From David Beckham‘s immaculate crosses to the delicate Dennis Bergkamp chip to James Milner’s vision, yes Milner, one can never overlook the importance of the assist provider in pushing their clubs to the top of the table.
Here are the top ten assisters in the Premier League era.
10. Teddy Sheringham
EPL Assists: 76
The English striker Teddy Sheringham is not only one of the Premier League’s all-time greatest goal scorers, he’s also one of the league’s top all-time greatest assistmen.
He led the league in goal contributions (22 goals and 9 assists) during the 1992/93 season with Tottenham Hotspur.
Sheringham also snatched the goal and provided THAT assist to Ole Solskjaer that led to Manchester United’s dramatic 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich.
9. David Beckham
EPL Assists: 80
Easily one of the best passers the game has ever seen, it’s no surprise that David Beckham makes the top-ten list of Premier League assisters.
A key delivery man, Beckham played an integral role in some of the most important goals in Manchester United’s 1999 Treble winning season.
8. James Milner
EPL Assists: 84
While James Milner is the current record holder for assists in a single Champions League campaign (9), he’s also a top-ten all-time provider in the Premier League.
The Liverpool player creates big chances for his frontmen — he has more Premier League assists than Paul Scholes — and his versatility as a rotating winger, midfielder, and full-back plus numerous titles will ensure his Premier League legacy.
7. David Silva
EPL Assists: 90
The Manchester City maestro continues to shine in this his 9th season with the club. It’s no mistake that City has seen some of its most successful years since the Spaniard’s arrival — 2 FA Cups, 4 Premiership titles, and 5 Football League/EFL Cups. In Silva’s 253 Premier League appearances for the club, he’s scored 50 goals and notched 75 assists.
6. Steven Gerrard
EPL Assists: 92
A complete midfielder, Steven Gerrard spent his entire career at Liverpool where he averaged .42 contributions in over 504 appearances. A Champions League winner, the only trophy to elude ‘Captain Fantastic’ was the Premier League title. Just imagine if he was on today’s Liverpool squad.
5. Dennis Bergkamp
EPL Assists: 94
With creativity and vision, Dennis Bergkamp came to define class during his 11 seasons at Arsenal. He scored 120 goals with the club, most notably the one-touch and subtle flick past the Leicester City goalkeeper in 1997, where he also scored his first hat-trick.
But he’s perhaps more remembered for his assist. Bergkamp recorded 94 assists during his time at Highbury, making him the Gunners top assist-provider to this day.
4. Frank Lampard
EPL Assists: 102
Finishing second in the Ballon D Or behind the mighty Ronaldinho, “Super Frankie Lampard,” is still the only midfielder to score 150 or more goals in the Premier League.
The goal-scoring legend also had a knack for passing, registering 102 assists in his 13 years at Chelsea. The 3-time Chelsea player of the season and Champions League winner once finished runner-up to Ronaldinho to Ballon d’Or in 2005.
3. Wayne Rooney
EPL Assists: 103
With 203 goals and 103 assists, Wayne Rooney is in the top three all-time goals and assists in the Premier League. He ranks only second behind Alan Shearer in total goal involvements.
A complete attacker/striker and United’s top-ever scorer, the England international could simply do it all.
2. Cesc Fabregas
EPL Assists: 111
Signing for Arsenal at the age of 16 in 2003, Cesc Fabregas remains Arsenal’s youngest player and goal scorer. Given the daunting task of filling in for an injured Patrick Vieira during the 2003-04 campaign, the starlet stepped up and molded into his own.
The following year Fabregas adopted the #4 shirt and helped lead Arsenal to the 2006 Champions League Final with a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona, a team he went on to play for in 2011.
1. Ryan Giggs
EPL Assists: 162
Giggs averaged 4 goals 6 assists per season over his 23-year career at Manchester United. The midfielder is the team’s most decorated player winning 13 Premiership titles and two UEFA Champions League crowns.