Football players come in all shapes and sizes – and the case is no different in the sport’s most-watched division: the Premier League. While some use their diminutive size to weave in and out of players and stay afoot in the tightest of spaces, there’s something weirdly majestic about watching an abnormally tall footballer do his thing.
Whether it’s a goalkeeper who can fill the sticks with his large-statured frame, a centre-back that dominates aerial duels or a striker that is often used as an archetypal target man, the tallest players often stick out like a sore thumb, purely because of how they tower above everyone else on the turf.
Many of the all-time footballing greats, however, have been on the shorter end of the height spectrum. Take Argentina duo Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona for example, though being tall does have its uses on a football pitch, especially for those who typically use their hands rather than their feet. This list looks at the 21 tallest players to ever step foot in a Premier League fixture, and there are some real throwback names who make it.
21Nick Woltemade
198cm
Newcastle United have finally landed a striker after a summer-long search. Eddie Howe hasn’t just snapped up one of the most exciting young forwards in Europe, but one of the tallest too. Nick Woltemade stands at just under two metres tall, and will only add to an already physically dominant team.
Having impressed at the Under 21s European Championship over the summer, the German looked set to make the all-too-familiar switch to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. However, the massive yet graceful striker has decided to try his hand at English football.
20Wayne Hennessey
198 cm
At the time of writing, Wayne Hennessey – one of the greatest Wales goalkeepers in football history – remains a free agent and could still perform at a decent level at 38 years old. The Welsh international has spent his recent years as a back-up goalkeeper, first with Burnley and then with Nottingham Forest.
Prior to that, though, Hennessey was number one at Wolverhampton Wanderers, who he played for between 2006 and 2014, and at Crystal Palace from 2014 to 2021, helping the latter reach the FA Cup final. At almost two metres tall, he is one of the tallest shot-stoppers to have played in the Premier League.
19Kristoffer Ajer
198 cm
Kristoffer Ajer first came to the attention of many in Europe during his time with Scottish Premiership juggernauts Celtic, in which he won three Scottish Premiership titles before moving south of the border to join the west London-based outfit in 2021.
The Norwegian, 27, has endured his fair share of struggles with injury since then, but when fit and raring to go, he has proven himself a capable Premier League option, utilising his height well in a team that so greatly relies on set pieces and throw-ins. He’s also sound defensively and uses his frame to tower over the opposition.
18Asmir Begovic
199 cm
Asmir Begovic made his debut in English football with Portsmouth in 2005, though would spend the following five years out on a number of loans before his 2010 move to Stoke City, where he truly established himself as a first-choice ‘keeper. Incredibly, he is perhaps best remembered for scoring one of the longest goals in Premier League history.
In fact, Croatia-born Begovic famously scored from his own box against Bolton Wanderers for the Potters and joined Chelsea in 2015, where he would go on to become a Premier League champion. Stints with Bournemouth, Everton and QPR followed before Begovic joined Leicester City as a back-up goalkeeping option.
17Jannik Vestergaard
199 cm
After making a name for himself in the Bundesliga, Jannik Vestergaard moved to England in 2018, joining Southampton under manager Ralph Hassenhuttl. Over the next three years, Vestergaard, who stands just below two metres tall, announced himself as an imposing defender, which eventually led to Leicester City making a bid for him in 2021.
Though he had a mixed relationship with former manager Brendan Rodgers, Vestergaard stayed with the club after their relegation and was a key part of the team that won immediate promotion back to the Premier League. The 51-cap Denmark international is still with the Foxes, aged 33, in the Championship.
16Sasa Kalajdzic
200 cm
The Austrian’s time in the Premier League didn’t exactly get off to a flyer after putting pen to paper in the summer of 2022. A five-year deal was rolled out in front of the large-statured frontman as Wolverhampton Wanderers looked to alleviate their goalscoring issues. Instead, on his debut in September, Sasa Kalajdzic suffered a season-ending ACL injury having played just 45 minutes for the Old Gold.
If the striker thought he had put that issue behind him, then he was sadly mistaken. Kalajdzic suffered another knee injury while on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt in February 2024, with it being the third significant issue with his knee. Wolves fans will be hoping he can overcome another huge setback and really showcase his potential on the pitch. Fans are patiently waiting for the day they can use his height to their advantage.
15Thibaut Courtois
200 cm
A Premier League great, Thibaut Courtois established himself as one of modern football’s greatest goalkeepers while at Chelsea. Standing at 200 cm, his imposing silhouette between the sticks was enough to strike fear into the finest of strikers during his west London days.
