How Tall is The Average Premier League Player? A Breakdown of Every Position

The Premier League is the highest level of the English football league system.

Made up of 20 teams, the league boasted more than 4.7 billion fans as of 2013 – making it the most-watched professional sports league in the world.

But how tall do you need to be to reach the highest level of soccer?

According to official data from ESPN, out of 702 listed athletes, the average height of a Premier League player is 5 feet 11.95 inches (182.75 centimeters).

That’s about 2.85 inches taller than the average American male (5 feet 9.1 inches), but roughly 2.44 inches shorter than the average NFL player.

Here is a complete breakdown of the average height of each Premier League position.

• Average Height of a Premier League Midfielder
• Average Height of a Premier League Forward
• Average Height of Premier League Defenders
• Average Height of Premier League Goalkeepers
• Premier League Height FAQs

Average Height of a Premier League Midfielder

The average height of a Premier League midfielder is 5 feet 10.83 inches (179.91 centimeters).

Also known as halfbacks, the midfielder’s job is exactly what it sounds like – patrolling the middle of the field. Depending on their specific position, they do everything from disrupting the opponent’s offense to creating goal opportunities for their forwards.

Listed at 5′ 5″, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Billy Gilmour is one of the shortest midfielders in the Premier League. He’s a full foot (12 inches) smaller than Burnley’s Sander Berge – the league’s tallest at the position.

Average Height of a Premier League Forward

The average height of a Premier League forward is 5 feet 10.94 inches (180.18 centimeters).

Otherwise known as attackers, forwards play the furthest up the pitch. Their job is plain and simple: to score and assist goals.

But as the data proves, goal scorers come in all shapes and sizes. Heights range from 5’6″ (Julio Enciso) and all the way up to 6′ 5″ (Kieffer Moore).

If you’re a young soccer player – especially on the smaller side – you can take solace in the fact that production (not size) is what matters most at the game’s highest level. More so than any other sport we’ve covered.

Average Height of Premier League Defenders

The average height of a Premier League defender is 6 feet 0.53 inches (184.22 centimeters).

As the first position group with a height above 6 feet, it’s easy to understand why. Size matters more when your primary role is to stop the opposing attack from scoring.

When blocking shots and contesting headers, you need to stop a ball sailing through the air. Thus, height plays a bigger part.

But that’s not to say that it’s everything.

Just look at Tariq Lamptey – a 5’4″ 119-pound right-back for Brighton & Hove Albion. Or Chelsea’s Ian Maatsen, who at 5’6″ stands one foot shorter than Brentford’s Kristoffer Ajer (6’6″).

Average Height of Premier League Goalkeepers

The average height of a Premier League goalkeeper is 6 feet 3.04 inches (190.59 centimeters).

As the tallest position on the pitch, the keeper’s job is to defend a net measuring 24 feet wide by 8 feet high. That’s a large area to cover, and an extra couple of inches on your wingspan can mean the difference between getting a fingertip on the ball or letting it fly by.

Standing at 5’10”, Crystal Palace’s Joseph Whitworth is the shortest goalkeeper in the league – 9 inches smaller than Fraser Forster, the tallest keeper and player in the Premier League.

Unsurprisingly, goalkeeper is also one of the oldest position groups in professional soccer.

Premier League Height FAQs

I had a lot of fun rounding up and analyzing this data, so why not round up some more fun facts? Here are some interesting findings about the size of Premier League players.

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