50 best Premier League strikers of all time (part 1)

November 17, 2014 18:32

Centre forward: leader of the attack, number 9, the focal point of the team, goalscorer and many other meanings. Since 1992, the Premier League has witnessed the world's best strikers shine, whether it be homegrown players like Shearer and Cole, or imported goods like Yeboah and Henry. Join BONGDAPLUS to review the 50 best strikers in the league.

Berbatov có nhiều khoảnh khắc đáng nhớ khi khoác áo M.U

50. Alan Smith (Leeds United, Manchester United, Newcastle United)

Smith emerged from Leeds' youth system, scoring on his first-team debut against Liverpool at the age of 18 and was a key figure in the club's run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2001. A tireless worker, Smith was adored at Elland Road and twice voted the club's player of the season. That love turned to hate when he moved to Manchester United following Leeds' relegation in 2004. At Old Trafford, Smith moved into central midfield, scoring 45 Premier League goals.


49. Tony Yeboah (Leeds United)
A Ghanaian striker with a keen eye for goal, Yeboah delighted the Elland Road crowd for two seasons in the mid-1990s, scoring 32 goals in 66 Premier League games. With his dribbling ability and devastating shot, Yeboah was a regular in Premier League goal of the month polls.

48. Kevin Davies (Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers)
Davies burst onto the Premier League scene with Southampton in 1997-98, scoring crucial goals against Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. He struggled after a £7.5m move to Blackburn, but fared much better at Bolton after arriving there in 2003. A good tackler, Davies was also booked but was a reliable goalscorer, scoring 68 Premier League goals.


Kevin Davies

47. James Beattie (Blackburn Rovers, Southampton, Everton, Stoke City, Blackpool)
Beattie had a remarkable Premier League career, scoring 90 goals for Southampton, Everton and Stoke City, as well as spells with Blackburn and Blackpool. Part of the deal that brought Davies to Blackburn, Beattie quickly made a name for himself at Southampton with regular goals. In 2002-03, he scored 23 Premier League goals and helped the Saints reach the FA Cup final. He moved to Everton in 2005 for £6 million, but has since fallen out of favour.

46. ​​Yakubu (Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, Blackburn Rovers)
Brought in from the Israeli league by Harry Redknapp, Nigerian striker Yakubu was a huge success in the Premier League. He helped Portsmouth stay in the Premier League with 29 goals in two seasons before moving to ambitious Middlesbrough for £7.5m in 2005. Yakubu helped Boro reach the UEFA Cup final in his first season and scored 13 Premier League goals. Everton paid a then-club record £11.25m for him in 2007, but injury and poor form saw Yakubu rediscover his scoring touch at Leicester in the Championship, and then at Blackburn, where he scored four against Swansea.

45. Daniel Sturridge (Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool)
One of the most promising English strikers in recent times, Sturridge only rose to prominence after moving to Liverpool. His 21 goals helped the Reds come close to winning their first Premier League title last season and his injury absence this season has seen Liverpool fall off the pace. Sturridge, just 25, started his career at Manchester City before moving to Chelsea, both of which he struggled for success due to his poor form.


Daniel Sturridge

44. Louis Saha (Newcastle United, Fulham, Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham, Sunderland)
The French striker helped Fulham gain promotion to the Premier League in 2001 with 27 goals in the Championship. Saha's goals continued to keep the London club in the league. His 13 goals in 21 games in the first half of the 2003-04 season were enough to convince Manchester United to part with £12.4 million to bring him to Old Trafford. Saha did not really succeed at United and was not Sir Alex Ferguson's first choice, partly due to injuries. He scored 28 goals at Old Trafford before joining Everton and helping them reach the 2008 FA Cup final.

43. Micky Quinn (Coventry City)
Quinn was one of the most popular strikers at the start of the Premier League in 1992 and was a consistent goalscorer for many years for lower league sides Stockport, Oldham, Portsmouth and Newcastle United. He continued that form after moving to Coventry City, where Quinn scored 10 goals in his opening six games of the season. Coventry fans will always remember his hat-trick at Highbury in a 3-0 win over Arsenal in the 1993-94 season.

42. Peter Crouch (Aston Villa, Southampton, Liverpool, Tottenham, Stoke)
Crouch is a standout on the pitch, standing at over 2m tall. The striker has always been effective in the Premier League and the England national team, where he scored 22 goals in 42 games. He first made an impression at Portsmouth, before joining Villa and then Southampton. The Saints' relegation in 2005 prompted Liverpool to spend £7 million to sign Crouch, and he contributed 42 goals for the Reds. His hat-trick against Arsenal in a 4-1 win in 2007 was the highlight of Crouch's career at Anfield, before he moved to Tottenham and then Stoke in 2010. In total, he scored 90 Premier League goals.


Peter Crouch

41. Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham, Manchester United, Fulham)
Regarded as the laziest striker in the Premier League, Berbatov made up for that with flair and superb technique that led to plenty of goals. The Bulgarian arrived at White Hart Lane from Bayer Leverkusen for £10.9m in 2006 and scored 27 goals in two Premier League campaigns for Spurs. He was voted the club's Player of the Season and included in the Team of the Season in his debut season, and helped Tottenham win the League Cup in 2008. All of that helped Berbatov attract the attention of Manchester United, who agreed to pay a whopping £30.75m for him. In Manchester, Berbatov scored 48 goals for the Reds, helping them win the Premier League in 2009 and 2011. His highlights were a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Liverpool and five goals against Blackburn. Berbatov went on to score 19 goals in 51 games for Fulham after leaving Old Trafford in 2012.

(continued)

According to Bongda+