The Premier League continues to be called and praised as the "best league in the world." One thing it does guarantee is goals, so which player can call himself the greatest striker in Premiership history?
Since its inception in 1992, the EPL has seen some sensational marksmen. To win the league, you needed a ruthless poacher who would net 20-30 goals a year. So who is greatest forward in EPL history?
10) Ian Wright: He scored 113 goals in the EPL, all but nine of them for Arsenal. His arrival helped bring the Gunners much-needed success. He won the FA Cup twice, League Cup once, EPL once, and the Cup Winner's Cup. He moved on to West Ham in 1998, but never hit the same form.
9) Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink: The Dutchman has played with four clubs in the EPL: Leeds United, Chelsea, Middlesbrough, and Charlton. He scored 34 for the Whites, 70 for the Blues, 23 for the Teesiders, and just 2 for the Londoners. He had a rocket shot and recently made the FA Cup final with Cardiff. 127 EPL goals.
8) Ruud Van Nistelrooy: Although not in the Top 10 for goals, his 95 strikes in just 150 appearances is deadly to say the least. A $19 million transfer brought expectations, and how he delivered. Ferguson finally decided he was past his best, despite 24 goals in his last season. He has gone on to terrorize La Liga defenses with Real Madrid.
Today's Must Reads
7) Teddy Sheringham: A journeyman to say the least, playing for nine clubs, of which four were in the EPL. His sensational form at Spurs brought a move to Manchester United, where he racked up 31 goals. He scored and assisted in the dramatic last minute Champions League win over Bayern Munich in 1999. Moves back to Spurs, Portsmouth and West Ham saw him bring his EPL goal tally to 146.
6) Les Ferdinand: Scored most of his 149 goals at Newcastle and Spurs. At St. James's Park, he forged a partnership with Shearer and helped himself to 41 goals. At Spurs he managed 33, spells with West Ham, Leicester, Bolton and Reading saw him continue to bang them in.
5) Michael Owen: The England international is the only player in the Top 10 still playing in the EPL. Led the Liverpool line extremely well, grabbing an amazing 118 goals for the Merseysiders. A brief spell in Spain with Real Madrid, followed by a return to England with Newcastle. Has scored 18 goals with Newcastle to date.
4) Robbie Fowler: The man Liverpool fans simply call "God" was without a doubt one of the greatest forwards in the game's history. Injuries curtailed his career, but he still managed 128 goals in two spells at Anfield. Scored a further 35 with Leeds and Man City.
3) Andrew Cole: A man who has won it all and has scored goals wherever he went. An amazing 55 goals in just 70 appearances for the Toon made Keegan's decision to part with him all the stranger. United didn't complain, as Cole smashed in 93 strikes at Old Trafford. Scored a further 51 goals with Blackburn, Fulham, Man City and Portsmouth to bring his tally to 187.
2) Thierry Henry: The only player on the list to score all his goals for just one club. 174 strikes for Arsenal elevated him to legend status at Highbury. Scored beautiful goals for eight seasons with the Londoners and many neutrals were gutted to see him leave England for Barcelona. The only player who stood a real chance of breaking the goal scoring record.
1) Alan Shearer: The undisputed king of goalscorers with a seemingly unbeatable record of 260 Premiership goals. He averaged 20 goals a season and still missed two whole seasons through injury.
Widely recognised as the man who won Blackburn the title with 34 EPL goals. His total at Rovers came to 112 strikes. A then world record £15 million move to Newcastle followed and despite his failure to win a trophy, hit 148 goals for the Toon, 206 in all competitions.
Who do you think is the greatest ever EPL striker or who have I wrongly omitted in your eyes?
comments (25) write a comment »
write a new comment
3 months ago
Im going to say Thierry Henry. Brilliant player, great goal scorer and scored and great goals. Did it consistently against the top teams and anyone else who got in his way. He was a model professional and extremely entertaining. Was part of the invincibles also.
