Which players have forced the most Premier League manager exits ever through scoring? | OneFootball

Fabio Carvalho helped get his old manager sacked once

Jay Rodriguez has scored in two Premier League managers’ last games, almost exactly 10 years apart. But a Manchester United legend has been most deadly.

The following is a rundown of the players who scored in a Premier League manager’s last game before losing their job. Sackings, resignations and mutual consents are all considered, provided there was one clear result which proved to be the tipping point. And it had to happen during the season, not in the summer.

On the rare occasion a manager left his post after winning, we will take into account their most recent defeat; we only want results so damaging that the manager in question had to go soon after. To use Frank Lampard’s 2021 Chelsea exit as an example, his final match was an FA Cup win over Luton so the previous game, a 2-0 defeat to Leicester in which Wilfred Ndidi and James Maddison were the scorers, will be used. Same for Daniel Farke, who left Norwich after beating Brentford in November of that year, with the Raphinha and Rodrigo-inspired loss to Leeds in his penultimate match cited as key.

A total of 240 different players have induced one manager exit by scoring at least once in their final game. This number includes such names as Celestine Babayaro (Kenny Dalglish, Newcastle), Jon Flanagan (Andre Villas-Boas, Spurs), Vinnie Jones (Ron Atkinson, Aston Villa), Gary O’Neil (Peter Reid, Leeds) and Arturo Vidal (Roberto Di Matteo, Chelsea), as well as four of the five individuals who helped put Paul Heckingbottom out of his Sheffield United misery; it was a second scalp for Jay Rodriguez.

Players who induced two manager exits (38)

Che Adams Chris Wilder at Sheffield United Antonio Conte at Spurs

Gabriel Agbonlahor Brian McDermott at Reading Gus Poyet at Sunderland (two goals)

Morgan Amalfitano Paolo Di Canio at Sunderland Chris Hughton at Norwich

Juan Pablo Angel Colin Todd at Derby Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle

Michail Antonio Bob Bradley at Swansea Nigel Pearson at Watford

Andre Ayew Tim Sherwood at Aston Villa Bob Bradley at Swansea

Joey Barton Chris Coleman at Fulham Lawrie Sanchez at Fulham

Christian Benteke Brian McDermott at Reading Gus Poyet at Sunderland (two goals)

Luis Boa Morte Jacques Santini at Spurs Velimir Zajec at Portsmouth

Jarrod Bowen Bruno Lage at Wolves Frank Lampard at Everton (two goals)

Nicky Butt Howard Wilkinson at Leeds Attilio Lombardo at Crystal Palace

Eric Cantona Howard Wilkinson at Leeds Joe Royle at Everton

Carlton Cole Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle Martin Jol at Fulham

El Hadji Diouf Kevin Keegan at Manchester City Alan Pardew at West Ham

Roberto Firmino Francesco Guidolin at Swansea Scott Parker at Bournemouth (two goals)

Eden Hazard Nigel Adkins at Southampton Tony Pulis at West Brom (two goals)

Thierry Henry Jim Smith at Derby (two goals) Gordon Strachan at Southampton (two goals)

Emile Heskey Jean Tigana at Fulham Paul Ince at Blackburn

Harry Kane Steve Bruce at Newcastle Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds

Josh King Steve McClaren at Newcastle Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United

Rickie Lambert Mark Hughes at QPR Malky Mackay at Cardiff

Oyvind Leonhardsen Ron Atkinson at Aston Villa Gerry Francis at Spurs

Romelu Lukaku Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool Mark Hughes at Southampton

Gareth McAuley Andre Villas-Boas at Chelsea Mike Phelan at Hull

James Milner Martin Jol at Spurs Francesco Guidolin at Swansea

Peter Odemwingie Chris Hughton at Newcastle (two goals) Mick McCarthy at Wolves (three goals)

Michael Owen Gerry Francis at Spurs Jean Tigana at Fulham

Kevin Phillips Ruud Gullit at Newcastle Glenn Hoddle at Spurs

Niall Quinn Brian Little at Leicester Ruud Gullit at Newcastle

Jay Rodriguez Malky Mackay at Cardiff (two goals) Paul Heckingbottom at Sheffield United

Cristiano Ronaldo Steve Wigley at Southampton Nuno Espirito Santo at Spurs

Wayne Rooney Steve Wigley at Southampton Paul Clement at Swansea

Mo Salah Slaven Bilic at West Ham (two goals) Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham

Paul Scholes Attilio Lombardo at Crystal Palace Steve Wigley at Southampton

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Joe Royle at Everton David Pleat at Sheffield Wednesday (two goals)

Heung-min Son Steve Bruce at Newcastle Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds

Jamie Vardy Jose Mourinho at Chelsea Marco Silva at Watford

Yakubu Peter Reid at Leeds Les Reed at Charlton

Players who induced three manager exits (seven)

Salomon Kalou Sam Allardyce at Bolton Sammy Lee at Bolton Billy Davies at Derby

Riyad Mahrez Garry Monk at Swansea (three goals) Jose Mourinho at Chelsea Marco Silva at Watford

Sadio Mane Neil Warnock at Crystal Palace Jose Mourinho at Manchester United Marco Silva at Everton

Xherdan Shaqiri Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham Jose Mourinho at Manchester United (two goals) Marco Silva at Everton

Gylfi Sigurdsson Tim Sherwood at Aston Villa Paul Clement at Swansea Jose Mourinho at Spurs (two goals)

Darius Vassell Colin Todd at Derby Graeme Souness at Newcastle Chris Coleman at Fulham

