10 Hardest-Working Players in the Premier League Right Now [Ranked]

Recognised as the greatest league in the world, it takes a lot to win a Premier League football match. Sometimes a moment of brilliance or a mistake can change a game, but for any team that wants to be successful, hard work is non-negotiable and should be the foundation of any team.

The modern game has changed a lot, whereby the hardest-working players aren’t just midfielders who have to run a lot. Strikers, wing-backs and everybody else must press high and try to win the ball back constantly. Certain forwards, such as Dominic Solanke and Kai Havertz, are masters of this, which makes them key parts of their respective teams.

Some teams, including Bournemouth and Brentford, excel by being energetic and combative, and some of their players feature as we rank the 10 most hard-working players in the Premier League right now.

Ranking Factors

• Distance Run
• Style of Play
• Combativeness on the pitch

10Youri Tielemans

Club: Aston Villa

Incredibly once viewed as a lazy player, Youri Tielemans has been a revelation under Unai Emery at Aston Villa. On the ball, he has always been a magician, capable of finding an exquisite pass or scoring a long-range screamer, but he has become even better off the ball in recent times.

A team who are always on the front foot, looking to take the game to their opponents, Tielemans, who has started every game in every competition for Villa this year, is at the forefront of this. Regularly clocking a lot of miles in games. The Belgian helps initiate the press, and win the ball back before he helps to set up attacks.

9Dominic Solanke

Club: Tottenham

A player whose transformation over recent seasons has been admirable, Dominic Solanke’s hard work extends to off the pitch as well as on it. Somebody who lacked a lot of confidence, it wasn’t until Bournemouth’s relegation in 2020 that the English forward found his feet.

Scoring 44 goals in two seasons in the Championship, as the Cherries were promoted back to the Premier League, Solanke was able to get his career on track. A player who works extremely hard, the former Liverpool man is constantly running into the channels and pressuring defenders, helping to win the ball back high up the pitch.

Earning himself a move to Tottenham and an England recall in 2024, he has become one of the best strikers in the league, and his industrious style of play is key to his evolution to reach the top level.

8Lewis Cook

Club: Bournemouth

One of the most underrated players in the Premier League, Lewis Cook has had to overcome a number of setbacks to reach his current level.

Suffering two ACL injuries in 2018 and 2021, which kept him out for a combined 520 days, the former England under-20 captain had a lot of bad luck in his younger years. However, since returning from his second knee ligament injury, he has missed just 11 games in four years and is one of Bournemouth’s most important players.

A fighter in the middle of the park, Cook is the epitome of Andoni Iraola’s style, as he pushes up onto opponents to win the ball back. Very versatile too, Cook has played many games at full-back recently amid Bournemouth’s injury crisis, and he has fitted in seamlessly as the Cherries have climbed the table.

7Dominik Szoboszlai

Club: Liverpool

Any one of Liverpool’s midfielders could have made this list, as Arne Slot’s side have cruised to the top of the table. Many players have improved under the Dutchman, and Dominik Szoboszlai is included in that. The Hungarian midfielder had a solid first campaign at Anfield but has gone up a level this season, and has become one of the most dynamic, high-energy players in the league.

Capable of playing in the centre of the park, or off the left, Szoboszlai is fantastic at driving with the ball and helping Liverpool get up the pitch, as well as being strong off the ball. As with many others on this list, winning the ball high up the pitch is a major sign of a hard-working player, and Szoboszlai is excellent at this, which makes him perfect for Slot’s very successful system.

6Christian Norgaard

Club: Brentford

An all-action midfielder, Christian Norgaard is regularly very high on the club’s running statistics and is a key part of Thomas Frank’s style of play at Brentford.

A club which is regularly adapting and producing innovative ideas to gain an edge, Norgaard is the linchpin in the middle of the pitch, as he breaks up play and makes interceptions to disrupt opponents. A very tenacious player, the Danish midfielder can run all day, as he sets the tempo for the rest of the team.

At a club where Yoanne Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo grab most of the headlines, Christian Norgaard is the Bees’ unsung hero and a player that makes them tick, which is many thanks to his industrious nature.

5Dejan Kulusevski

Club: Tottenham

With the record for distance run in a single game this season, 13.36km versus Manchester United in September, Dejan Kulusevski has been a shining light for Spurs this campaign. Enjoying one of the best scoring seasons of his career, Kulusevski has taken his game up a level this year, in what has been a difficult season for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

The Swedish midfielder, who can play out wide and centrally, works very hard off the ball, as he employs his manager’s energetic style of play, whilst also being a great ball carrier to bring the ball up the pitch. Still just 24 years old, his game is expected to continue to improve, and his hard-working nature will be pivotal to his development.

4Ryan Christie

Club: Bournemouth

A player who doesn’t receive the plaudits that he should, Ryan Christie has become one of the most energetic midfielders in the Premier League under Andoni Iraola. Signed as a right-winger by the Cherries in 2021 from Celtic, it wasn’t until his third year on the south coast that he found his new role, and he has not looked back. Leading the way for distance covered for the Vitality Stadium this year, the Scottish midfielder represents all that has been good about his side this season.

Capable of playing wonderful passes to progress attacks, the only criticism of the midfielder is his lack of goals, having scored just three Premier League goals in three years. His pressing ability and constant running are admirable and have been a major reason for Bournemouth being in contention for European football.

3Morgan Rogers

Club: Aston Villa

Having signed from Middlesbrough in January 2024, few would have anticipated the rise of Morgan Rogers at Aston Villa. An incredibly talented player, Rogers has become an essential player for Unai Emery, and his ball-carrying ability represents one of, if not the best in the league.

A clear favourite of Emery, the English attacker has started all but one game in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup this season. A key cog in the Villa wheel, Rogers is constantly battling to regain possession, putting in a lot of tackles, before turning and gliding up the pitch.

Now a member of the England team, Rogers has had a fantastic season, and his hard-working style has helped him continue to improve every time he steps onto the pitch.

2Kai Havertz

Club: Arsenal

Kai Havertz has covered the most distance, applied the most pressures and has the highest total sprints out of the entire Arsenal squad this season.

Although his finishing is sometimes in question, the German’s work rate and importance to the Gunners cannot be understated, and his absence is clearly being felt at present. Currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, Arsenal appear much more toothless without the forward leading the line, as they miss his work rate and energy upfront.

A team which prides themselves on their work rate and energy, for Havertz to lead the way in pressures, sprints and distance covered shows just how much effort he puts in, and why his role in the Arsenal team is so vital.

1Bruno Guimaraes

Club: Newcastle

Under Eddie Howe, Newcastle have one of the most dynamic and energetic midfields in the league, as Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes battle and fight for every ball.

In the 2023/24 season, nobody ran further than Bruno Guimaraes, who covered 423.09km, as the Magpies finished seventh in the Premier League. The Brazilian is a true workhorse, constantly chasing balls down to thwart attacks, whilst also having fantastic technical ability.

One of the best players in the league, the ex-Lyon man can do it all and is a vital cog in the Newcastle system. His hard work, coupled with his passing range, makes him a formidable player, and a nightmare for many of his opponents. Certainly the most committed and energetic player in the Premier League, Newcastle’s number 39 is a sensation.

All statistics are accurate as of 01.03.2025, via Premier League and Transfermarkt.