Iwobi targets Kolo Toure’s Premier League appearance record after passing Salah

Alex Iwobi says he is aiming to overtake Kolo Toure’s Premier League appearance record after moving beyond Mohamed Salah in the rankings for African players.

The Fulham midfielder reached 329 appearances in the relevant statistical category after his side’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. That took him past Liverpool forward Salah, who has 328, while former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Toure remains top on 353.

Iwobi said the achievement was pleasing but made clear that he was focused on adding to his career rather than looking back at what he has already accomplished.

“It’s hard for me to just cherish the memories that I’ve made in the past. I like to keep on looking ahead,” the Nigeria international said.

Passing Salah was not the final objective for Iwobi, who has now set his sights on Toure’s total.

“It’s a nice little stat to have, but I’m trying to break the record,” he said.

“I think Kolo Toure is up there, so I keep my eyes going forward and see if I can break that.”

Iwobi began his professional career after progressing through Arsenal’s youth system and went on to establish himself as a regular in the Premier League. He later played for Everton before joining Fulham.

At Fulham, the versatile midfielder has continued to provide consistency, creativity and tactical intelligence. His contribution at club level has also underpinned his status as one of Nigeria’s most dependable players, while he continues to make regular appearances for the Super Eagles.

The 329-game milestone adds to a career that has already brought Iwobi considerable experience of English football, but the 29-year-old remains determined to keep setting new targets. His comments suggest that personal landmarks are being treated as steps towards further progress rather than achievements to dwell on.

The next challenge is to maintain his performances for Fulham and close the 24-appearance gap to Toure’s record. With the Ivorian’s 353 matches now clearly in his sights, Iwobi has indicated that surpassing Salah is only the latest stage of his pursuit of a place in Premier League history.