Even better, the imposing Belgian uses his height to his advantage even to this day with Real Madrid, commanding incoming set pieces and decreasing angles for strikers to shoot at. Once he hangs up his gloves, he will be well-placed alongside the likes of Manuel Neuer and Gianluigi Buffon as the best of the best – and not because of his height. A Champions League winner with Los Blancos, the big Belgian has seen it and done it all at club level.
14Dan Burn
201 cm
Newcastle-born and bred, Dan Burn, who makes the Premier League’s tallest XI, was a paramount aspect of Eddie Howe’s success on Tyneside, most notably their return to the Champions League for the 2023/2024 campaign. The 33-year-old enjoyed the trials and tribulations of English football before getting his chance to perform at its highest level, having endured stints at Darlington, Yeovil and Wigan.
Plying his trade at centre-back for the majority of career, a switch to left-back occurred while under Graham Potter’s watchful eye at Brighton & Hove Albion and the role change has persisted since, following his move to Tyneside. A threat at both ends of the pitch, his game encapsulates much more of being a footballer, given he is defensively astute and overly calm in possession of the ball. Now an England international too, after a stellar 2024/2025 campaign, the defender picked up his first career trophy when he marshalled the Magpies to a Carabao Cup triumph.
13Fraser Forster
201 cm
Despite falling out of favour at Tottenham Hotspur given the arrival of Guglielmo Vicario in the summer of 2023, Fraser Forster has chalked up 155 games in the Premier League for both Spurs and Southampton. Throughout his career, the six-cap Englishman has struggled to cement himself as a sure-fire starter at a top club, though he enjoyed the majority of his success in Scotland with Celtic, a club for which he won four league titles and three Scottish Cup trophies.
While things may not have exactly gone swimmingly in England’s top-flight for the 37-year-old, there’s no doubt that he is a solid goalkeeper and is one of the tallest at that – standing at 201 cm tall. Forster is now without a club after departing the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2024.
12Paul Onuachu
201 cm
Having joined Turkish Süper Lig side Trabzonspor this summer, Paul Onuachu, who is 201 cm in height, failed to set England alight after joining Southampton in January 2023. Making his debut for the side in February of their relegation season, he failed to replicate his prolific form that people saw on show for Gent, with transfer insider Dean Jones previously telling GIVEMESPORT that Onuachu’s situation in England was ‘confusing’.
The Nigerian evidently had plenty more to give and looked to stamp his authority in England’s top flight last season as the Saints returned, though the campaign was one of immense struggles for the Saints as they were demoted again, and Onuachu has since moved on.
11Stefan Postma
201 cm
Often filling the majority of the goal with his large frame, Stefan Postma barely got the opportunity to do so in the Premier League. The now-48-year-old made just 11 league appearances for Aston Villa as he was limited to a bit-part role during his four-year stay at the club between 2002 and 2006.
While failing to become the number one choice for the Villains, Postma opted to remain in the Midlands vicinity and join Wolverhampton Wanderers and enjoyed a 32-game season before being shipped back to his native country of the Netherlands. The Dutchman also struggled to impress at international level and has just one cap, at U21 level, to his name.
10Lars Leese
201 cm
Lars Leese once held the record for being the tallest player in the storied history of the Premier League after making nine appearances for Barnsley in the late 90s. Arriving for a mere £250,000, the towering ace was largely seen as a back-up to the first-choice stoppers at his respective clubs.
Now 56, Leese – born in Koln, Germany – only racked up 119 appearances across his 16-year stint as a footballer and called time on his career at his boyhood club as he returned in 2003 for a two-season period. Standing at a whopping 201 cm, Leese, despite his short stint in England, finds himself on the list.
9Ian Feuer
201 cm
More prominently known for his stints in England’s lower leagues, Ian Feuer became the joint-tallest goalkeeper to earn his corn in the Premier League when he returned to play for West Ham United, albeit for just three times, in the 2000/01 campaign.
The 201 cm-tall shot-stopper previously endured a two-season spell in east London between 1994 and 1996, though failed to make an appearance. Born in Las Vegas, Feuer retired in 2002 – while playing for Wolves – with one international cap added to his CV and has now turned his hand to goalkeeping coaching at Los Angeles in the MLS.
