Alex Iwobi moves to second in Premier League appearances by African players

Alex Iwobi has become the second African player to make the most appearances in Premier League history after being named in Fulham’s starting XI against Aston Villa on Saturday.

The midfielder’s appearance took his league total to 329, moving him ahead of former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. Iwobi and Salah had previously shared second place on the list.

The 29-year-old has reached that total across three clubs, featuring 100 times for Arsenal, 123 times for Everton and 106 times for Fulham.

Iwobi, who came through Arsenal’s Hale End Academy, is now targeting the record held by Ivory Coast great Kolo Toure. He needs 25 more Premier League appearances to overtake Toure and become the African player with the most appearances in the competition.

With 29 matches remaining in the current campaign, Iwobi has the opportunity to surpass the former Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City defender this season.

Despite moving ahead of Salah, Iwobi played down the personal significance of the achievement and said his focus remained on making further progress in his career.