Summary Arsenal legend Thierry Henry stands as the greatest Premier League striker of all time. Jamie Vardy, who is leaving Leicester City this year, makes the top 20 thanks to his legendary rise up the ranks. Luis Suarez’s talents could have seen him much higher up the list if he had stayed in England for longer.
Erling Haaland is the current top striker in the Premier League, with the Man City superstar scoring for fun since moving to England.
The Norway international, should he remain in Manchester, could go on to break all kinds of records, but is he the best centre-forward the Premier League has seen since 1992? He’s got some catching up to do…
Ranking factors Appearances Goals scored Teams played for What others have said about them 20 best strikers in Premier League history: in pictures 20 Les Ferdinand QPR, Newcastle, Tottenham, West Ham, Leicester, Bolton
One of the top strikers around when the Premier League was formed in 1992 was Les Ferdinand. A powerful target man who loved a duel in the air, he scored 20 goals in the first ever Premier League campaign for QPR and featured for five more clubs in the top flight.
Best known for his impressive short stint at Newcastle and six-year period with Tottenham, Ferdinand ended with an impressive 149 goals.
Appearances
349
Goals
149
Assists
34
19 Jamie Vardy Leicester
Considering Jamie Vardy has only played for Leicester City in the Premier League, his tally of 144 goals in just under 350 appearances is hugely impressive.
The rapid striker scored in 11 consecutive top-flight games back in 2015/16, helping the Foxes win the title under Claudio Ranieri in what is arguably the greatest underdog story in sporting history.
Appearances
340
Goals
144
Assists
47
Golden Boot
1
Titles
1
18 Teddy Sheringham Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Man Utd, Portsmouth, West Ham,
At the peak of his powers at the end of the 1990s was Teddy Sheringham, who is known best for his time at Tottenham and Man Utd.
Arguably a forward who went under the radar at the time, Sheringham was clinical in front of goal and appeared to get better with age, with Sir Alex Ferguson calling the striker “remarkable” during his time at Old Trafford.
Appearances
418
Goals
146
Assists
76
Golden Boot
1
Titles
3
17 Jermain Defoe West Ham, Tottenham, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Bournemouth
Agile, quick and a clinical finisher were some of Jermain Defoe’s main attributes as a striker, with the Englishman enjoying a successful partnership with towering forward Peter Crouch during his career.
Defoe certainly knew where the back of the net was and scored goals in 19 different Premier League campaigns, with a highlight netting five against Wigan in 2009.
Appearances
496
Goals
162
Assists
33
16 Ian Wright Arsenal, West Ham
Despite starting his Premier League career late at the age of 29, Ian Wright made a big impact for Arsenal, hitting double figures in the first six top-flight campaigns.
Wright was even the Gunners’ all-time top scorer for a period of time, and despite being known for his punditry work today, his talents as a striker in the 1990s cannot be forgotten.
Appearances
213
Goals
113
Assists
22
15 Dennis Bergkamp Arsenal
Another Arsenal star in attack in the 1990s and 2000s was Dennis Bergkamp. The Dutch forward was versatile, intelligent and technically brilliant, enjoying a brilliant partnership with Thierry Henry at Highbury under Arsene Wenger.
Bergkamp may not have scored as many goals as others, but he was called a “dream” by Henry, “the best” Wright has played with and the definition of a “footballer” by Johan Cruyff and loved to create. (talkSPORT)
Appearances
315
Goals
87
Assists
94
Titles
3
14 Robbie Fowler Liverpool, Leeds, Man City, Blackburn
Robbie Fowler scored an impressive 162 goals during his Premier League career, and was best known for his time at Liverpool, with those at Anfield naming him ‘God’.
His goal record in the 1990s at Anfield was every two games, and despite netting 53 times in the 1993/94 and 1994/95 seasons, never actually won a Golden Boot. In front of goal, Fowler was clinical, with Andy Cole calling the Englishman the “best finisher ever”.
Appearances
379
Goals
163
Assists
39
13 Ruud van Nistelrooy Man Utd
Sir Alex Ferguson called Ruud van Nistelrooy “the most prolific” striker he had at Man Utd, and his game to goal ratio certainly backs that up.
The Dutch striker arrived at Old Trafford having cored for fun in his native country, and he didn’t take long to adjust to life in the Premier League, scoring 23 league goals in his first campaign. It’s a shame Van Nistelrooy’s time in England only lasted five years, but he certainly won’t be forgotten.
Appearances
150
Goals
95
Assists
14
Golden Boot
1
Titles
1
12 Robin van Persie Arsenal, Man Utd
Another Dutch icon who spent longer in the Premier League was Robin van Persie, who made the controversial move from Arsenal to Man Utd in 2012.
It was a decision that worked out for Van Persie, who won the Premier League title with the Red Devils after missing out with Arsenal, and the forward had one of the best left foots the league has ever seen.
Known for scoring some outrageous goals, Van Persie’s effort against Aston Villa to help seal the title for Man Utd in 2013 was called “goal of the century” by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Appearances
280
Goals
144
Assists
53
Golden Boot
2
Titles
1
11 Luis Suarez Liverpool
Luis Suarez’s stay in England was short but sweet, with the Uruguayan becoming a Liverpool icon in such a brief period of time.
Capable of scoring out of nothing and winning games on his own, Suarez was at Anfield for just three-and-a-half seasons, with his 2013/14 campaign one of the greatest individual seasons in Premier League history.
He netted 31 goals in 33 games that year and almost took the Reds to a title before Barcelona came in and signed Suarez for big money.
Appearances
110
Goals
69
Assists
23
Golden Boot
1