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 22 tallest players to ever step foot in a Premier League fixture, and there are some real throwback names who make it.

22

Nick Woltemade

198cm

In the summer of 2025, Newcastle United were in the market for a new striker to replace Alexander Isak, and they eventually signed Nick Woltemade in a £69.3m move from Stuttgart. Eddie Howe’s side didn’t just snap up one of the most exciting young forwards in Europe, but one of the tallest too. The German stands at just under two metres tall, which only added to an already physically dominant team.

There were very high expectations for Woltemade following his move, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations just yet. He enjoyed a good start to life in England but ended his debut Premier League campaign with an underwhelming eight goals in 33 appearances.

21

Wayne Hennessey

198 cm

Wayne Hennessey – one of the greatest Wales goalkeepers in football history – called time on a successful football career in the summer of 2025. He spent his latter 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 was one of the tallest shot-stoppers to have played in the Premier League.

20

Kristoffer 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, 28, 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.

19

Asmir 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.

18

Jannik 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 59-cap Denmark international is currently a free agent after being releaed by leicester following their relagation to League One.

17

Sasa 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. After spending the 25/26 campaign on loan at LASK, Wolves fans are patiently waiting for the day they can use his height to their advantage.

16

Thibaut 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.

15

Lorenzo Lucca

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

With Nottingham Forest struggling during the 2025/26 season, they decided to sign giant striker Lorenzo Lucca on loan from Napoli in the hopes he could score the goals that would propel them to safety. The Tricky Trees’ form improved, and they successfully avoided relegation, but the Italian only played a very minor role in that.

Lucca enjoyed an impressive debut as he scored against Leeds United. But he would only play three more times in the Premier League, with Chris Wood and Igor Jesus preferred. Forest had an option to buy Lucca but, unsurprisingly, they decided not to make his stint permanent.

14

Dan Burn

201 cm

Newcastle-born and bred, Dan Burn, who makes the Premier League’s tallest XI, has been a paramount aspect of Eddie Howe’s success on Tyneside, most notably their return to the Champions League for the 2023/2024 campaign. The 34-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, the defender picked up his first career trophy when he marshalled the Magpies to a Carabao Cup triumph in 2025.

13

Fraser Forster

201 cm

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 38-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 a backup goalkeeper at Bournemouth.

A UEFA Champions League competing club have called images of one of their players being robbed “harrowing” after an attack took place last weekend.

Belgian football is in shock after footage of the attack on Union Saint-Gilloise striker Mohammed Fuseini on the streets of Brussels. Masked individuals are seen dragging the Ghanaian out of his car and putting him in a headlock before fleeing.

One of Fuseini’s teammates, Relebohile Relebohile Mofokeng, is said to have captured the robbery on camera at the exit of Bloody Louis nightclub in central Brussels. The 24-year-old was robbed at around 6:30 am, and the club has confirmed he was taken to hospital.

Royal SG Respond to Fuseini Robbery

REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN) claims that the robbers stole Fuseini’s Rolex worth between €8,000 and €14,000. Ghanaian journalist Owuraku Ampofo reposted footage and said that the 24-year-old’s wallet and two iPhones were also stolen.

Union SG wrote in a statement: “The images from last Sunday are particularly harrowing. He subsequently went to the hospital for a check-up and received excellent care there from the Brussels police, whom we sincerely thank for their outstanding work. The injuries are not serious, and he resumed training yesterday.”

The public prosecutor’s office said that “Three people were the victims of a robbery with violence as they made their way to their vehicle in Brussels.” They claim that “various valuable items including watches, telephones and personal belongings” were stolen.

Fuseini has been back in training following the attack as he prepares for Union SG’s Belgian Super Cup final against Club Brugge on Friday (July 31st). The 24-year-old has been with the Belgian outfit since 2024 when he joined from Austrian side SK Sturm Graz.

Suspect Arrested After Police Search

REUTERS/Yves Herman

The Belgian authorities have since confirmed that a 23-year-old has been arrested in connection with the robbery. They said that “during a search of the suspect’s home, items reported stolen were recovered.”

Their statement continued: “The Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office requested an investigating judge and asked for the suspect’s detention. The suspect was charged with theft with violence committed by a gang and placed under an arrest warrant.”

The suspect is being held at Haren prison in Brussels, and his lawyer, Samuel Rosenblatt, has refused to comment on the investigation as it is still ongoing. They did add that: “My client is aware of the seriousness of the facts and regrets them.”

Rosenblatt wouldn’t comment on whether his client already knew Fuseini, saying this “falls under the secrecy of the investigation.” He also claims that the suspect has no criminal record.

Sepp Blatter has been reminded of his wrongdoings as FIFA President after giving his opinion on Gianni Infantino’s relationship with US President Donald Trump.

A report from The Times has uncovered FIFA’s plans to sell a minority stake in the World Cup, and Infantino is at the forefront of this scheme. The sporting body is set to work with JPMorgan to raise $4.2 billion from private investors.

A new commercial entity called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) will grant FIFA’s 211 national member associations tradable equity stakes. It has been met with huge backlash, and UEFA has told Infantino that he is “crossing a line.”

“Deeply Damaging” – Sepp Blatter Hits Out at Gianni Infantino

REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

UEFA nations have called an emergency meeting, which could lead to them boycotting the World Cup if Infantino doesn’t reconsider. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham slammed FIFA’s plans and told them they are “selling out.”

Trump’s administration has reportedly been approached by FIFA about the potential deal. The US President holds a strong relationship with Infantino after co-hosting the tournament in the United States during the summer.

Blatter hit out at his predecessor with a post on his X account: “The close relationship between the FIFA President and the US President has reached a financial dimension that is deeply damaging football. No one has the right to sell our game. #GianniInfantino #DonaldTrump #FIFA #UEFA #USA #Sellout.”

The Spiderman meme comes to mind after seeing Blatter criticise Infantino about “selling our game.” The replies to his comments were all pointed at the disgraced former FIFA president’s hypocrisy.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher humorously poked fun at Blatter by posting a GIF of Trump pointing down a camera lens.

Fans echoed this stance, and one wrote: “Why is Sepp Blatter talking about corruption? He was worse than Infantino” while another replied: “Sepp Blatter; the man who ran FIFA for 17 years and was banned for ethics violations is now the voice of moral authority on corruption in football. The fact that he’s the most credible critic in this situation tells you everything about how deep this rabbit hole goes.”

Infantino was elected as president back in February 2016 and replaced Blatter, who spent 17 years in power. The proposed plans are the latest controversy surrounding FIFA’s current head honcho, who is reportedly set to earn millions from the potential deal.

What Led to Blatter Leaving FIFA

Sepp Blatter (L) congratulates Czech legendary midfielder Josef Masopust on his 80th birthday

Blatter’s tenure as FIFA president ended after an investigation into corruption, including bribery, took place in May 2015. Seven high-ranking FIFA officials were arrested and charged with taking over $150 million in bribes.

The Swiss authorities raided the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich on May 27th, 2015, on indictments from the US Department of Justice. The investigation centred on broadcasting and commercial rights, hosting votes for major tournaments, and the decision to award Russia and Qatar the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Blatter had been re-elected two days after the arrests, but major sponsors, UEFA and legal threats led to him announcing his resignation. Investigators then opened a criminal investigation and uncovered a suspect payment of $2 million from Blatter to then-UEFA President Michel Platini in 2011.

This led the FIFA Ethics Committee to suspend Blatter and Platini from football for eight years, immediately stripping them of any executive power. They have since been acquitted twice of criminal fraud in Swiss civil courts, but their bans remain intact.