For most strikers, the aim is not only to get to the top of the goal-scoring list but to beat the records of those strikers that stood before them.
Always at their fingertips is the possibility of winning that all-important Golden Boot. So, who exactly are the best all-time strikers of the premier league?
Are there any modern-day players who are hot on their tails to beat the records set?
Alan Shearer
Shearer began his career at Newcastle United back in 1996 and it is the club he eventually retired with.
He won the Golden Boot a total of 3 times, winning it 3 years in a row – once for Blackburn Rovers and then twice at his new club Newcastle.
Though he doesn’t hold the record for the most number of Golden Boot wins, he still holds the record for the most Premier League goals scored – a massive 260.
Thierry Henry
The Frenchman is some way down the table for goals, having scored 175 throughout his EPL appearances.
He does, however, hold the record for the most number of Golden Boot wins at 4, and is one of 2 players to have won it three years consecutively.
Wayne Rooney
When thinking about the best strikers in the Premier League, many people think of Rooney. He sits second on the goals-scored table, having scored 208 throughout his time at Everton and Manchester United.
Rooney additionally sits third on the table of most assists of all time. Some would say that these facts alone make him the best Premier League striker of all time.
This can be confirmed when considering he is the all-time top goal-scorer for his English national team.
Harry Kane
England soccer hero Harry Kane is one of the only modern-day Premier League players to have made it onto the table for most goals of all time.
He has already won the Golden Boot 3 times and is sure to attempt the win again during his time at Tottenham Hotspur.
He briefly made appearances at Millwall and was on loan to Norwich City for a time, but his major successes have been with Spurs. At the time of writing, he sits third on the table of most goals scored.
Andrew Cole
Though Andy Cole is best known for his time with Manchester United, his best year of football goal-wise was actually with Newcastle United in the 1993/94 EPL season, when he won the Golden Boot. He scored 34 goals in his 40 appearances.
Sergio Agüero
Argentinian Agüero made appearances in the Premier League starting in 2011 with his beloved team, Manchester City.
He won the Golden Boot in the 2014/15 season and out of 275 appearances, scored 184 goals, placing him fifth on the list. He retired in 2021 after being diagnosed with a cardiac arrhythmia.
Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler played for a range of teams when competing in the EPL: Liverpool, Leeds United, Manchester City, and his most recent team, Blackburn Rovers.
Although he was never a winner of the Golden Boot, he scored a huge 163 goals, most of them for Liverpool. His best season was arguably 1995/96 when he scored 28 goals in 38 appearances.
Jermain Defoe
Defoe made a huge 496 appearances in the Premier League at a range of clubs.
These include Charlton Athletic back in 1998/99, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Sunderland, and his most recent club before moving out of the EPL and then into retirement in 2022, Bournemouth.
Defoe did not win the Golden Boot, however, he enjoyed some great success during his time playing in the Premier League.
Some notable years include 2009/10 with Spurs, scoring 18 goals in 34 appearances, and 2015/16 with Sunderland, scoring 15 goals in 33 appearances. His shooting accuracy was 39%.
Michael Owen
Owen is a household name when it comes to English soccer. He didn’t make as many appearances in the Premier League as Defoe did, however, he did win the Golden Boot twice.
He scored 150 goals for the clubs Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Stoke City. His top form was between 1997 and 1999 playing for Liverpool.
After retiring from professional football, Owen went on to be a sports pundit and became involved with horse breeding.
Les Ferdinand
Les Ferdinand fell just short of Owen’s goals with 149 goals scored when playing in the Premier League(see also: Best Midfielders In The Premier League).
He saw most of his success during his early years with Queens Park Rangers between 1992 and 1995, but his ultimate best season was 1995/96 when he transferred to Newcastle United: he scored 25 goals in 37 appearances.
Modern Day Players
The English Premier League in recent years has seen some phenomenal players coming up through the ranks.
Some notable players include Norwegian Erling Haaland, with his breathtaking performances at Manchester City; Liverpool’s striker Mohamed Salah, who at the time of writing has already won the Golden Boot 3 times and is also a great assist; and Manchester United sensation Cristiano Ronaldo, (see also: What Language Does Cristiano Ronaldo Speak?)who won the Golden Boot in the 2007/08 season.
Final Thoughts
It’s going to be tricky for modern-day soccer players to reach the levels of Shearer and Henry, who put many years into their English soccer careers. Harry Kane, however, is racing towards their records and he hopefully has many years of soccer left in him.
Up-and-coming youngsters like Haaland have huge records to work towards, but if more players get off to shining starts as he has, Alan Shearer should be concerned about his records being broken, sooner rather than later.
It does have to be said, though, that when thinking of the best strikers in the Premier League, (see also: Best Defenders In The Premier League)Wayne Rooney is the person that many soccer fans look up to.
Soccer is the most popular sport played and watched in the world, yet it is one rarely talked about in the United States. Why is this?
Hi, my name is Adrian Turner and I am a self-proclaimed soccer head.
Since I was young, I have always been fascinated by soccer, and any of the games I could find on the TV channels. There weren’t many games broadcast, so thankfully I could find more on the internet as I grew up.
I turned all of my friends onto soccer and we’d play into the evenings after school.
