Alex Iwobi is one Premier League appearance away from joining a tiny group of players who have made at least 100 appearances for three different clubs.
The Fulham midfielder has played 99 league games for the London club after appearing in the opening two matches of the 2026-27 season.
If Iwobi plays against Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage on Saturday, September 5, he will reach 100 Premier League appearances for Fulham. That would give him 100 for Arsenal, 123 for Everton and 100 for Fulham, putting him alongside four players who have already achieved the rare feat.
The names in that group tell the story of how difficult the achievement is. Gareth Barry, Rory Delap, Gary Speed and James Milner all built long careers across several Premier League clubs before reaching triple figures with three of them. Iwobi is now one game from joining them.
Born in Lagos, Iwobi joined Arsenal at six, moved through the club’s age groups and broke into Arsene Wenger’s first team before becoming a regular Premier League player. His career then took him from north London to Everton and back to London with Fulham.
The Premier League record makers
Gareth Barry
Barry set the standard for this group during a remarkable Premier League career that lasted from 1998 to 2020. He made his league debut for Aston Villa against Sheffield Wednesday on May 2, 1998, aged 17 years and 67 days.
His Villa career produced 365 Premier League appearances. He then played 132 games for Manchester City, 131 for Everton and four for West Bromwich Albion. His three 100-plus club totals came with Villa, City and Everton. Across his Premier League career, Barry played 653 matches.
Barry’s time at Everton also provides an interesting link with Iwobi. Barry left the club in 2017, two years before Iwobi moved to Goodison Park from Arsenal.
Rory Delap
Delap’s journey was built around several clubs and a reputation for one of football’s most dangerous long throws. His Premier League career included Derby County, Southampton, Sunderland and Stoke City.
He made 103 Premier League appearances for Derby, 116 for Southampton and 134 for Stoke. Those numbers put him well beyond the 100-game mark at three clubs. His Premier League career finished with 359 appearances and 23 goals.
Gary Speed
Speed reached the milestone before Milner and became one of the Premier League’s most respected midfielders. He played for Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers during a career that produced 535 Premier League appearances.
His club totals were 143 games for Leeds, 58 for Everton, 213 for Newcastle and 121 for Bolton. His three 100-plus totals came with Leeds, Newcastle and Bolton.
Speed’s Newcastle chapter began after Kenny Dalglish signed him from Everton in 1998. He played 213 league matches at St James’ Park before moving to Bolton in 2004.
James Milner
Milner became the fourth player to achieve the feat when Liverpool beat Leicester City 2-1 in September 2018. He already had 100 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa and 100 for Manchester City when he reached his Liverpool century.
His career later became even more extraordinary. Milner played for Leeds, Newcastle, Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton, eventually setting the Premier League appearance record at 658 before retiring in 2026.
His first Premier League appearance came for Leeds against West Ham United in November 2002, when he was only 16 years old. He also became the competition’s youngest scorer at the time when he scored against Sunderland on Boxing Day that year.
Alex Iwobi
Iwobi’s story started much earlier than his Premier League career suggests. Arsenal picked him up at six, and he progressed through the academy before Wenger gave him his senior debut in the League Cup at the start of the 2015-16 season. Four days later, he made his Premier League debut in Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Swansea City.
He spent four seasons in Arsenal’s senior setup and finished his league career there with 100 appearances, 11 goals and 17 assists. His performances helped him move from promising academy graduate to established first-team player.
Everton then paid about £34 million to sign him in August 2019. He spent four seasons on Merseyside and made 123 Premier League appearances, scoring six goals and providing 11 assists. His final Everton season, 2022-23, was particularly important because he started all 38 league matches.
Fulham signed Iwobi on September 1, 2023, giving him a contract until the summer of 2028. He quickly became an important part of the midfield and has now reached 99 Premier League appearances for the club.
The numbers give Iwobi 322 Premier League appearances across Arsenal, Everton and Fulham.
One more appearance at Craven Cottage against Crystal Palace and Iwobi will join Barry, Delap, Speed and Milner as the fifth player to make 100 Premier League appearances for three different clubs.
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