15 players with the most yellow cards in Premier League history | OneFootball

The Premier League has undoubtedly witnessed some of the greatest players in the history of the game since its inception in 1992 - but it's also seen some hot heads. Whether it's no-nonsense defenders, hard-tackling midfielders, or dissenting forwards, referees have their work cut out controlling a game where tensions are often at boiling point. The old stalwarts such as Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira, and Vinnie Jones are the names that the officials would hate to read on a team sheet, knowing it was their job to keep control of things out on the pitch.

Using data from the official Premier League website, we've decided to compile a list of the top 15 players who have picked up the most yellow cards in Premier League history. There are plenty of names in there you might expect, but some you might not, so read on to find out who the top players are that both managed to smash through the 100-card barrier in their careers...

Ranking factors

GIVEMESPORT went through Premier League data showing who has the most yellow cards in the history of the league. We decided to compile this list in reverse order, working from 15th down to 1st, purely based on the number of yellow cards received.

15 Joey Barton - 78

Starting this list is a man who many will not be surprised to see included. The midfielder was often brilliant in the centre of the park, but also well-known for his off-the-ball antics. For some, their lasting memory of Barton will forever be his behaviour in the unforgettable final game of the 2011/12 Premier League season, which saw him sent off for violent misconduct after elbowing Carlos Tevez in the face, before immediately kicking Sergio Agüero in the back of the knee and attempting to headbutt Vincent Kompany, in the 3-2 defeat at Manchester City which saw the home side win their maiden Premier League title.

Surprisingly, over his 269 appearances in the top flight, Barton had a fairly impressive 74% tackle completion rate, but he still managed to commit 257 fouls in the process - receiving a yellow card every 3.4 games on average.

14 Phil Bardsley - 79

Next up is Manchester United academy graduate Phil Bardsley, who went on to play 303 times for Aston Villa, Sunderland, Stoke, and Burnley in the Premier League. The defender was another who had an impressive tackle success rate with 78%, completing 731 tackles, but he also managed his fair share of fouls, committing 333 in his time in the top flight. The Scottish international played his part in 67 Premier League clean sheets, a fairly low number due to his time spent at clubs in the bottom half of the table. Bardsley's games-per-yellow card was better than his predecessor on this list though, as he received a yellow card every 3.8 games played on average.

13 Phil Neville - 82

The first Premier League winner on the list is upon us, as the ex-Man United defender has one of the most impressive honours list of the 15 participants. As one-sixth of the 'Class of 92', and one-half of the famous Neville football brothers, Phil came through the legendary Red Devils academy and never looked back.

The defender finished top of the tree in the Premier League six times, playing 505 times for United before going on to captain Everton. Neville's tackle percentage matches Barton's with 74%, but he has the best games-per-yellow average on this entire list, and in some way, receiving a yellow on average every 6.1 games.

12 Mark Noble - 82

Coming in at number 12 is the first one-club man on this list. The West Ham legend played an incredible 414 times for the Hammers in the top flight, captaining his boyhood club for the majority of his 17-year spell. Noble sits level with Neville on 82 yellow cards, but has a worse games-per-yellow average, putting him higher on the list.

In his 414-game career, Noble found himself in the referee's notebook once every 5 games on average, with one of the highest scores in the entire top 15. Noble was a general in midfield, completing 876 tackles, but his tackle success rate is the lowest on the list so far, with just 70%.

11 Ashley Young - 83

The final entry on the list outside of the top 10 is another former United player and league title winner. The rapid winger turned full-back, played 437 times in the top flight for Watford, Aston Villa, United, and Everton, earning himself a yellow card on average every 5.2 games, scoring the third-best ratio on the entire list and beating the previous entries, Mark Noble, an impressive tally of 5.0.

The Englishman won his sole league title in Sir Alex Ferguson's final season in 2012/13, just pipping Noble to the title of the lowest tackle success rate on the list so far, with just 69%.

10 Kevin Nolan - 85

And we're in the top 10! Starting things off on the final countdown the player with the most yellow cards in Premier League history is Nolan. Nolan spent his time in the top flight between Bolton, Newcastle, and West Ham, playing 401 times between the three clubs.

The midfielder had a tackle success rate of 73% - similar to most on this list - and received a yellow card once every 4.7 games on average. Surprisingly, Nolan completed just 392 tackles in his entire Premier League career, that's less than half of his former teammate, and number 12 on this list, Mark Noble's tally of 876. Goal scoring was much more Nolan's forte, as he banged in a very solid tally of 69 Premier League goals.

9 George Boateng - 85

For the second time on the list, we have two players tied, as Boateng comes in 9th on 85 yellow cards. The only non-British entry on the list, the former Hull, Coventry, Villa, and Middlesbrough midfielder played 384 times in the league, giving him a games-per-yellow card average of 4.5 games - a rate slightly higher than Nolan's and therefore putting him higher on the list.

Boateng's tackle success rate was minutely higher than Nolan's though, with a score of 76%, as the Ghanaian-born Dutch midfielder completed 314 tackles in his stint in the Premier League. His haul of 12 seasons in the top flight is one of the shortest spells in England on this list, but he still managed to get himself up to 9th in that time. This is mainly because he is one of the highest Dutch appearance makers in Premier League history.