Even as a United fan, I was sorry to see him leave. Loved watching him play and he had that 'wow' effect on people where you just stood with your mouth wide open after he scored another cracker.
from 3 months ago
*and scored great goals*
3 months ago
Alan Shearer was the greatest of all time. he could bang them in from anywhere. With his head or both feet. He scored so many different types of goals. His goal scoring record of two hundred and sixty goals is incredible and no one has got even into the two hundreds as yet. A true legend of our time.
3 months ago
Shearer Shearer Shearer..... as the toon army would say....
3 months ago
Thierry Henry -- not just because I'm an Arsenal fan but due to the fact that he was not a conventional striker. He contributed so many goals to Arsenal as well. He was a phenomenal player and on his day could rip defenses apart with his brilliance.
3 months ago
Sorry Keith the question is 'striker' not 'player'
I think the numbers speak for themselves Shearer is the ultimate striker to date, I think the fact he was fronting teams that were not the best suppliers of ball to the forwards make it even more incredible. Just think of how many he might have scored being front man for a team that gave better supply.
3 months ago
Eric Cantona.
I have not named Cantona just because I am a United fan but because even though Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer have such great records they do not have the trophies to show for it.
Cantona on the other hand was that player who could not only score goals but would score them in crucial times,his strikes were timely and sublime.
Even though he did not score 100+ goals,his ability to go out and lift the team's spirit is legendary.He won four titles in five years more than Shearer and Henry put together.
If all round ability counts for something,then Cantona was better than all the others.
from 3 months ago
Haha, Henry doesn't have trophies to show for it. Ok, Premier Leagues and F.A.Cups. .....
I'm a United supporter, but Cantona is not a great striker. His record per season says it all compared to everyone on the list. His strikes were crucial at points, but I think this debate is more about how many rather than when.
3 months ago
Heeeyyyy, Heeeyyyy, Shearer, Ooh Aahh. I wanna knoowwwwwwooowwwoowooooww, How you scores them goals!!!!!!!
3 months ago
Sorry Kiran, Cantona was one of the best "players" but not strikers.
In his five seasons he scored 11,22,12,14 and 14.
Compare this to Shearer's 22,34,37,28 and 21.
Compare this to Henry's 17,17,24.24 and 30.
Cantona wasn't a goalscorer....
3 months ago
Gotta say its between Shearer and Henry. Shearer's goal scoring record was clearly better than Henry's but Henry added so much to that Arsenal team than Shearer did to Newcastle. So the ultimate premier league striker has to be Shearer but Henry damn sure runs him close....
3 months ago
Shearer. No striker will ever get close to him.
3 months ago
What about Dalglish and Rush?
3 months ago
I do have only one BIG NAME.It`s MICHAEL OWEN.He is the best.No matter waht others say, he keeps proving he`s the best.I do believe so much in him.
3 months ago
Ruud Van Nistelrooy should be higher up.
3 months ago
Alan Shearer was a remarkable player, but just as important, and for argument's sake, he was an absolutely brilliant striker. I'd have to say he is the best ever striker to grace the EPL.
3 months ago
What about Bergkamp? Surely he has to be up there.
3 months ago
Rush
3 months ago
SHEARER!
3 months ago
Finally A Newcastle player, in a list, let alone topping it... SHEARER = God. Say no more!
3 months ago
I am a United fan, but I have no hesitation in admitting that Henry was the best striker that EPL ever produced.
Shearer practically streched his career, took all the penalties just to notch the record. Had Henry played the same number of matched as Shearer, he would have left him far behind.
from 3 months ago
A penalty is a goal, is it not? One could argue that Ronaldo took all Manchester Uniteds pens this season just to notch the record, would that make Torres the best striker this season?
The fact that Henry never stayed around to try and eclipse Shearer's record takes him out of the running at the end of the day.
3 months ago
Ruud van Nistelrooy should be higher up
2 months ago
Honestly its gotta be Henry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The best striker i have ever seen
2 months ago
rush wasnt a premierleague striker douchebag! Henry without a doubt ! shearers best goal(the volley vs everton) was nowhere near henrys goals i,e. tottenham 03 , united 01 and charlton 01 ! henry hands down .FULL STOP
write a new comment