8Stefan Maierhofer
202 cm
Joining Mick McCarthy at Wolves in 2009 was Stefan Maierhofer, who stood at a towering 202 cm. Starting his career in Bavaria for Bayern Munich, the Austrian frontman went on to be quite the journeyman, having featured for 23 sides during his playing days – but he will be best remembered for being that ‘tall guy’ that played up top in the fabled gold strip of Wolves.
The striker, who stood above most at 202 cm, pulled the curtains on his career in summer 2023, aged 41, having played the majority of his games for Rapid Vienna (60) and is now working as a coach at Burgenland U18s.
7Nikola Zigic
202 cm
Birmingham City’s giant Nikola Zigic. Remember him? The Serbian striker joined the then-Premier League club from Valencia in 2010 for a fee around the £6 million mark and scored in the League Cup final against Arsenal as the Brummies secured their first trophy since 1963. Football’s archetypal outlet, Zigic proved his worth in front of goal for Red Star Belgrade but failed to hit the grade in England, however.
Unfortunately for Zigic, his large stature only blessed the English top flight for one season as Alex McLeish’s side succumbed to relegation on the final day, though he will always be remembered for leading Birmingham to one of the finest days in their history.
6Peter Crouch
202 cm
The man. The myth. The legend. Peter Crouch, thanks to his towering presence, leads the league’s all-time charts for headed goals – but his skillset had much more to it than that. Much more than an outlet, the former Liverpool striker scored some absolute world-beaters during his time on the pitch but will largely be remembered for making those of an average height look tiny.
Having earned his corn at a plethora of English clubs, Crouch enjoyed a 467-game career at the highest of levels, scoring 106 goals and providing a further 68 assists in that sequence. An iconic figure of the sport and one who has had a similar impact on the podcasting circuit.
5Lacina Traore
203 cm
Enduring a very, very short spell in the Premier League with Everton in 2013/14, Lacina Traore still qualifies for the list. In fact, he is only on the list by virtue of a last-minute substitution on the final day of the season.
Bursting onto the scene as a keen teenager with Cluj, the Ivory Coast international, who is now without a club, got his big-money move to Russian club Anzhi, though never managed to stamp his authority wherever he ended up.
Instead, he became a journeyman and endured tumultuous stints at the likes of Monaco, Sporting Gijon, and Amiens as he never quite lived up to his name, despite being named as one of Football Manager’s wonderkids in 2012.
4Costel Pantilimon
203 cm
Best remembered for his days at Manchester City, where he largely acted as Joe Hart’s understudy, Costel Pantilimon racked up 54 appearances in the English top-flight for a triumvirate of clubs: City, Sunderland, and Watford. A move to Nottingham Forest was also added to his list of English sides, though that was in the form of Championship football.
The goalkeeper, who is considered to be one of the luckiest players to have a Premier League title to his name, never quite got the chance he deserved in England. Now 38 years of age and retired, the 27-cap Romania international will hold a very dear place in the hearts of Premier League fans for being one of the tallest to ever grace the league.
3Carlos Miguel
204 cm
Carlos Miguel wasn’t a Premier League player for very long. The goalkeeper joined Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2024 and instantly became one of the tallest players in the history of the division. Despite being 27 years old, the Brazilian doesn’t have much experience in senior football, with just 33 appearances throughout his entire career.
Despite standing at 6 ft 8 in, the keeper never ousted Mats Selz as the number one at the City Ground and has already departed the club.
2Lucas Bergstrom
205 cm
Having spent time in Chelsea’s youth academy, Lucas Bergstrom arrived at the club in 2018 as a 16-year-old, and in the years since, his height has skyrocketed, making him the second-tallest player in the history of the Premier League. The young goalkeeper never actually made an appearance in the division, but that doesn’t take away his status as one of the tallest players in its history.
The Finnish international, who helped towards the Blues’ insane squad depth this campaign, recently left Stamford Bridge for Spanish club Mallorca. His time in England saw him fail to make a top-flight appearance but he’s young enough that he could still return one day.
1Kjell Scherpen
206 cm
Standing at an eye-catching 206 cm, the Dutchman joined Brighton & Hove Albion from Ajax back in 2021, though it was reduced to one fixture during his time in the Premier League. Kjell Scherpen endured a host of spells at KV Oostende and Vitesse as the Brighton higher-ups gave him plentiful experience in senior football.
The youngster, now at Union Saint-Gilloise, has made 18 appearances for his nation’s U21 side and is regarded as one of their finest goalkeeping exports of recent times. Still just 25, there is plenty of time for Scherpen to instate himself as a household name in football, though he will already be one among the sharp-eyed viewers given his place in this list. Remember the name.
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