Who has the most yellow cards in Premier League history? We have crunched down the numbers and found the top 10 biggest offenders to date.
Also, feel free to check out who has the most red cards in Premier League history, with three players accumulating as many as eight in their English top-flight careers!
Most yellow cards in Premier League careers: The top 10
1. Gareth Barry – 123
The Premier League's record appearance-maker also tops the charts for the most yellow cards in top-flight history.
Gareth Barry played for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion during his time in the Premier League, notching a total of 653 appearances in the English top flight.
During that time, Barry received a total of 123 yellow cards, which is by far the most in the league's history since the next player on the list is more than 20 yellow cards behind him.
2. Wayne Rooney – 102
Wayne Rooney is the only other player to accumulate 100 yellow cards or more in Premier League history so far, with the number reaching 102 yellow cards overall.
The league's third-highest goalscorer of all time, with 208 goals, was also known to have a bit of a temper, so it's not a huge surprise to see him near the top in this category.
Rooney enjoyed an illustrious career at Manchester United, interspersed with two separate spells at Everton, amassing a total of 491 Premier League appearances.
3. Lee Bowyer – 99
Bowyer was a part of the Premier League for 18 seasons in total, during which time he played for Leeds United, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Birmingham City.
With 99 total yellow cards, Bowyer came up just one card short of triple-digits, which is still enough to put him in third place on our list of most yellow cards in Premier League history.
Bowyer also famously had a fight with his own Newcastle United teammate Kieron Dyer on the pitch, for which they were both sent off.
4. Kevin Davies – 97
Davies spent most of his career in the Premier League with Bolton Wanderers, but he also played for Southampton and Blackburn Rovers in the top flight.
He recorded a total of 442 appearances in the Premier League during his career and received 97 yellow cards in that time.
5. Paul Scholes – 96
Scholes was labelled as a player who struggled to tackle, so it is not surprising to see him on this list, with 96 yellow cards during his illustrious 19-season career, all of which he spent at Manchester United.
The midfielder was the Premier League champion with the Red Devils 11 times in his 19 seasons, a truly impressive feat which is only bested by his long-term teammate Ryan Giggs who lifted the PL trophy 13 times in his career.
6. Ashley Young – 93
Young entered the top 10 after picking up a total of eight yellow cards for Everton in the 2024/25 campaign. He has also played for Watford, Aston Villa, and Manchester United in the Premier League.
7. Scott Parker – 92
Playing in central midfield always leaves you susceptible to a card, and the current Burnley manager Scott Parker was no different. He played for five different London clubs in the Premier League, as well as Newcastle United.
Considering that Parker only recorded 368 appearances in the top flight, which is significantly less than some other players on this list, 92 yellow cards is a respectable number.
8. Lee Cattermole – 91
Cattermole was famous for crunch tackles, and so it is hardly a surprise to see him make the list, even though he only played in 271 games in the top flight.
The midfielder played for Middlesbrough, Wigan Athletic, and Sunderland during his time in the Premier League.
9. Robbie Savage – 88
Robbie Savage was renowned for his eagerness to take on challenges, as well as his short temper.
The midfielder started off at Manchester United without making a single senior appearance in the Premier League with the Red Devils, before eventually playing for Leicester City, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County.
10. George Boateng – 88
Completing the list is another midfielder, George Boateng, who played for Coventry City, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, and Hull City during his time in the Premier League.
Which current players are close to joining this list?
While Ashley Young is still a current player, the chances of him ever playing in the top flight again are remote, which begs the question: are there any current Premier League players on the brink of joining this top ten list soon?
The closest is James Milner, who has been a Premier League footballer since 2002. Considering he has played in midfield for more than 20 years, it's remarkable that he hasn't made it into the top ten yet. At present, Milner has 79 yellow cards, but he is still as fit as a fiddle, so it isn't out of the question that he will make it to 88.
Next up is James Tarkowski with 65 yellow cards. Tarkowski still has a good few years left in the top flight but he still needs 23 more yellow cards to break into the top ten.
