Free kicks are one of the hardest skills on a football pitch to master, with players asked to produce a strike so perfect that it will beat several players in the wall, as well as a (usually) alert goalkeeper.
Fortunately, some have done just that for their clubs, and gone down as legends simply from their ability from dead ball situations. From game winning to tournament-clinching strikes, here are the 10 most prolific free kick takers in the history of the Premier League.
10. Frank Lampard (9)
It is actually a tie for 10th place in the current Premier League free-kick standings, with Jamie Redknapp and Nolberto Solano also having grabbed 9 goals from a free-kick, but we’ve gone for the Chelsea man for the impact that he made on the Premier League.
The top goalscoring midfielder of all time in the top-flight, Lampard found the back of the net on nine occasions from dead ball scenarios, including this scorcher against Fulham in 2004.
9. Morten Gamst Pedersen (10)
One of the ultimate ‘streets won’t forget’ footballers, Gamst Pedersen had one of the most majestic left foot’s that the Premier League has ever seen.
The Norweigian left-midfielder has found the back of the net on 10 occasions from free-kicks, good enough to put him ninth on this list, and he is fondly remembered around Ewood Park in Lancashire.
8. Ian Harte (10)
From Red Rose country to White Rose, Leeds United hero Ian Harte was known for his ability from free kicks, and with good reason.
The Irishman, who played for Leeds for almost a decade, also managed to find the net ten times from free-kicks, leaving him joint eighth on the list of all-time Premier League free-kick takers.
7. Sebastian Larsson (11)
Another cult hero to make the list, Swedish midfielder Seb Larsson was devestating from set pieces during his time at Sunderland, notching up 11 of his 26 Premier League goals from free-kicks and helping the north-east side become a Premier League regular during his time there.
6. Laurent Robert (11)
5. Thierry Henry (12)
Is there anything that this man wasn’t good at? Also featuring on our best goalscorers in Premier League history list, Arsenal icon Thierry Henry wasn’t bad over a free kick either.
The Frenchman racked up 12 during his time in north London, making him a true deadly weapon from just about anywhere on the pitch.
4. Gianfranco Zola (12)
From north London to west London and perhaps the greatest Italian to grace the Premier League. Gianfranco Zola in a Chelsea shirt was a sight to behold, and he thrived from a dead-ball situation, grabbing 12 free kick goals during his time at Stamford Bridge, the joint third most of any to have played in the English top flight.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (12)
Though his free-kick abilities became something of a laughing stock towards the end of his career, Ronaldo began life verging on prolific from a dead ball situation, summed up best by a fantastic strike against Portsmouth during his first stint at Manchester United.
A list that, surprisingly, the Portuguese icon is not at the top of he nonetheless stars in, with only two players in the history of the competition having scored more free-kicks than Ronaldo.
Given that he spent much of his career in La Liga and Serie A, it is an impressive achievement.
2. James Ward-Prowse (17)
The only man still playing in the Premier League on this list, James Ward-Prowse will be gunning for top spot come the end of his playing days, and with his current rate he could well take it.
Still just 28 years old, the Southampton man has rocketed in an astounding 17 free kicks for the South Coast side, to the point where anything around the penalty area is likely to result in a goal should the Englishman be on the pitch.
1. David Beckham (18)
From one deadball specialist to another, David Beckham currently tops the list, and is remembered as the greatest free-kick taker England have ever had. Able to do it on the national stage (see: Greece, 2004) as well as the domestic stage, Beckham’s iconic run-up yielded great results, and during his time with Manchester United he managed to score an impressive 18 free-kicks.
Though he may not hold the record for much longer, he will be remembered as an all time great from a set piece.
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