Dimitar Berbatov and 10 Amazing Goalscoring Feats

It is four years to the day since Dimitar Berbatov struck the best haul of his career in the Premier League, scoring five times for Manchester United in victory over Blackburn Rovers.

In honour of everyone's favourite Bulgarian, Bleacher Report has decided to take a look at some of the greatest goalscoring achievements the game has to offer—whether it be in an individual game or over a longer period.

While it is impossible to cover all great strikers and their individual highlights, we have sought to pick out some of the best in order to honour the anniversary of Dimitar at his very best.

2010: Dimitar Berbatov Strikes Five Against Blackburn

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Prior to his haul against Blackburn, Dimitar Berbatov had not struck in two months of Premier League action since scoring a hat-trick to help Manchester United past Liverpool in September 2010.

He made amends at Old Trafford, schooling the Blackburn defence with five strikes of excellent quality to help his side to a 7-1 win in the league clash.

Berbatov is not alone in scoring five in the Premier League, with Andy Cole, Alan Shearer and Jermain Defoe also having achieved such a feat in the tournament's 22-year history.

1966: A World Cup Final Hat-Trick

The most famous hat-trick in football history and the only in the history of World Cup finals, Sir Geoff Hurst's treble against Germany in 1966 is widely remembered in part due to the controversy over his final strike.

It was a haul that sealed England's only ever success in a major tournament and for that reason will long be recalled by supporters of the Three Lions as they reminisce about their rare triumph.

Until anyone else matches his tally in the World Cup final, meanwhile, he will remain embedded in the annals of world football history.

1969: Pele Scores His 1,000th Career Goal

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In November 1969, Pele secured what he claims to have been his 1,000th career goal as a professional in scoring against Vasco da Gama at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium, much to the acclaim of the watching public.

The legendary forward, who would go on to secure a third World Cup title the following year, sealed his achievement with a penalty-kick in front of the 80,000 strong crowd as History.com documents.

"O Rei" remains a figure unmatched in terms of goalscoring prowess in professional football history and, indeed, is the only player ever to have conquered the world on three separate occasions. It is difficult to see his tally ever being bettered.

1994: Oleg Salenko Hits Five in a World Cup Game

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Oleg Salenko sealed his place in football history at the 1994 World Cup when he struck on five separate occasions during his Russia side's 6-1 victory over a hapless Cameroon.

The tally went a long way to helping him secure the Golden Boot prize at the competition, with six goals in total, making him the only player to have won the prize at both the Under-20 World Cup and World Cup proper.

Salenko would earn a move to Valencia off the back of his performance at the competition but last just a year at the Mestalla before joining Glasgow Rangers.

1994: Teenage Robbie Fowler Nets 3 in 5 Minutes

It took Robbie Fowler just four minutes and 32 seconds to mark what BBC Sport recorded as the Premier League's quickest ever hat-trick in 1994, putting Arsenal's famous defence to the sword.

Still in his teenage years, Fowler was a sensation. His goalscoring record was already as good as anybody's in the country, and the title of "God" would soon be bestowed at Anfield.

It was performances like this one against Arsenal which placed him so deep in the hearts of Liverpool fans, with their No. 9 capable of destroying opponents' plans in just a few short moments.

1999: Jose Luis Chilavert Scores a Hat-Trick from Goalkeeper

Paraguay's Jose Luis Chilavert is legendary as far as goalscoring 'keepers go and is the only player in his position to have ever found the net three times in one professional game.

Playing for Velez Sarsfield in a 6-1 demolition of Ferro Carril Oeste in the 1999 Torneo Apertura, Chilavert struck three times from the spot to secure his unique place in the record books.

Sao Paulo's soon-to-retire gloveman Rogerio Ceni, meanwhile, deserves a mention having passed 100 career goals earlier this campaign.

1999: Solskjaer Scores Four in 13 Minutes

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became renowned for his role as a "super sub," regularly contributing off the substitutes' bench in his time at Old Trafford. However, never did he put in a better showing than his four goals in 13 minutes against Nottingham Forest in 1999.

Solskjaer, of course, would make another defining contribution from the bench just months later in the Champions League final. However, it is his double-quick, four-goal haul that makes our list of memorable goalscoring performances.

A master of positioning and movement in the box, there have been few better predators in Premier League history than Norway's "Babyfaced Assassin."

2001: Archie Thompson Hits 13 in One Match

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It's hard not to feel sorry for the supporters and players of American Samoa when you consider their 31-0 World Cup qualifying defeat to Australia in 2001, but striker Archie Thompson will care little.

The then 23-year-old struck 13 times over the course of 90 minutes to give his international goalscoring figures a healthy complexion. In 54 international games, he now has 28 goals to his name.

Thompson has been a good striker and a strong figure in Australian football since the turn of the century, but it is for his one-off goal rout against the Samoans that he will be best remembered outside of his homeland.

2012: Messi's 50-Goal La Liga Season

Argentine sensation Lionel Messi has set more records than most can remember, but perhaps his most impressive is his remarkable 50-goal haul in the 2011-12 La Liga season.

The Barcelona star appeared 37 times over the course of the campaign, scoring at a rate of well over a goal per game to set a high-water mark that will be an incredible challenge to match.

Messi recently overtook Telmo Zarra to become the Spanish top flights all-time record scorer and, at the age of 27, is fast closing in on a total of 300 La Liga goals in his career.

2014: Cristiano Ronaldo Re-Writes History

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We are now 12 games into the La Liga season and Cristiano Ronaldo has featured in 11 of those, scoring in every outing to date to hit the 20-goal mark even before the end of November.

His tally of 17 at the 10-game stage of the campaign was a new league record, and he has added three more efforts in his subsequent two outings. The question is now just when will a defence in La Liga be able to keep him out for an entire 90-minute game.

Ronaldo's feats, including setting a new historic seasonal best 17-goal in the 2013-14 Champions League, will now likely see him retain his Ballon d'Or title come January.