Hats off to the bruisers
These are players who let you know they’re there. Who leave a mark. Who make sure you’ll feel that in the morning. Who put a name on it, no matter who's in their way. Who get there somehow.
Introducing the 50 players who have committed the most fouls in Premier League history...
47= Jordan Henderson – 293
The Liverpool captain has enjoyed a superb season as the heartbeat of Jurgen Klopp's side. But driving runs and long-range passing aren't the only things Henderson has brought to the table.
The ex-Sunderland man has been penalised 26 times this term, taking his all-time Premier League tally to 293.
47= Raheem Sterling – 293
Raheem Sterling: hatchet man. Who knew? The Manchester City forward is adept at drawing fouls from full-backs but he commits his fair share of offences too.
In 250 Premier League appearances to date Sterling has committed 293 fouls for City and Liverpool, earning himself 28 bookings and one red card.
47= Branislav Ivanovic – 293
Sorry, Branislav, but Mike Dean has spoken. The showman from the Wirral wasn't the only referee Ivanovic got the wrong side of during his nine-year stay at Chelsea.
Indeed, the Serbian defender committed almost 300 fouls in the Premier League, sufficient to earn himself a place in the top 50.
47= John Carew – 293
Carew took his punishment from Dean much better than Ivanovic, but he made the same number of offences as the ex-Chelsea man in 138 fewer outings.
Few players can match the Norwegian's remarkable ratio of 293 fouls in 123 appearances for Aston Villa and Stoke - that's almost 2.5 per game, for crying out loud.