James Ward-Prowse is widely regarded as one of the finest free-kick takers in the Premier League, and the Southampton captain is closing in on a top-flight record that has been held for several years by Manchester United legend David Beckham.
As things stand, nobody has found the back of the net from more dead-ball situations than the former England captain who graduated out of the fabled Class of ‘92 at Old Trafford.
Beckham is, however, in danger of losing his standing at the top of a notable chart as Saints star Ward-Prowse continues to chase him down.
Who has scored the most free-kicks in Premier League history?
United icon Beckham, who spent more than a decade as a first-team star for the Red Devils before leaving for Real Madrid in 2003, converted 18 direct free-kicks when gracing the Premier League stage.
Ward-Prowse is now up to 14 after lashing home another spectacular strike for Southampton in their meeting with Brighton.
The 27-year-old now has breathing space in second spot, with a trio of legendary forwards being left trailing in his wake.
On chasing Beckham's record, Ward-Prowse said: "My main motivation is to meet my hero from when I was a kid. If I do get that record, hopefully he’ll reach out - but there's a long way to go yet."
Cristiano Ronaldo could still close on him this season during a second spell with United, but the Portuguese has 12 free-kick goals to his name at present.
Former Chelsea forward Gianfranco Zola sits on the same mark, alongside ex-Arsenal striker Thierry Henry.
Player | Direct free-kick goals |
|---|---|
David Beckham | 18 |
James Ward-Prowse | 14 |
Cristiano Ronaldo | 12 |
Thierry Henry | 12 |
Gianfranco Zola | 12 |
Sebastian Larsson | 11 |
Laurent Robert | 11 |
Morten Gamst Pederson | 10 |
Ian Harte | 10 |
Frank Lampard | 9 |
Nolberto Solano | 9 |
Jamie Redknapp | 9 |
Beckham vs Ward-Prowse: Who has the most Premier League goals?
While Ward-Prowse is closing in on Beckham when it comes to free-kick goals, he sits some way behind the legendary former United No.7 in the overall stakes.
The Saints skipper has 39 Premier League efforts to his name, with that haul achieved in 301 appearances.
In contrast, Beckham found the target on 65 occasions for the Red Devils through 265 games.
He also helped himself to six Premier League titles, two FA Cup triumphs and a Champions League crown.
Who is the best free-kick taker in Premier League history? Let us know in the comments below 👇