The Ultimate Speed Ranking: Premier League’s 10 Fastest Players Ever Recorded

The Premier League has long been home to some of the most athletically gifted footballers in the world. From lightning-fast wingers to surprisingly rapid defenders, the English top flight showcases extraordinary speed week after week. Since the 2020/21 season, when detailed speed data first began to be systematically recorded, we’ve witnessed some truly remarkable feats of acceleration and top-end velocity.

Speed in football isn’t just about straight-line sprinting – it’s a crucial tactical weapon. The ability to burst past opponents, recover defensively, or transition rapidly from defense to attack can completely transform matches. As the game continues to evolve, becoming increasingly dynamic and physical, these elite athletes push the boundaries of human performance.

What makes this list particularly fascinating is how it challenges our preconceptions. We expect wingers and strikers to dominate speed rankings, yet some of the Premier League’s fastest players occupy central defensive and midfield positions. This reflects the changing nature of modern football, where positional specialists are giving way to complete athletes capable of contributing across all phases of play.

The competition to be crowned the Premier League’s speed king is fierce, with new challengers emerging each season. Let’s dive into the definitive ranking of the ten fastest players in Premier League history, based on their maximum recorded speeds since tracking began in the 2020/21 season.

10. Matheus Nunes and Brennan Johnson (36.70 km/h)

We begin our countdown with a tie for tenth place between Matheus Nunes and Brennan Johnson, both clocking identical top speeds of 36.70 km/h.

Nunes might never have had the opportunity to showcase his impressive sprinting abilities had he remained in Manchester City’s midfield. The Portuguese player has spent most of his career in central positions, making just 15 appearances as a right-back before this season. Thrust into a wide defensive role, Nunes has been forced to contend with several powerful wing forwards, developing explosive pace in the process. His maximum speed of 36.70 km/h this season is a testament to his athletic development.

Johnson’s playing style has impressed Premier League fans during his time at both Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur. It was with his former club that he set his Premier League speed record of 36.70 km/h during a match against Manchester City in the 2022/23 season. What makes this achievement even more impressive is that Johnson hit this speed against a defense featuring Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, and the notoriously rapid Kyle Walker.

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9. Antonio Rüdiger (36.72 km/h)

Antonio Rüdiger is so explosively quick that he sometimes decides conventional running isn’t efficient enough, lifting his knees higher as if pedaling an invisible bicycle. This distinctive running style has become legendary among fans, highlighting the German defender’s exceptional physical attributes.

During his time at Chelsea, Rüdiger established himself as one of the Premier League’s fastest players. The center-back reached a maximum speed of 36.72 km/h in a match against Brighton during the 2021/22 season. While he’s currently displaying his talents in La Liga with Real Madrid, there’s always the possibility that Rüdiger could return to the Premier League in the future and attempt to improve his already impressive speed record.

8. Dara O’Shea (36.73 km/h)

The 2023/24 season offered few reasons for celebration among Burnley supporters as their team was relegated to the Championship with just 24 points. However, it was during this challenging campaign that Irish defender Dara O’Shea registered an impressive top speed of 36.73 km/h in a match against Crystal Palace. Unfortunately, O’Shea’s burst of pace wasn’t enough to change his team’s fortunes in that particular game, which Burnley lost 2-0.

7. Dominik Szoboszlai (36.76 km/h)

It’s unusual to see a central midfielder moving with the kind of velocity that Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai can generate. The Hungarian is one of only two players in his position to feature in the top ten fastest Premier League players of all time.

In September 2023, Szoboszlai reached a speed of 36.76 km/h during a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers. This explosive burst came as he tracked back following a corner kick, preventing what could have been a dangerous counter-attack. This defensive sprint highlights how modern midfielders must combine technical ability with athletic prowess to excel at the highest level.

6. Jakub Moder (36.84 km/h)

Moder spent the first several months of the 2023/24 season sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. However, upon his return to Brighton’s lineup, the Polish midfielder showed remarkable physical condition.

What makes Moder’s achievement particularly noteworthy is that he recorded an incredible maximum speed of 36.84 km/h despite coming back from a serious knee injury. This impressive feat places him ahead of Szoboszlai as the fastest central midfielder in Premier League history – a testament to both his rehabilitation work and natural athletic ability.

