Gary Lineker vs Gennaro Gattuso: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Defensive Midfielder, Italy (born 1978, retired 2013)
Put Gary Lineker and Gennaro Gattuso side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. Strip away the highlights and the medal count tells its own story for each man. Gary Lineker finishes with 330 career goals from 567 games — a 0.58 strike rate — against Gennaro Gattuso's 25 from 550 at 0.05 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Gary Lineker is listed at 0 and Gennaro Gattuso at 20 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Gary Lineker with 9 major trophies (1× Copa del Rey (1988)) against Gennaro Gattuso's 5 (1× FIFA World Cup (2006)). One lifted trophies through predatory reliability, the other through intelligent moments that decided finals. Club journeys add another layer, with Gary Lineker reaching his representative peak around 1986 across Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham and Gennaro Gattuso doing so around 2007 with Perugia, Rangers, AC Milan, Sion. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
174 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Gary Winston Lineker (born 30 November 1960) is an English sports broadcaster, businessman, and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of England's greatest players, Lineker is the only player to have been the top goalscorer in England with three clubs: Leicester City, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur. He also played for Barcelona in Spain, and won 80 caps for England.
“A model penalty-box striker whose timing and finishing were almost never wasted.”
A snarling, relentless ball-winner nicknamed 'Ringhio' (Growl), Gattuso was the combative heartbeat of AC Milan's midfield through two Champions League triumphs.
“An abrasive, high-energy defensive midfielder whose non-stop tackling and pressing shielded his more gifted teammates.”
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× Copa del Rey (1988)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 2× UEFA Champions League (2003, 2007)
- 2× Serie A (2004, 2011)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1978 Established himself at Leicester City
- 1982 Reached his defining peak
- 1986 Delivered a landmark season
- 1994 Retired from professional football
- 1995 Professional debut for Perugia
- 2006 Won FIFA World Cup with AC Milan
- 2004 Won Serie A with AC Milan
- 2007 Reached the peak of his powers at AC Milan
- 2013 Retired after a final spell at Sion
- Finished his career with 25 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 25 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Gary Lineker takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Gary Lineker edges it (a decisive margin)
