GAry Neville, Yaya Toure

The Premier League’s Top 15 Brother Duos – Ranked

Few things in football are as special as seeing siblings make it to the top level together—and the Premier League…

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Few things in football are as special as seeing siblings make it to the top level together—and the Premier League has seen its fair share of brother duos over the years. Some pairs have shared the spotlight, while others were carried by a single standout name.

We’ve taken a closer look at the brothers with the most combined Premier League appearances and ranked them from fewest to most.

15. Josh & Jacob Murphy – 213 appearances

Jacob Murphy
ph.FAB / Shutterstock.com

The Murphy twins came through together at Norwich but made their biggest impact at Newcastle. Jacob has featured far more regularly in the Premier League than Josh.

14. Andy & David Linighan – 229 appearances

andy linighan
Photo: Football.fandom

Both defenders, the Linighan brothers were part of the early Premier League era. David had the more prominent career, particularly with Ipswich Town.

13. Georginio Wijnaldum & Rajiv van la Parra – 255 appearances

Photo: kivnl / Shutterstock.com

Wijnaldum carried this duo with his impressive spells at Newcastle and Liverpool. Van la Parra had a more modest stint, mainly with Huddersfield.

12. Michael & Will Keane – 256 appearances

Michael Keane
MDI / Shutterstock.com

Michael Keane established himself as a solid Premier League center-back with Burnley and Everton. His brother Will has made just a handful of top-flight appearances.

11. Carl Cort & Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 268 appearances

Ruben Loftus-Cheek
ph.FAB / Shutterstock.com

Though they’re half-brothers, both have represented Premier League clubs. Ruben is still active and has surpassed Carl’s career total.

10. Craig & Gary Gardner – 275 appearances

craig gardner
By vagueonthehow from Tadcaster, York, England – SAFC vs MUFC, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19846467

Craig Gardner made over 250 appearances across multiple Midlands clubs. Gary, currently in the lower leagues, played 16 games in the top flight.

9. Christian & Jonathan Benteke – 281 appearances

Christian Benteke
Photo: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com

This is one of the most lopsided duos. Christian accounts for 280 of the appearances, while Jonathan made just one—for Crystal Palace, replacing his brother.

8. John Arne & Bjørn Helge Riise – 336 appearances

John Arne Riise
ph.FAB / Shutterstock.com

John Arne was known for his powerful left foot at Liverpool and Fulham, racking up 321 games. Bjørn Helge played 15 times for Fulham.

7. Andy & Michael Dawson – 346 appearances

Michael Dawson
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Michael Dawson starred for Tottenham and Hull City. His older brother Andy played 60 times in the Premier League during Hull’s first top-flight spell.

6. Shaun & Bradley Wright-Phillips – 347 appearances

Wright-Phillips
Maxisport / Shutterstock.com

Shaun showed early promise at Manchester City and earned a move to Chelsea. Bradley couldn’t quite match his brother’s path and later shined in MLS.

5. Shola & Sammy Ameobi – 352 appearances

Shola Ameobi
By https://www.flickr.com/photos/47861036@N00/ – https://www.flickr.com/photos/47861036@N00/2683695026/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9884966

Shola became a Newcastle fan favorite over more than a decade. Sammy showed early potential but struggled with injuries and consistency.

4. Jordan & André Ayew – 401 appearances

Jordan Ayew
daykung / Shutterstock.com

The Ayew brothers have both played significant roles in the Premier League. Jordan remains active with Leicester, while André enjoyed solid spells with Swansea and West Ham.

3. Kolo & Yaya Touré – 583 appearances

Kolo Toure
Pal2iyawit / Shutterstock.com

These Ivorian legends left a major mark. Kolo was part of Arsenal’s Invincibles, while Yaya was a driving force behind Manchester City’s rise in the 2010s.

2. Rio & Anton Ferdinand – 722 appearances

Rio Ferdinand
Photo: Stefan Constantin 22 / Shutterstock.com

Rio is considered one of the greatest defenders in league history. Anton had a respectable career in his own right, featuring over 200 times for clubs like West Ham and Sunderland.

1. Gary & Phil Neville – 902 appearances

Gary Neville
photoyh / Shutterstock.com

No brother duo comes close to matching the Nevilles. Phil logged 505 appearances and Gary 397, both playing crucial roles in Manchester United’s golden era under Sir Alex Ferguson.

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