5. Pedro Neto (36.86 km/h)

Pedro Neto has established himself as one of the Premier League’s quickest wingers. The Chelsea star regularly pushes the ball past fullbacks before accelerating beyond them – a tactic he employed both at his current club and during his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It was while playing for Wolves that Neto recorded the fifth-fastest sprint in Premier League history – 36.86 km/h. This blistering pace was displayed during a match against Luton Town in September 2023. Since joining Chelsea, Neto has maintained his reputation as one of the fastest players in the league, often leaving defenders trailing in his wake.

4. Anthony Elanga (36.91 km/h)

Elanga’s most memorable performance this season came against his former club Manchester United, when the Nottingham Forest winger covered 85 meters in just nine seconds. During this remarkable sprint, he reached approximately 36.20 km/h, only to surpass this speed later in the same match with a burst of 36.70 km/h.

While these numbers are impressive in their own right, Elanga had previously recorded an even faster top speed of 36.91 km/h, securing his position as the fourth-fastest player in Premier League history. His explosive acceleration and high top speed make him a constant threat on the counter-attack.

3. Chiedozie Ogbene (36.93 km/h)

Luton Town featured earlier in our list as observers to Pedro Neto’s pace, but the Hatters had their own speed merchant in Chiedozie Ogbene. The Irish international’s top speed of 36.93 km/h places him third in our all-time rankings, with only two players in Premier League history having recorded faster sprints.

Ogbene hit this remarkable speed just one week before Neto scorched the turf against Luton. Unfortunately for Ogbene and his teammates, their Premier League adventure was short-lived, with Luton suffering relegation in their debut season. The club’s fall continued the following season with another relegation from the Championship – a dramatic double-drop that saw them plummet from the elite to the third tier in just two years.

2. Kyle Walker (37.31 km/h)

For years, Kyle Walker has been recognized as one of world football’s fastest players, and the statistics firmly support this reputation. The England international has consistently used his exceptional pace to both launch Manchester City attacks and recover defensively when needed.

Walker was in particularly fine form during a match against Everton in May 2023, where he reached a stunning speed of 37.31 km/h. This blistering pace helped ensure that the Toffees failed to find the net against City’s defense. For a considerable time, this stood as the Premier League’s all-time speed record – until a new challenger emerged.

1. Micky van de Ven (37.38 km/h)

The man who finally dethroned Kyle Walker sits atop our list. For many years, no one questioned Walker’s status as the Premier League’s fastest player. However, when Tottenham signed Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg – a player who had already recorded speeds of 36.66 km/h in the Bundesliga – there was a possibility that Walker’s record might fall.

The Dutch center-back didn’t take long to make his mark in English football. In three separate instances, van de Ven has exceeded speeds of 36.70 km/h, but one particular sprint was enough to surpass Walker’s 37.31 km/h. This historic moment came during a match against Brentford in early 2024 when, while chasing down Keane Lewis-Potter, the Tottenham defender became the fastest recorded player in Premier League history, reaching an astonishing 37.38 km/h.

What makes van de Ven’s achievement even more remarkable is that he operates primarily as a central defender – a position traditionally associated with strength and aerial ability rather than explosive speed. His combination of technical skill and athletic prowess has made him one of the most coveted defenders in Europe, with several top clubs reportedly interested in securing his services.

The Future of Speed in Football

The records we’ve explored in this article represent the current pinnacle of human speed in Premier League football, but they’re unlikely to stand forever. As the game continues to evolve, becoming increasingly dynamic and physically demanding, we can expect to see these boundaries pushed even further.

Modern players benefit from advanced training techniques, nutrition programs, and technological innovations that help them maximize their physical potential. The emphasis on complete athleticism – regardless of position – means that speed is now a crucial attribute for virtually every player on the pitch.

The fact that our top ten includes defenders, midfielders, and attackers speaks to this evolution. Gone are the days when center-backs could rely solely on positioning and strength, or when central midfielders could succeed without exceptional physical attributes. Today’s elite footballers must combine technical excellence with athletic brilliance.

As new talents emerge and established stars continue to develop, we can anticipate this list changing significantly in the coming years. The question isn’t whether these records will be broken, but when – and by whom.

The race to be crowned the Premier League’s fastest player continues, pushing the boundaries of human performance and redefining what we thought was physically possible on a football pitch. With each new season, we witness extraordinary feats of speed that leave fans and analysts alike in awe of these remarkable athletes.

This growing emphasis on physical excellence reflects a broader shift in modern football, where speed, stamina, and tactical awareness are more crucial than ever. For deeper insight into how these trends play out on the international stage, explore Euro 2020 analyses that highlight similar developments across Europe.