50 Best All-Time First Division and Premier League Goal Scorers

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

England's top league has seen some of the greatest goal-scorers in the game light up the scoring charts.

Since we are looking at the best all-time goal-scorers, players from both the First Division and the Premier League eras are a part of this list.

The goal-scoring record in the two leagues is important but goals per games ratio is important as well.

So that there was some sort of parity for both leagues, the 25 best players from each era were chosen. Fortunately, that seems to be the best overall list in any case.

These players are in no particular order minus the fact that the First Division players are in the first half of slides and the Premier League players are in the second.

Here are the 50 Best All-Time Premier League goalscorers.

Jimmy Greaves

Don Morley/Getty Images

First Division Appearances: 528

First Division Goals: 366

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.69

Jimmy Greaves scored goals wherever he went, but did most of his damage while playing for two London clubs, Tottenham and Chelsea.

His goals helped Tottenham the most as they picked up two FA Cups and one European Cup Winners Cup while Greaves was leading the line. He was also a member of England's 1966 World Cup winning squad.

Dixie Dean

First Division Appearances: 362

First Division Goals: 310

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.86

Dixie Dean is an Everton Legend and you can see why thanks to his incredible scoring rate. He picked up a few league championships and an FA Cup while with the squad.

Geoff Hurst

Getty Images/Getty Images

First Division Appearances: 519

First Division Goals: 210

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.41

Geoff Hurst appeared for both West Ham and Stoke City and carried his goal-scoring prowess to the US with the NASL's Seattle Sounders. His ability in front of goal could not have been more evident than during his hat trick for England in the 1966 World Cup final.

Charlie Buchan

First Division Appearances: 472

First Division Goals: 258

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.54

Charlie Buchan lead the line for both Sunderland and Arsenal. He is Sunderland's all-time top scorer and led the team to a First Division title in 1912-13.

Nat Lofthouse

First Division Appearances: 452

First Division Goals: 255

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.56

Bolton legend Nat Lofthouse is seventh highest goal-scorer in the history of the top flight.

David Jack

First Division Appearances: 476

First Division Goals: 257

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.54

David Jack's goal-scoring record and ratio speak for themselves. He spent time at both Bolton and Arsenal, playing under the legendary Gunners coach Herbert Chapman during one of the club's most successful periods.

Joe Bradford

First Division Appearances: 414

First Division Goals: 249

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.60

Joe Bradford made the most of his time at Birmingham City, becoming the team's all-time leading scorer and being the leading scorer in the First Division in every season from 1921-22 to 1932-34.

Hughie Gallacher

First Division Appearances: 255

First Division Goals: 250

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.98

Hughie Gallacher certainly has the most impressive scoring rate on this list. He played for Newcastle United, Chelsea, Derby County and Grimsby Town and put in goals wherever he went.

George Brown

First Division Appearances: 366

First Division Goals: 240

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.65

George Brown is Huddersfield Town's highest ever scorer and helped the team pick up three First Division titles with his goals. He also spent time at Aston Villa and one season at Leeds United.

Gordon Hodgson

First Division Appearances: 455

First Division Goals: 288

Goals Per Game ratio: 0.63

Gordon Hodgson is one of Liverpool's most prolific strikers and recorded an impressive 233 goals in 358 appearances. He also played for Aston Villa and Leeds United, carrying his great goal-scoring rate to both clubs.

Dave Halliday

First Division Appearances: 257

First Division Goals: 211

Goals Per Game: 0.82

Dave Halliday starred for Sunderland with an incredible 156 goals in 166 games in the First Division. He also played for Arsenal and Manchester City with more goals coming in to give him his outstanding goal-scoring rate.

David Herd

First Division Appearances: 412

First Division Goals: 222

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.54

David Herd played for rivals Arsenal and Manchester United in the First Division.  He also spent some time at Stoke City towards the end of his career.

He picked up two First Division titles, a FA Cup and an European Cup during his time at Manchester United.

Harry Hampton

First Division Appearances: 338

First Division Goals: 215

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.64

Harry Hampton produced a number of goals for Aston Villa and helped the club pick up their First Division title. He played for Birmingham in the First Division as well and scored 15 goals but the number of appearances are uncertain. Not that it would affect his ratio too much.

Ted Drake

First Division Appearances: 167

First Division Goals: 124

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.74

Ted Drake played an important part in Arsenal's dominant sides during the 1930's. His impressive ratio could have been so much better had he not retired early from the game due to injury.

