Irish football has provided some world-class players to the English Premier League, and the list includes several prolific strikers. Many have been productive in front of the target, but relatively few have scored a hat trick in the top flight.
Using stats up to the start of 2024, here are the Irish internationals to score a hat trick in the EPL.
All Irishmen to Score Hat-Tricks in the EPL
Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane is the holder of the record for most Premier League hat tricks by an Irish player. The forward played for several English clubs, but all of his hat tricks came while with Tottenham Hotspur.
His first treble came in a 4-3 win over Everton in January 2003. Hat trick number two followed in December of the same year in a 5-2 victory over Wolves. Robbie Keane’s third and final Premier League hat tick landed when he scored four goals as Spurs beat Burnley 5-0 in September 2009.
Leon Best
Striker Leon Best was a journeyman player who struggled to settle at any of his many clubs. His scoring ratio was modest, while the undoubted highlight of his career came while playing for Newcastle United against West Ham United in January 2011.
Best scored a hat trick as the Magpies beat their opponents by five goals to nil. That treble formed part of six goals that Leon Best scored in that 2010/11 league campaign.
Jonathan Walters
Republic of Ireland international Jonathan Walters played for three Premier League clubs in his career. He wasn’t a prolific scorer, but he added important goals, and he enjoyed a long period in the top division.
Walters scored one Premier League hat trick, and it came while he was playing for Stoke City. On the 31st of January 2015, the Potters played Queens Park Rangers in the EPL. Jon Walters scored all three of his side’s goals as Stoke won the game 3-1.
That hat trick contributed to the eight goals that Walters scored in that 2014/15 season, while the treble set another milestone. This was the first hat trick registered by any Stoke City player in the Premier League.
Evan Ferguson
Brighton’s Evan Ferguson is the newest Irish member of the Premier League hat trick club. The striker scored all three goals as his team beat Newcastle United 3-1 on September 2nd 2023.
A lot of expectation is placed on Ferguson’s young shoulders. He was only 18 years old when he recorded that treble, and he’s one of the most promising centre forwards in world football.
Brighton will need to monitor his progress carefully, while his early form has attracted the attention of other top clubs. Whatever happens, it’s hoped that his treble against Newcastle won’t be the last hat trick that Evan Ferguson scores in the Premier League.
Final Thoughts
It’s a small list of players, but the top strikers are all on here. There are really no surprises among the names that are included. The challenge will be for more Irish players to add their names to the list in the future, and it will be interesting to see who is next.
Another challenge was laid down by Robbie Keane, who is the only Republic of Ireland international to score more than one hat trick at the time of writing. The player most likely to double up is Evan Ferguson, but will he go on to match, or beat Keane’s total of three?
There’s lots to discuss here, but this is how things stand in terms of Irish players to score a hat trick in the English Premier League.
