Football fans and managers alike have always had a fascination with tall players. Players like Peter Crouch, Nikola Zigic and Costel Pantalimon have become well-known figures for their tall stature, but who are the tallest players in the Premier League today?
We’ll be looking at players from teams such as Newcastle United, Manchester United and Brentford for this list – before we begin, can you guess who any of them are?
Nick Pope
The first of two goalkeepers on this list, Nick Pope is a bit of a throwback – in many ways, he reminds us of long-serving England goalkeeper Peter Shilton for his domineering presence in the box.
While not the best at dealing with crosses – which is odd, when his height of 6ft 6 is taken into consideration – Pope is a brilliant shot-stopper with a penchant for one-on-one scenarios.
Before joining Newcastle in the summer of 2022, Pope had previously turned out for the likes of Burnley and Charlton Athletic.
Altay Bayindir
Altay Bayindir is the second and final goalkeeper on our list. Following the departure of Andre Onana, many thought Bayindir would become Manchester United’s number one goalkeeper, but the emergence of Senne Lammens has left him beaten to the punch.
Still, Bayindir provides a solid option as United’s number two. At 6ft 6, he’s very difficult to deal with at set-pieces, even for the strongest of attackers.
Before joining United, Bayindir played for both MKE Ankaragücü and Fenerbahce – he has also won 11 caps for his native Turkiye.
Kristoffer Ajer
Kristoffer Ajer is the classic example of having ‘good feet for a big man’. While very tall at 6ft 6, Ajer is best known for his ability on the ball.
A very positive defender, Ajer is always looking to move the ball upfield. He can do this in two ways – his long, diagonal balls are often accurate, but he’s an adept ball-carrier as well.
While this can often lead him in trouble, Ajer’s swashbuckling attitude to the game is always very refreshing to witness.
Nick Woltemade
Nick Woltemade is in Newcastle United’s bad books after he scored an own goal in a 1-0 defeat against Sunderland in the Wear-Tyne derby, but he remains among the best targetmen in the Premier League.
It isn’t hard to see why he is so effective in this role – at 6ft 6 and with a powerful frame, it’s nigh-on impossible to beat Woltemade in an aerial duel.
Newcastle had to shell out almost £70 million to secure Woltemade’s signature – outside of a few hiccups, their decision to sign him has largely been vindicated as he has shown he has skills with the ball at his feet and is not only a strong aerial presence.
Dan Burn
Dan Burn is the archetypal old-school defender. Hard as nails and with a no-nonsense attitude, his stature of 6ft 7 certainly helps.
While he is the tallest player in the Premier League at the moment, he possesses a surprising amount of technical prowess – he has spent plenty of games at left-back for Newcastle.
Burn is one of several centre-backs who could be named in England’s 2026 World Cup squad – do you think he deserves the nod?