8 Lee Cattermole - 88

Eight is the magic number for Cattermole, as the number 8 on his list received 88 yellow cards in his top-flight career. The no-nonsense midfielder played the majority of his career at Sunderland, making the move to the Stadium of Light after moving on from Middlesbrough and a short stint at Wigan.

The Englishman played just 271 times in the league, spending the same length in the league as previous entry George Boateng, with 12 seasons, giving him a whopping games-per-yellow card average of just three games - far higher than anyone else on this list. Cattermole also received seven red cards in that time, averaging a red card every 38 games.

7 Robbie Savage - 89

The first Welshman to make the list comes in at number seven. Savage came through the Man United academy at the same time as the aforementioned 'Class of 92' but never made a league appearance for the Red Devils. The midfielder went on to make a name for himself elsewhere though, playing 346 times in the top flight - averaging a yellow every 3.8 games - for Leicester City, Birmingham City, and Blackburn Rovers.

Savage was also, unfortunately, part of the 2007/08 Derby County side that accumulated the lowest final points total in the history of the Premier League, as well as the record for the fewest wins in a Premier League season with just one victory in 38 games, as well as the most defeats with 29, fewest goals scored with 20, and most goals conceded in a 38-game season with 89.

6 Scott Parker - 92

Another midfield general who graced the turf at the Boleyn Ground makes the list, as Parker comes in and breaks the 90 barrier. The Englishman spent time at an astonishing six different clubs in his 15-year spell in the top flight, playing for the likes of Charlton Athletic, Chelsea, Newcastle, West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, and Fulham.

Parker made 824 tackles in his Premier League career, managing a 76% success rate, whilst averaging a yellow card every 3.9 games across his 367 league appearances. His first season at Spurs, in 2011/12, was arguably the best of his career, as he won Player of the Month in both November and February of that season.

5 Paul Scholes - 97

Arguably the most talented player on this list, Scholes breaks us into the top five on our list. The midfield maestro was another one of the six players who broke through the academy at Old Trafford in 1992, a one-club man who went on to make 499 league appearances alone for the Red Devils.

Scholes has won the second most Premier League titles in history, with an incredible tally of 11, just behind his old teammate Ryan Giggs with 13. Tackling was well known perhaps not to be the strongest weapon in Scholes' armoury, but with that in mind, he does show off a fairly impressive tackle success rate of 70% - with a yellow card received on average every 5.1 games.

4 Kevin Davies - 99

This English forward made an impressive 444 league appearances across a 15-year career, scoring goals for the likes of Bolton, Southampton, and Blackburn. As the first striker on this list, it's impressive that Davies was just one booking shy of making the 100 club for yellow cards. Impressively for a forward, Davies completed 377 tackles in his career, despite committing 605 fouls, going into the book every 4.4 games on average. Helping his side find the back of the net was more in Davies' skill set, as he scored 88 goals and assisted 55 more in the Premier League alone.

3 Lee Bowyer - 99

For the third and final time on the list, we have a tie, as Lee Bowyer also comes in with 99 yellow cards. The English midfielder just scrapes his way into the top three as he has only played 397 times in the top flight, compared to the 444 appearances made by Davies, giving him a higher games-per-yellow card average of 4.0.

Bowyer's 14-year career in the Premier League started at Leeds, as he spent seven seasons in white, before moving on to West Ham, Newcastle, and Birmingham. In April 2005, Bowyer was involved in the infamous on-pitch brawl with teammate Kieron Dyer in Newcastle's league match with Aston Villa. This resulted in a red card, plus an automatic three-game ban, for each player - before receiving a £30,000 fine and an additional three-game ban.

2 Wayne Rooney - 102

As we breach both the top two in this list and the 100-yellow card barriers, we find another one of Manchester United's greatest-ever players. The English forward played 491 times in the league, scoring an incredible 208 goals and assisting 103 more, sitting third in the all-time list of Premier League goalscorers.

Rooney's Premier League stats are ones to behold across the board, winning five titles as well as Player of the Season in 2009/10, as well as becoming the all-time leading goalscorer for the Red Devils. Dropping deeper into midfield in his later years, the workhorse may not see tackling as his strongest asset, committing 368 fouls and receiving a yellow card every 4.8 games on average. Known for his temper and its ability to boil over, surprisingly, Rooney was only sent off on three occasions in his 491 top-flight appearances.

1 Gareth Barry - 123

And we have reached the number one spot! The man who has the highest number of appearances in the history of the Premier League also has the most yellow cards, with a ridiculous count of 123 - 21 more than any other player in the competition's history.

For a defensive-minded midfielder, it comes as no surprise that Barry found himself in the book more on so many occasions. The one-time league winner played a key role in midfield at the Etihad as Man City won their maiden Premier League title in 2011/12, as he joined the Cityzens in 2009 after 11 years at Aston Villa. After leaving City in 2014, Barry went on to play for Everton and West Brom, where he finished his remarkable tally of 652 top-flight appearances.

The number of yellow cards doesn't tell the full story though, as Barry had one of the highest tackle success rates on this list, reaching 77%. More surprisingly though, the Englishman has the second-best games per yellow card average, achieving a yellow every 5.3 games - only behind Phil Neville on 6.1.