5 Greatest Manchester United Goal Poachers of the Premier League Era

Manchester United have been blessed with some wonderful goal scorers in the Premier League era, but which of them has earned the right to be called the greatest poacher?

A poacher is a striker for whom aesthetics are a distant second to the art of putting the ball into the back of the net—in whatever manner is available to them.

Few of the players on this list are only poachers—United's forwards have generally been required to contribute to all-round team play. However, all of them share the ability to score goals from inside the box, and are fine exponents of the poacher's art.

An honourable mention must go to Teddy Sheringham, for poaching one of the most crucial goals ever poached in the 1999 Champions League final. Carlos Tevez, much maligned by United fans since his decision to join Manchester City, was another fine poacher.

Michael Owen, a poacher of the very highest order earlier in his career rarely made much impact during his time at United, but the slotted finish for his winner against City earns him a mention here. 

Paul Scholes' early United career saw him arrive in the six-yard box many times. Juan Mata is not averse to a well-timed run ending in a tap in. Neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Wayne Rooney were a slouch in the area, but their contributions elsewhere overshadow their poaching abilities.

Those are the honourable mentions, here are poachers who made it into the top five...

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez

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There was a time when it seemed Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez was on course to become No. 1 on this list. His first season at United saw him score all-manner of poached goals.

From putter-like side foots, to headers off both sides of his head, to his Community Shield goal, scored, by accident, with his face, Chicharito loved to put the ball into the net, and United fans loved him for it.

He played with a huge smile on his face, looked delighted to be there, and delighted to be scoring, whatever the method.

He was feared, and he was clinical. Following a difficult season under David Moyes, his United career petered out to the point at which many were surprised to see him get a move to Real Madrid. However, his early efforts, and his comfort with the role of a poacher have earned him fifth place here.

Andy Cole

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The song, still sung at most United game goes: "Andy Cole, Andy Cole, Andy, Andy Cole. He gets the ball and scores a goal, Andy, Andy Cole!"

Not 100 percent accurate, but sometimes it felt like that. Andy Cole's big-money transfer from Newcastle United to Manchester United saw the striker under pressure, and it took him a while to bed in.

However, once he and Dwight Yorke formed one of the finest strike partnerships in the club's history, Cole really started banging them in.

Cole could do much more than just score, as his link-up play with Yorke demonstrated, but his all-round ability does not take away from the fact that he was an excellent poacher when he needed to be.

He would be further up the list but for an occasional tendency towards wastefulness. But when he was sharp and in form, he was one of the best goal poachers in the game.

Dwight Yorke

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Dwight Yorke was a devastating poacher. Of course, his extensive bag of tricks and interplay with Cole makes people, rightly, think about him as an all-round forward, but many of his United goals came from him being in the right place, at the right time, and knowing what to do about it.

Headers and tap-ins from in the six-yard box formed an extensive part of the portfolio of his finishes for the club. He was on the end of service from Cole, and, especially, from David Beckham's genre-defining crosses.

He sits above his friend and colleague, Cole, because of being slightly more clinical. He sits below the two above him because they are two of the greatest goal poachers of all time.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

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The "Baby-Faced Assassin," Ole Gunnar Solskjaer truly mastered the art of finishing. Rarely can United fans have felt more confident than when Solskjaer was through on goal, ready to pounce.

Famously, his ruthless finishing often came late in games, when he was deployed as a true "super-sub." Most famously of all, he poached the treble-winning goal in 1999.

It was hardly the first he had scored during that campaign, which included a particularly memorable late winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup, arguably the goal which kick-started United's remarkable run of late winners that season.

Solskjaer's poaching prowess was not the only string in his bow. When he came on as a late substitute against Nottingham Forest in February 1999, he scored four goals in around 10 minutes. Although three were poacher's efforts, one was a fairly spectacular goal from outside of the area.

However, it his clinical finishing for which he is best remembered. At most clubs, he would have been the greatest poacher of the last few decades. However, at Manchester United, the outstanding poaching talents of one man keep him off the top spot.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy

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Ruud van Nistelrooy is United's greatest goal poacher of the Premier League era, and indeed, the greatest goal poacher of the Premier League era in general.

Van Nistelrooy was a specific kind of poacher, able to hold up the ball and bring others into play, able to harry defenders into making mistakes and able to contribute to link-up play where needed.

But his goalscoring from inside the box was his best quality by a mile. Goals with both feet, plenty of headers. 150 goals in 219 appearances, per the club's website, a truly staggering achievement.

Van Nistelrooy gave United five years of relentless goalscoring, with barely a dip in form. He would get on the end of chances time and again, and it is hard to imagine a counter-argument to the idea that he is the greatest poacher in United's recent past.

The numbers speak for themselves, and bear repeating. He scored 150 goals. In 219 appearances. 

Altogether now..."Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuud!"