Many football players dream of playing and scoring goals in the Premier League. However, there is an unfortunate group of players who have had a horrible habit of scoring against their own team.
Who are the players who have had the misfortune of scoring the most own goals during the Premier League era?
Richard Dunne (10 own goals while playing for Everton, Manchester City, Aston Villa and QPR)
The Everton youth academy product has the unwanted record of being the player who has scored the most own goals in the Premier League, having scored ten own goals. Unfortunately for the centre-back, he scored just one more goal at the right end of the pitch.
The former Republic of Ireland international made 431 appearances in the English top-flight for Everton, Manchester City, Aston Villa and QPR. The only one of his four Premier League clubs where he didn’t score an own goal was Everton, where he made 60 top-flight appearances.
Jamie Carragher (Seven own goals while playing for Liverpool)
The renowned one-club man, Jamie Carragher, made 508 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, the city rivals of his beloved boyhood club, Everton.
During his illustrious career, the versatile defender scored seven own goals. Carragher experienced the worst game of his career in September 1999 during a 3-2 defeat by bitter north west rivals Manchester United when he became the first Premier League player to score two own goals in one match.
Carragher’s own goal tally dwarfed his actual goal tally, as he scored just three goals at the right end of the pitch, although he did produce 15 assists.
Martin Skrtel (Seven own goals playing for Liverpool)
Like his former teammate Carragher, Skrtel had the unfortunate habit of putting the ball past his own goalkeeper, scoring seven own goals in his 242 Premier League appearances.
Incredibly, all of the Slovakian international’s goals came in a five-year period. In fact, Skrtel set a Premier League record for own goals in a single season, as he put through his own net on four occasions in season 2013/14.
Unlike Carragher, though, Skrtel provided a decent attacking threat, scoring 16 goals for the Reds while producing five assists.
Phil Jagielka (Seven own goals while playing for Sheffield United and Everton)
The former England international enjoyed a long career in the Premier League, making 376 appearances in the English top flight. Three of his own goals came for Sheffield United, with the other four coming while representing Everton over a 14-year period.
Jagielka at least made up for his own goals with 18 Premier League goals and nine assists. During his career, Jagielka helped his teams to keep 107 clean sheets.
One of those clean sheets came when in goal at Sheffield United against Arsenal. He replaced the injured Paddy Kenny, and he helped the Blades keep a clean sheet and record a 1-0 victory.
Ryan Shawcross (Six own goals while playing for Stoke City)
The centre-back was the pillar that helped hold the Stoke City defence together for a decade in the Premier League. Despite his massive contributions, Shawcross also managed to score six own goals in his 316 top-flight appearances.
Thankfully for the Potters, Shawcross was relatively handy at the other end of the pitch, scoring 14 goals at the right end.
Wes Brown (Six own goals while playing for Manchester United and Sunderland)
The defender came through the youth academy at Manchester United before a move to Sunderland. During his football career, the versatile defender made 308 Premier League appearances, scoring four goals.
Unfortunately for Brown, he managed to score six own goals throughout his career. The one that he will least want to remember will be when he scored an own goal at Manchester United when he returned to Old Trafford with Sunderland in September 2011.
Frank Sinclair (Six own goals while playing for Chelsea and Leicester City)
In his 288 Premier League games for Chelsea and Leicester City, the Jamaican international defender scored six own goals. At the start of the Premier League era, Sinclair became synonymous with the unfortunate habit of putting through his own net.
The defender also scored eight goals in the right goal while producing six assists in the Premier League.
Jonny Evans (Six own goals while playing for Manchester United, Sunderland, West Brom & Leicester City)
The Northern Irish international has had an illustrious playing career in the Premier League, which, at the time of writing, is not yet over.
Plying his trade at Manchester United, Sunderland, West Brom and Leicester City, Evans has beaten his own goalkeeper on six occasions.
Seamus Coleman (Six own goals while playing for Everton)
The Republic of Ireland international is regarded as one of the bargains of the Premier League era, as he joined Everton in 2009 for just £60,000 from Sligo Rovers in his homeland.
During his decade-and-a-half career in the English top flight, the full-back has scored six own goals. However, Coleman has contributed the most attacking returns out of all the players on our list, as he has scored 22 goals and produced 24 assists in the Premier League.
Lewis Dunk (Six own goals while playing for Brighton Hove Albion)
Like Coleman and Evans, Dunk still has a chance to move up the list, as the Brighton captain is still plying his trade in the Premier League with the Seagulls.
Dunk has scored six own goals in his 244 appearances in the English top flight. The defender has also scored 16 goals and produced six assists during his Brighton career.