Harry Kane in 2nd Place
Few experiences can be as heartbreaking for football fans as witnessing a beloved former player return to score against their old club. These players often reach legendary status before seeking new challenges, only to come back and haunt their previous employers. Other times, players who struggled at a previous team later excel, transforming into world-class talents at rival clubs—like Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne after their time at Chelsea.
Memorable moments include Emmanuel Adebayor running the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of Arsenal fans after scoring for Manchester City. Cristiano Ronaldo famously eliminated Manchester United from the Champions League by scoring for Real Madrid, while the original Ronaldo netted in four El Clasicos against Barcelona for Madrid. This weekend, two players will face their former clubs: Mohammed Kudus will take on West Ham after moving to London rivals Tottenham, and Jack Grealish will face his childhood club Aston Villa with his new team, Everton.
Who is the Player with the Most Goals Against a Former Club?
According to Transfermarkt data from the top five leagues since 2000, Robert Lewandowski stands out with an incredible 29 goals against Dortmund in just 28 appearances. The 36-year-old moved to Bayern Munich on a free transfer in 2014 and became a tormentor for his former fans. Of those 29 goals, 27 were scored during his time at Bayern, making him the all-time leader in goals against a former club, as per the specified criteria.
The graphic above shows that Harry Kane ranks second with 19 goals in 19 matches against Leicester City, a club where he was previously on loan, during his time at Tottenham—ten goals shy of Lewandowski’s record. Ciro Immobile has scored 15 goals against Genoa, with 13 of those coming while he was at Lazio. Kylian Mbappé is eighth on the list with 11 goals against Monaco while playing for PSG, and Samuel Eto’o has netted 11 times in 20 games against Real Madrid while representing Barcelona and Mallorca.