Tom Finney

First Division Appearances: 362

First Division Goals: 164

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.45

Tom Finney is lauded as one of the greatest players to ever play the game and for his loyalty to Preston North End. His array of skills enabled him to have an impressive haul of goals, though there were not many team honors to go with those goals.

Ronnie Allen

First Division Appearances: 415

First Division Goals: 208

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.50

Ronnie Allen is compared to Ferenc Puskas and described as a complete footballer on West Bromwich Albion's website.

It's no wonder he scored the amount of goals he did while playing for the club.

Arthur Chandler

First Division Appearances: 309

First Division Goals: 203

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.66

Arthur Chandler is Leicester City's all-time top scorer. He fired the team to the First Division in 1924/25 and kept an impressive scoring rate throughout his time in England's top league.

Denis Law

First Division Appearances: 377

First Division Goals: 201

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.53

Denis Law shared his time in the First Division between rivals Manchester United and Manchester City. He had no problem scoring for either team but he made his career at Manchester United.

Vic Watson

First Division Appearances: 295

First Division Goals: 203

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.69

Vic Watson joins the long list of club record goal-scorers on this list. He played for West Ham throughout the majority of his career before playing one final season at Southampton.

Bobby Smith

First Division Appearances: 345

First Division Goals: 199

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.58

Bobby Smith started his career of at Chelsea but switched to another London club and became one of the most feared strikers.

Smith racked up 176 goals in 271 appearances during his time with Tottenham and at one point, he was part of a most formidable partnership with Jimmy Greaves.

Tommy Thompson

First Division Appearances: 337

First Division Goals: 188

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.56

Tommy Thompson played for Newcastle, Aston Villa and Preston North End in the First Division. He scored the majority of his goals with Aston Villa and Preston.

Ian Rush

Gary M. Prior/Getty Images

First Division/Premier League Appearances: 515

First Division/Premier League Goals: 232

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.45

Ian Rush is one of Liverpool's icons.

Though he spent some time with other clubs in England such as Leeds and Newcastle, the majority of his goals came in a Reds kit.

Rush was Liverpool's top goalscorer for nine seasons and was a top scorer in the First Division once. He is the clubs top goal-scorer.

Steve Bloomer

First Division Appearances: 514

First Division Goals: 282

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.55

Steve Bloomer played for only two clubs, Middlesbrough and Derby County, and had a great record with both. He was more successful with Derby though, picking up numerous league awards and helping the team return to the First Division on his return to the club later in his career.

Stan Mortensen

First Division Appearances: 317

First Division Goals: 197

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.62

Stan Mortensen is one of Blackpool's most famous players and an important player for his club and his country. He picked up an FA Cup trophy during his time with the club.

Gary Lineker

Ben Radford/Getty Images

First Division Appearances: 235

First Division Goals: 145

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.62

Gary Lineker was clinical in front of goal for all his clubs. He was the First Division top scorer three times during his career. He was just as impressive on an international level with 48 goals in 80 games for England.

Alan Shearer

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Premier League/First Division Appearances: 559

Premier League Goals/First Division Goals: 283

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.51

Alan Shearer tops the list of Premier League goal-scorers with 260 goals and had a couple more during the First Division Era as well.

Shearer scored goals in a great number of ways and had his signature celebration to go along with it.

Teddy Sheringham

Phil Cole/Getty Images

First Division/Premier League Appearances: 521

First Division/Premier League Appearances: 180

Goals Per Game: 0.35

Teddy Sheringham played for six different teams in England's top division. Millwall, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Portsmouth and West Ham were all graced by one of England's greatest goal-scorers.

Andy Cole

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

First Division/Premier League Appearances: 414

First Division/Premier League Goals: 187

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.45

Andy Cole had a similar sort of journeyman route as Teddy Sheringham but he was more prolific in front of goal.

His time at Manchester United is when he was undoubtedly his best.

Thierry Henry

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 258

Premier League Goals: 176

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.68

Thierry Henry boasts one of the most impressive goal-scoring ratios in either era and that confirms his status as one of the top strikers to ever grace the country.

Robbie Fowler

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 378

Premier League Goals: 162

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.43

Robbie Fowler was one of the best strikers in and around the penalty box. He is the fourth highest scorer in Premier League history.

Michael Owen

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 317

Premier League Goals: 149

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.47

Michael Owen certainly fits into the category of "what if" players. During his time at Liverpool, he scored at an impressive rate of 0.55 goals per game.

