Miroslav Klose vs David James: Stats Compared
Striker, Germany (born 1978, retired 2016) · Goalkeeper, England (born 1970, retired 2014)
The Miroslav Klose–David James comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. They belonged to different eras, which makes any direct comparison a test of imagination as much as statistics. Miroslav Klose finishes with 318 career goals from 705 games — a 0.45 strike rate — against David James's 0 from 850 at 0.00 per match. Assists were never formally recorded across most of their eras, so the playmaking dimension has to be judged on reputation and highlights rather than hard totals. Trophy counts give Miroslav Klose 7 and David James 1, with 1× FIFA World Cup (2014) and 1× FA Cup (2008) the standout honours respectively. Miroslav Klose belonged to the modern era, dominating with a explosive quality; David James rose in the turn of the millennium with a reflex-sharp edge. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Miroslav Klose's landmark level arrived around 2014 with a career spanning Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio; David James's came around 2005 across Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Bristol City, Bournemouth. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
191 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
All-time FIFA World Cup top scorer with 16 goals; Germany's all-time leading goalscorer with 71 international goals.
“A selfless striker and aerial specialist whose consistency made him a World Cup great.”
The Premier League's most-capped goalkeeper at the time of his retirement, James was renowned for his shot-stopping and occasional highlight-reel errors across a two-decade top-flight career.
“An athletic, agile shot-stopper whose reflexes and command of his box made him a mainstay of English goalkeeping for two decades.”
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
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 2× Bundesliga (2008, 2010)
- 3× DFB-Pokal (2005, 2008, 2010)
- 1× Coppa Italia (2013)
- 1× FA Cup (2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2000 Kaiserslautern debut
- 2002 World Cup debut, scored five headed goals
- 2007 Joined Bayern Munich
- 2011 Joined Lazio, won over fans with relentless work rate
- 2014 World Cup winner, became the all-time World Cup top scorer (16 goals)
- 2016 Retired at Lazio
- 1988 Professional debut for Watford
- 2008 Won FA Cup with Portsmouth
- 2005 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester City
- 2014 Retired after a final spell at Bournemouth
- Finished his career with 0 goals in 850 appearances and 1 major honours. Finished his career with 0 goals in 850 appearances and 1 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Miroslav Klose takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Miroslav Klose edges it (a decisive margin)
