Newcastle United have been in the Premier League for a long time but who has made the most appearances in the competition?
Though they haven’t been in it for every single season like some clubs, Newcastle United are one of the biggest names in the Premier League.
They actually weren’t in the Premier League in its opening season in 1992-93, but Kevin Keegan won the second tier to take his side to the top flight, where they would finish third in their first season after Andy Cole scored 41 goals.
A sixth-place finish would follow before The Entertainers finished runners-up two years in succession, just missing out on winning the title in heartbreaking circumstances.
The Magpies would gradually slip down the table with few bright sparks until they were relegated in 2009. Instant promotion would follow but Newcastle were relegated again in 2016 before winning the Championship for a second time.
In total, Newcastle have spent three seasons outside of the Premier League since its inception, meaning their players have racked up a big number of appearances in the division over the years.
However, it isn’t Alan Shearer who sits top of the list, but goalkeeper Shay Given.
Shay Given is Newcastle United’s biggest appearance maker
Newcastle legend Shearer spent a decade at hometown club Newcastle between 1996 and 2006, gracing St. James’ Park with goal-scoring prowess that has hardly ever been matched in England.
Shearer is still the Premier League’s record scorer with 260, a record that won’t be broken any time soon – though Erling Haaland might just do it one day.
The iconic striker played 303 times in the Premier League for the Toon but, perhaps surprisingly, he’s beaten in the charts by Given.
Given arrived in the North East the year after Shearer, signing for what would turn out to be an absolute bargain at just £1.5m.
The goalkeeper spent the next 12 years at the club, making 463 appearances, with 354 coming in the Premier League, and establishing himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the country.
Given is also Newcastle’s most-capped international ever, and was even sold for a huge profit when he was sold to Manchester City for £7m in 2009.
Newcastle’s top Premier League appearance makers ever
With Given and Shearer topping the list, here are the top 39 Premier League appearance holders in Newcastle’s history:
- Shay Given – 354
- Alan Shearer – 303
- Shola Ameobi – 294
- Rob Lee – 267
- Nobby Solano – 230
- Gary Speed – 213
- Fabricio Coloccini – 211
- Aaron Hughes – 205
- Fabian Schar – 200
- Steven Taylor – 194
- Jacob Murphy – 193
- Joelinton – 192
- Kieron Dyer – 190
- Miguel Almiron – 186
- Jamaal Lascelles – 177
- Sean Longstaff – 171
- Warren Barton – 164
- Martin Dubravka – 162
- Tim Krul – 157
- Steve Watson – 154
- Paul Dummett – 151
- Jonas Gutierrez – 150
- Matt Ritchie – 145
- Jonjo Shelvey – 144
- Ayoze Perez – 143
- Cheik Tiote – 138
- John Beresford – 137
- Mike Williamson – 134
- Dan Burn – 133
- Darren Peacock – 133
- Bruno Guimaraes – 132
- Nikos Dabizas – 130
- Peter Beardsley – 129
- Laurent Robert – 129
- Robbie Elliott – 127
- Lee Clark – 123
- Joe Willock – 121
- Andy O’Brien – 120
- Charles N’Zogbia – 118
- Moussa Sissoko – 118
- Isaac Hayden – 118
- Papiss Cisse – 117
- Nicky Butt – 117
- Steve Howey – 117
It looks unlikely that any current player will be catching up with Given anytime soon.
Fabian Schar is the closest on 200, but the 35-year-old won’t be playing another 154 league games for the club.
Nor will Jacob Murphy, Joelinton or Jamaal Lascelles, who are the next closest to the Irishman who are still in Eddie Howe’s squad.
Bruno Guimaraes currently sits on 132 and could potentially get there, but he’d have to play every league game for the next six seasons.
Instead, Newcastle will have to look at teenager Lewis Miley, who has more than a decade of his career still ahead of him, as the next hope to break the record.
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