to warrant an assist. According to stats giant Opta, an assist would not be awarded in these situations:

• When a goal is scored from a penalty kick, unless the penalty taker decides to pass the ball to a teammate from the kick

• When a goal is scored from a direct free kick

• When a goal is scored direct from a corner (aka an Olimpico Goal)

• When an own goal is scored

• When a ball rebounds off the post

• When a ball is deflected by an opponent before reaching the goalscorer

When Did The Premier League Start Recording Assists?

In the Premier League, official game statistics, including assists, are provided by the brand Actim, under the PA Sport umbrella. The Actim Index of Premier League player performance has been recording assists ever since the 2006/07 season, when three players were tied at the top of the leaderboard with 11 assists: Cesc Fabregas, Mikel Arteta, and Wayne Rooney. 

Individual players began receiving more recognition for their assists tallies in 2017/18, when the Premier League introduced their Playmaker of the Season Award for the player who notched the most assists in a campaign. Since these kinds of stats have been recorded, only two players have managed to record 20 assists in a single season: Thierry Henry in 2002/03 and Kevin De Bruyne in 2019/20.

The Top 10 Players With The Most Premier League Assists

There are some incredible creative talents in this list; but who has the most assists in Premier League history?

#10. David Beckham - 80 assists

The phrase 'Bend it like Beckham' conjures a very specific image to mind, of the former England international approaching a dead ball and whipping it over a defensive wall, either busting the opposition net or finding a teammate in a dangerous goalscoring position. Beckham was a creative maestro, capable of turning a game on its head in an instant, and his 80 assists in the Premier League — racked up during an immensely successful decade of football under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United — is a testament to his excellent ball delivery skills.

#9. James Milner - 89 assists

James Milner is a certified Premier League veteran who has made a jaw-dropping 634 appearances in the English top flight, and is therefore just 20 games away from becoming the player with the most EPL appearances ever. Playing for Leeds, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Brighton & Hove Albion, his versatility has made him a real asset, and he's consistently contributed going forwards, registering a total of 89 assists.

#8. Steven Gerrard - 92 assists

Widely regarded as one of the division's greatest ever players, Steven Gerrard will always be remembered fondly by those on the red half of Merseyside, having produced countless special moments at Anfield and beyond. As well as scoring 120 top flight goals, Gerrard also grabbed 92 assists for the Reds, proving a key creative force behind the likes of Robbie Fowler, Luis Suarez, and Fernando Torres.

#7. David Silva - 93 assists

World Cup-winning Spain midfielder David Silva played an integral role in reshaping Manchester City from mid-table underperformers to Premier League champions. His mazy dribbling, beautiful footwork and sublime passing ability allowed him to become one of the most talented playmakers the Premier League has ever seen.

#6. Dennis Bergkamp - 94 assists

Arsene Wenger's Arsenal sides are often remembered for their attacking flair and passing skill, and former Netherlands international Dennis Bergkamp typified this team characteristic. A graceful player with excellent ball control, clever movement and sharp finishing skills, he scored 120 goals in his Arsenal career and also registered 94 PL assists.

#5. Frank Lampard - 102 assists

There was nothing Frank Lampard didn't do in a Chelsea shirt; as well as being the club's all-time leading goalscorer with 211 goals in all competitions, the Englishman also won three Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, four FA Cups, two League Cups, the UEFA Europa League, and a bunch of individual awards — he's also the fifth-highest assister in the division's history.

#4. Wayne Rooney - 103 assists

Manchester United's all-time top goalscorer and a legend of the English game who is now carving out a career in management in the EFL, Wayne Rooney is best known for his red-hot striking skills. However, he was also an unbelievably talented creator of goals. In total, he's credited with assisting a whopping total of 103 of them in the English top flight.

#3. Cesc Fabregas - 111 assists

Whilst playing for Arsenal as a youngster, Cesc Fabregas became the first player to be crowned (joint) top assister in the Premier League, claiming 11 assists in the 2006/07 campaign. He went on to grab 100 more for the Gunners before moving to Barcelona, and while he was unable to get his hands on a title at the Emirates, he was responsible for creating some beautiful goals.

#2. Kevin De Bruyne - 112 assists

One of only two players in this list who is still currently playing in the English top flight at the time of writing (although there has been some speculation over his future), Belgium and Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has stunned fans with his ability to consistently rack up incredible assists numbers from season to season. The man at the top of this list played in a staggering 24 Premier League seasons — De Bruyne has only needed nine campaigns to get to his tally of 112 assists, the second-most in the league's history.

#1. Ryan Giggs - 162 assists

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has the most Premier League assists of all-time, and by quite some distance. During his long, decorated career — he won a remarkable 13 Premier League titles with the Red Devils — the Welsh international registered a staggering 162 assists, his pinpoint crossing and free kick taking ability making Sir Alex Ferguson's side one of the most dangerous in the English top flight for years and years. It will take an astonishing effort for any player to beat this tally; even the Premier League's current assists king Kevin De Bruyne is 50 off the top spot, and given his age it would be extremely difficult for him to surpass Giggs at this stage.

Who Has the Most Assists In Soccer History?

Giggs' Premier League record is pretty ridiculous. However, he's not the player who has registered the most assists in the history of world football. That record lies with the legendary Hungarian goalscorer Ferenc Puskas.

The man who gave his name to FIFA's annual award for the 'most beautiful' goal of the year, Puskas scored hundreds of goals for club and country and won three European Cups with Real Madrid. But that wasn't enough — he also registered a huge amount of assists during his career, too. Check out our article on the top 10 players with the most assists in soccer history for more information about how many assists Puskas managed to record, as well who managed to get their names up there with him at the top of the leaderboard.