If he hadn't left Liverpool, one can only wonder how much more he would have scored.

Frank Lampard

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 519

Premier League Goals: 150

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.29

Frank Lampard's ratio is certainly the worst on this list but he is one of the few midfielders on this list and he is in fifth on the all-time list for Premier League goals-scorers.

That definitely deserves some plaudits.

Les Ferdinand

Graham Chadwick/Getty Images

First Division/Premier League Appearances: 404

First Division/Premier League Goals: 169

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.42

Les Ferdinand was at his best statistically while playing for QPR and Newcastle. He won the Players' Player of the Year in his first season at Newcastle, having scored 25 goals in 31 games.

Wayne Rooney

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 312

Premier League Goals: 139

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.45

Wayne Rooney should end up overtaking Alan Shearer's record of 260 goals in the Premier League at the rate he is currently going.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

David Cannon/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 288

Premier League Goals: 129

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.45

During his time with Leeds, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Charlton, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored some impressive and important goals. He did it at a pretty good rate as well.

Nicolas Anelka

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 352

Premier League Goals: 123

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.35

If Nicolas Anelka stayed with one team for long periods during his career, he could have a much better ratio. Still, he scored a great number of goals for the various clubs that he represented.

Dwight Yorke

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

First Division/Premier League Appearances: 425

First Division/Premier League Goals: 136

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.32

Dwight Yorke spent the majority of his time in England's top division with Aston Villa and his goal-scoring potential attracted Sir Alex Ferguson.

When he joined the club he formed a great partnership with Andy Cole.

Ian Wright

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

First Division/Premier League Appearances: 315

First Division/Premier League Goals: 165

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.52

Ian Wright is Arsenal's second highest goalscorer. He fired Crystal Palace to promotion and helped Arsenal win two FA Cup's, a Premier League title and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup.

Dion Dublin

Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 307

Premier League Goals: 110

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.36

Dion Dublin will be well remembered for his time at Coventry City and Aston Villa. He won the Golden Boot in the 1997/98 season.

Didier Drogba

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 221

Premier League Goals: 100

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.45

Didier Drogba has been in England for eight seasons now and has scored at an impressive rate. He has won two Golden Boots during his time at Chelsea.

Matthew Le Tissier

Phil Cole/Getty Images

First Division/Premier League Appearances: 443

First Division/Premier League Goals:162

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.37

Matthew Le Tissier didn't just score goals, he scored some great goals. This talented midfielder spent all his time with Southampton despite a number of bigger clubs being interested in his services.

Le Tissier's ratio is quite good for a midfielder.

Darren Bent

Chris Brunskill/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 229

Premier League Goals: 100

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.44

Darren Bent is one of the most is certainly one of the most prolific players to play in England. He is only 28 and has a few good years left to increase his statistics if he can stay injury free.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 150

Premier League Goals: 95

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.63

Ruud Van Nistelrooy came in to with a great reputation and left with an even better one. That statistics above could have been even better had he not been injured for a good part of the 2004/05 season.

Robin Van Persie

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 189

Premier League Goals: 93

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.5

Robin Van Persie may just catch Thierry Henry's record if he keeps up his impressive form over the next few years. That is also if he stays at Arsenal.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 235

Premier League Goals: 91

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.38

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the "Baby-Faced Assassin," had to be on this list. The fact that a good number of his goals came as a substitute for Manchester United makes his statistics and ratio even better.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 196

Premier League Goals: 84

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.43

What Cristiano Ronaldo did during his time at Manchester United is pretty impressive, especially considering the fact that he played as a winger.

Dimitar Berbatov

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 176

Premier League Goals:75

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.43

Dimitar Berbatov has scored some exquisite goals during his time in England. He was a Golden Boot winner last season.

Eric Cantona

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

First Division/Premier League Appearances: 156

First Division/Premier League Goals: 70

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.45

Eric Cantona came to England and spiced things up for both Leeds and Manchester United. He helped both teams pick up silverware with his goals.

Carlos Tevez

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 160

Premier League Goals: 70

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.44

It should really be no surprise that Carlos Tevez's energetic play has gotten him this type of goal-scoring record. He may end up leaving England soon but he would leave in good company.

Fernando Torres

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Premier League Appearances: 143

Premier League Goals: 69

Goals Per Game Ratio: 0.48

The fact that Fernando Torres is on this list is interesting. He scored 65 of his 69 goals at Liverpool and only four at Chelsea so far. If he hadn't had this horrible drop in form, his scoring ratio would be much better.