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Gareth Barry is the all-time leader with 123 yellow cards in the Premier League
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On eight occasions, a player has amassed 14 yellow cards throughout a Premier League campaign
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Tottenham’s nine yellows against Chelsea in 2016 is the most received by one team in a match
Sitting on the list of the most yellow cards in Premier League history might not sound like a positive.
As much as ill-discipline, though, it is a reflection of longevity in the top flight, meaning a player hasn’t spent much time featuring in the Championship odds.
Even bankers for a yellow in football betting need a long Premier League career to reach 85 yellow cards. That’s a tally which would only just squeak onto this list, tying with Kevin Nolan and George Boateng.
Here are the players with the most yellow cards in Premier League history…
Paul Ince – 74
Paul Ince made 306 Premier League appearances across spells with Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Liverpool and Wolves.
Thrice included in the Team of the Year, and twice a champion, Ince was an industrious central midfield player with a reputation for breaking up play.
On a minutes-per-card basis, Ince would be a bit higher on this list. Many with more cautions played far more matches in the Premier League, partly because of Ince’s two-year stint with Inter.
Richard Dunne – 74
Accompanying his 74 yellows, Richard Dunne was also given his marching orders a joint-record eight times.
The former Republic of Ireland international amassed well over 400 appearances in the topflight, with over 250 of those coming in the sky blue of Manchester City.
Dunne was club captain at City prior to ownership change. He was one of the most consistent performers in Premier League betting for several seasons, helping to keep the club in the league.
He then joined Aston Villa for a few years and ended his career at QPR.
Ashley Young – 75
First breaking through in the Premier League as a tearaway winger, Ashley Young has adapted throughout his career.
Pushed to wing-back at Manchester United, Young then moved to Inter for a season before returning to Aston Villa, where he had become a star 10 years before.
Young continues to climb this list, with five cautions since re-signing with the Villains in 2021.
Gavin McCann – 75
A one-cap wonder with England, Gavin McCann was a regular for Sunderland, Aston Villa and Bolton in the Premier League. McCann averaged a yellow every 318 minutes in the topflight.
Hard-working and often playing for struggling sides, it’s no surprise McCann racked up the bookings.
He was charged with making life difficult for his opponents, and was never afraid of a challenge.
Patrick Vieira – 76
Tied with Dunne for the ‘honour’ of having the most red cards in Premier League history, Patrick Vieira is one of the greatest players of his generation.
The Frenchman did it all at Arsenal, a talismanic leader with the ability to dominate against any midfielder in the world.
Vieira paired technical ability and tactical nous with the physical frame and aggressive attitude to flourish in the Premier League.
Standing at 6’4, he was an imposing figure in the middle of the park, and brought steel to those brilliant Arsenal sides.
Nicky Butt – 77
Nicky Butt was involved in numerous Manchester United sides which were favoured in betting odds.
His role at Old Trafford waned from regular starter to that of a squad player, who filled in for injured starters or came on late on to cling to a lead.
Butt forced a move from Old Trafford in 2004, racking up 117 league appearances for Newcastle United.
Joey Barton – 78
The yellow card count tells a small part of Joey Barton’s disciplinary record in the Premier League. It would be an understatement to say Barton is a controversial character.
Barton infamously lost his head during QPR’s decisive match against Manchester City in 2012 (an event which was later overshadowed by Sergio Aguero’s title-winning goal).
His managers have at times criticised his physical approach on the pitch, which leads to a very high number of fouls and an average of a yellow card roughly every three matches.
Phil Bardsley – 79
Phil Bardsley is a true journeyman, clocking Premier League appearances for Burnley, Stoke, Aston Villa, Sunderland and Manchester United.
With a good engine to provide overlapping runs in his peak, Bardsley defended in an old-school manner with a penchant for crushing challenges on opposing wingers.
He didn’t have the nimblest of feet, making him vulnerable to the trickier wide players.
The 79 yellow cards in just 303 Premier League appearances reflects his approach to defending, and the defensive set up of many of the teams he featured for.
Mark Noble – 82
Mark Noble is a one-club man, making all 414 of his Premier League appearances for West Ham. Of players to play for just one Premier League club, only five made more appearances.
An iconic figure for Hammers fans, Noble worked tirelessly in midfield, and never shirked responsibility.
He was utilised in different roles throughout his career, but spent much of his time at the base of midfield.
West Ham had some turbulent spells while Noble was at the club, and often found themselves concerned about relegation. Their circumstances heighten the risk of yellow cards.
Phil Neville – 82
Just 10 players have made more Premier League appearances than Phil Neville.
Operating as a full-back early in his career and predominantly in defensive midfield later on, it is hardly surprising that a player with his appearance tally worked his way into the referee’s notebook so often.
