The player with the most own goals: When misfortune becomes a career statistic

Few moments in football compare to the thrill of scoring a goal. Yet finding the net at the wrong end can feel like a public mistake played out on the biggest stage. For defenders, whose primary duty is to protect the back line with strength, timing and authority, such errors can be especially costly.

Even as the modern game demands that they initiate attacks and remain composed in possession, their core responsibility remains unchanged: keep the ball out. Still, across different eras, some have struggled with that fine margin between intervention and misfortune.

In this article, nowgoalmobi takes a closer look at the player with the most own goals in history, presenting a top 10 list that sheds light on one of football’s most unwanted records.

The player with the most own goals: Between bad luck and costly mistakes

Former Manchester City centre-back Richard Dunne holds an unwanted place in the record books, having scored 10 own goals in his career.

His early years at Everton were largely steady and uneventful. Across 60 appearances for the Toffees, he avoided major mistakes and showed little sign of the misfortune that would later follow him. However, after his move to Manchester City, that narrative began to shift. In December 2004, he registered his first own goal, and more would follow during his time at the Etihad.

Despite that record, Dunne remained a key figure for City. He was named the club’s Player of the Year for four consecutive seasons from 2005 to 2008 - an achievement unmatched even in the club’s modern era of high-profile stars.

His combative style also placed him alongside Patrick Vieira and Duncan Ferguson for the most red cards in Premier League history, with eight dismissals. While rarely reckless, his role as the last line of defence often forced him into desperate challenges.

Dunne eventually brought his career to a close after helping QPR secure promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs in 2014, ending a long top-flight journey defined by resilience as much as records.

Just behind Richard Dunne in this unwanted ranking is Italian great Franco Baresi. The former Milan captain scored eight own goals during a distinguished career with the Serie A powerhouse - a statistic that does little to diminish his standing in the game.

Regarded as one of the finest centre-backs in football history, Baresi’s presence on the list underlines a simple truth: even the very best are not immune to misfortune. In their determination to prevent the seemingly unstoppable, defenders can sometimes turn the ball into their own net.

Baresi spent two decades at Milan, making 532 appearances and collecting a full set of major honours. He captained the club for 15 seasons and was the cornerstone of the famed defensive unit - alongside Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti - that went 58 matches unbeaten between 1991 and 1993.

If anything, his career stands as evidence that own goals may stain a statistic sheet, but they do not define a legacy.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is another prominent name on the list. Over the course of his Premier League career, he scored seven own goals - a total that places him second in the all-time standings, behind only Richard Dunne.

For a player so closely associated with Liverpool, there were certain fixtures where mistakes carried extra weight. Matches against Everton and Manchester United rarely lacked intensity, yet Carragher endured a particularly painful afternoon against the latter, turning the ball into his own net twice in the same game at Anfield.

That episode, however, represents only a small part of a long and committed career. Carragher made 737 appearances for Liverpool, the second-highest total in the club’s history, surpassed only by Ian Callaghan, underlining his consistency and importance across more than a decade at the highest level.

Top 10 players with the most own goals 

Richard Dunne - 10 own goals.

Franco Baresi - 8 own goals.

Riccardo Ferri - 8 own goals.

Martin Skrtel - 7 own goals.

Jamie Carragher - 7 own goals.

Phil Jagielka - 7 own goals.

Jonny Evans - 6 own goals.

Wes Brown - 6 own goals.

Ryan Shawcross - 6 own goals.

Frank Sinclair - 6 own goals.

Nowgoalmobi.net has named the player with the most own goals in history, unveiling a top 10 ranking that highlights one of football’s least enviable records.

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