Paul Ince vs Per Mertesacker: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, England (born 1967, retired 2006) · Centre-Back, Germany (born 1984, retired 2018)
Comparing Paul Ince with Per Mertesacker means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Silverware is the currency of legacy, and both players filled cabinets that few can rival. Paul Ince finishes with 90 career goals from 650 games — a 0.14 strike rate — against Per Mertesacker's 15 from 550 at 0.03 per match. The assist columns read 60 for Paul Ince and 5 for Per Mertesacker where the record exists. Paul Ince departs the game with 4 major pieces of silverware, including 2× Premier League (1993, 1994); Per Mertesacker with 4, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2014). Paul Ince built his medal haul through years of orchestrating consistency, while Per Mertesacker won his with resolute bursts of brilliance. Club journeys add another layer, with Paul Ince reaching his representative peak around 1994 across West Ham United, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town and Per Mertesacker doing so around 2014 with Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Arsenal. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
174 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
The first Black player to captain England, Ince was a combative, driving midfielder at the heart of Manchester United's early Premier League dominance.
“An aggressive, all-action midfielder whose tackling and late runs into the box made him a formidable box-to-box presence.”
A towering, calm German centre-back nicknamed 'BFG' by Arsenal fans, Mertesacker started every match of Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign.
“A commanding, positionally intelligent centre-back whose reading of the game compensated for a lack of raw pace.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 2× Premier League (1993, 1994)
- 2× FA Cup (1990, 1994)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 3× FA Cup (2014, 2015, 2017)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1986 Professional debut for West Ham United
- 1993 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 1990 Won FA Cup with Manchester United
- 1994 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2006 Retired after a final spell at Swindon Town
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours.
- 2001 Professional debut for Hannover 96
- 2014 Won FIFA World Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Won FA Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Reached the peak of his powers at Arsenal
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Arsenal
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
The numbers give Paul Ince the lead — a clear margin, courtesy of a sharper goalscoring record.
Paul Ince edges it (a clear margin)