There was nothing spectacular about Neville’s game, but he was generally a consistent performer and took on a leadership role at Everton after leaving Manchester United in 2005.
Kevin Nolan – 85
Often at the centre of upsets in EPL tips, Kevin Nolan was a reliable Premier League player throughout his career.
His runs from midfield helped his teams secure many improbable victories, and his physicality made him a nuisance to play against.
Impactful with Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham, Nolan was arguably unlucky to never get an England call-up. He holds the record for the most Premier League appearances without an England cap.
George Boateng – 85
Despite starting out in the Netherlands, George Boateng spent most of his career in the Premier League.
A stalwart of some very competitive Aston Villa and Middlesbrough sides, Boateng had great responsibility in midfield. With that responsibility, a healthy yellow card tally was inevitable.
Lee Cattermole – 88
Reaching 88 yellows in 271 appearances is sort of impressive. That’s what Lee Cattermole managed to do with his brand of robust tackling and ferociousness competitiveness.
The former Sunderland midfielder has by far the fewest appearances of the players featuring in this article.
Robbie Savage – 89
Once the record holder in this category, Robbie Savage’s hyperactive midfield style was as divisive as his punditry.
He covered a lot of ground for Leicester, Birmingham, Blackburn and Derby.
There were moments of controversy throughout his career, and yellow cards felt like a weekly occurrence, but Savage was remarkably only sent off once in the Premier League.
Scott Parker – 92
From Charlton to Chelsea, Tottenham, West Ham, Fulham and Newcastle, Scott Parker was the ultimate Premier League journeyman. No fan base could ever question his work ethic.
After playing with a bit more freedom as a younger player, he settled into the role of midfield stopper. That meant lots of hard tackles and breaking up attacks.
Yellow cards were a natural consequence, though Parker was almost always fair.
Paul Scholes – 97
Paul Scholes was great at a lot of things. Some would say he’s the best midfielder of the Premier League era.
Tackling, though, was not his forte. It didn’t stop him throwing himself into them. He was always committed and sometimes aggressive when going for the ball.
The Manchester United star was perhaps fortunate not to pick up even more cards.
Kevin Davies – 99
There are a lot of adjectives to describe Kevin Davies’ centre forward play. Bruising? Yep. Physical? Definitely. Agricultural? Sometimes.
Target men are always vulnerable to the odd yellow. Davies’ style of play, and the reputation that developed, meant it was more than the ‘odd yellow’.
The next most yellows for a pure centre forward is Mark Hughes with 70.
Lee Bowyer – 99
No one will be surprised to see Lee Bowyer listed here. Bowyer was combative in the middle third, and never shied away from a tackle.
He was also involved in one of the most infamous moments in Premier League history when he ended up in a fight with his then-teammate Kieron Dyer.
Wayne Rooney – 102
Wayne Rooney covered every inch of the pitch. He was a flat-out footballer, he lunged into challenges and didn’t even know what ‘half-hearted’ meant. This naturally meant a few yellow cards were picked up along the way.
While he has goal scoring records galore, Rooney stood out for his love of the ugly stuff. His work rate was second to none for a player in his role, but occasional suspensions were a frustrating price to pay.
Gareth Barry – 123
The all-time leader with 653 Premier League appearances, Gareth Barry sits miles clear with 123 yellow cards. It’s not exactly surprising that he’s top of this list given his longevity and role.
Evolving from left-back to a defensive midfielder, Barry was underrated throughout his career. Picking up bookings was inevitable with what his managers asked him to do in front of the defence.
Most yellow cards in a Premier League season:
The most yellow cards in a single Premier League season is 14. This ‘feat’ has been achieved on eight separate occasions, the most recent of which was Etienne Capoue for Watford in the 2018/19 campaign.
Such a prolific season in the referee’s notebook doesn’t usually align with being one of the best fantasy football players. Jose Holebas was useful in FPL, though, and the Greek wing-back picked up 14 yellows a couple of seasons before Capoue.
The six others to receive 14 cautions in a campaign are Lee Cattermole, Cheick Tiote, Paul Ince, Robbie Savage, Mark Hughes, Olivier Dacourt.
Most yellow cards shown in a Premier League match:
The most yellow cards handed out in a Premier League match is 12. This has happened three times, and one of those matches also featured a team record.
Tottenham picked up nine cautions against Chelsea in 2016, which is the most yellows for a team in one match in Premier League history.
This match, of course, saw the Premier League trophy head to the King Power Stadium and kicked off Vardy Party.
Chelsea featured in the first Premier League match with 12 yellows. It was again against an historic rival as the Blues matched up with Leeds in October 1998.
We had to wait 12 years for another match with as many cautions, which took place between Wolves and Newcastle in August of 2010.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 9th August 2021