Chris Wood Frank de Boer at Crystal Palace Alan Pardew at West Brom Ralph Hasenhuttl at Southampton

Players who induced four manager exits (one)

James Ward-Prowse Claudio Ranieri at Fulham Quique Sanchez Flores at Watford Chris Wilder at Sheffield United Antonio Conte at Spurs

Players who induced five manager exits (one)

Andy Cole David Pleat at Sheffield Wednesday Attilio Lombardo at Crystal Palace Jacques Santini at Spurs Velimir Zajec at Portsmouth Graeme Souness at Newcastle

You concede to Andy Cole, you expect your P45

Players who induced their own manager’s exit with own goals

Nigel Martyn – Howard Wilkinson at Leeds

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Tim Sherwood – Ray Harford at Blackburn

Des Lyttle – Frank Clark at Nottingham Forest

Jon Newsome – David Pleat at Sheffield Wednesday

Jussi Jaaskelainen – Sam Allardyce at Bolton

Anton Ferdinand – Mark Hughes at QPR

Titus Bramble – Martin O’Neill at Sunderland

Steve Taylor – Steve McClaren at Newcastle

Michael Keane – Rafael Benitez at Everton

Juraj Kucka – Claudio Ranieri at Watford

Chris Mepham – Scott Parker at Bournemouth

Tyrone Mings – Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa

Jan Bednarek – Nathan Jones at Southampton

Daniel Iversen – Brendan Rodgers at Leicester

Players who induced consecutive manager exits

Jonatan Johansson – Chris Hutchings at Bradford (sacked in November 2000) and Peter Taylor at Leicester (sacked in October 2001)

Players who induced consecutive manager exits in the same season

Riyad Mahrez (2016/17) – Garry Monk at Swansea (sacked in December 2015) and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea (sacked in December 2015)

Players who induced multiple manager exits in the same season

Eric Cantona (1996/97) – Howard Wilkinson at Leeds (sacked in September) and Joe Royle at Everton (resigned in March)

Andy Cole (1997/98) – David Pleat at Sheffield Wednesday (sacked in November) and Attilio Lombardo at Crystal Palace (resigned in April)

Luis Boa Morte (2004/05) – Jacques Santini at Spurs (resigned in November) and Velimir Zajec at Portsmouth (resigned in April)

Andy Cole (2004/05) – Jacques Santini at Spurs (resigned in November) and Velimir Zajec at Portsmouth (resigned in April)

Morgan Amalfitano (2013/14) – Paolo Di Canio at Sunderland (sacked in September) and Chris Hughton at Norwich (sacked in April)

Chris Wood (2017/18) – Frank de Boer at Crystal Palace (sacked in September) and Alan Pardew at West Brom (mutual consented in April)

Xherdan Shaqiri (2018/19) – Slavisa Jokanovic at Fulham (sacked in November) and Jose Mourinho at Manchester United (sacked in December)

Harry Kane (2021/22) – Steve Bruce at Newcastle (mutual consented in October) and Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds (sacked in February)

Jarrod Bowen (2022/23) – Bruno Lage at Wolves (sacked in October) and Frank Lampard at Everton (sacked in January)

Players who induced manager exits by scoring two goals in their last game

Bradley Allen – Bobby Gould at Coventry

Peter Beardsley – John Deehan at Norwich

Stan Collymore – Frank Clark at Nottingham Forest

Freddie Kanoute – Stuart Gray at Southampton

Thierry Henry – Jim Smith at Derby and Gordon Strachan at Southampton

Nwankwo Kanu – Peter Reid at Sunderland

James Beattie – Glenn Hoddle at Spurs

Gary O’Neil – Peter Reid at Leeds

Georgios Samaras – Mick McCarthy at Sunderland

Kevin Davies – Alan Pardew at West Ham

Robin van Persie – Kevin Keegan at Newcastle

Johan Elmander – Roy Keane at Sunderland

Niko Kranjcar – Mark Hughes at Manchester City

Stephen Hunt – Gary Megson at Bolton

Peter Odemwingie – Chris Hughton at Newcastle

Benjani Mwaruwari – Roy Hodgson at Liverpool

Charles N’Zogbia – Avram Grant at West Ham

Luis Suarez – Andre Villas-Boas at Spurs

Jay Rodriguez – Malky Mackay at Cardiff

Kevin Nolan – Michael Laudrup at Swansea

Mame Biram Diouf – Alan Irvine at West Brom

Christian Benteke – Gus Poyet at Sunderland

Gabriel Agbonlahor – Gus Poyet at Sunderland

Mo Salah – Slaven Bilic at West Ham

Eden Hazard – Tony Pulis at West Brom

Kenedy – Mauricio Pellegrini at Southampton

Xherdan Shaqiri – Jose Mourinho at Manchester United

Wilfried Zaha – Claude Puel at Leicester

Daichi Kamada – Unai Emery at Arsenal

Divock Origi – Marco Silva at Everton

Gylfi Sigurdsson – Jose Mourinho at Spurs

Luis Diaz – Scott Parker at Bournemouth

Roberto Firmino – Scott Parker at Bournemouth

Jarrod Bowen – Frank Lampard at Everton

Jacob Murphy – Cristian Stellini at Spurs

Alexander Isak – Cristian Stellini at Spurs

Jefferson Lerma – Javi Gracia at Leeds

Players who induced manager exits by scoring a hat-trick in their last game

Carlos Tevez – Roberto Di Matteo at West Brom

Peter Odemwingie – Mick McCarthy at Wolves

Jon Walters – Harry Redknapp at QPR