Since its inception back in 1992, the English Premier League has continued to dominate the club football stage by its rich history and action-packed football. In all these years, the English top flight has seen many elite-level strikers keeping the fans in awe of their magical touches and beautiful goals.
From Cristiano Ronaldo to the greatest goal scorer in Premier League history, Alan Shearer, and from the Uruguayan dynamo Luis Suarez to the great Eric Cantona, these sublime finishers have graced English football with their scintillating performances. The list of outstanding strikers in English football history is too large to count, making it difficult to rank the top 10. However, in this article, we aim to present the top 10 best Premier League strikers of all time, who were not only prolific goal scorers but also technically gifted.
List of Best Strikers in Premier League History
Rank | Player | Team | Premier League Goals |
1 | Alan Shearer | Newcastle & Blackburn | 260 |
2 | Thiery Henry | Arsenal | 175 |
3 | Wayne Rooney | Everton & Manchester United | 208 |
4 | Harry Kane | Tottenham | 213 |
5 | Sergio Aguero | Manchester City | 184 |
6 | Michael Owen | Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United & Stoke | 150 |
7 | Robbie Fowler | Liverpool, Manchester City & Leeds | 162 |
8 | Eric Cantona | Manchester United & Leeds | 70 |
9 | Luiz Suarez | Liverpool | 69 |
10 | Andy Cole | Newcastle & Manchester United | 187 |
10. Andy Cole
Andy Cole is a legend to the fans of two clubs – Newcastle United and Manchester United, for two different reasons. Newcastle fans still remember his great season when he netted a record 34 goals in a single Premier League campaign to lift the morale of the club which was desperate to stay relevant in the top flight.
For Manchester United, he is still remembered for his winning goal in the 1999 Champions League semi-final against Juventus in Turin. The tall forward smashed 187 league goals in his club career, with 93 of them coming at Old Trafford only. Cole was a lethal weapon for the managers due to his aerial abilities and long-range shooting ability. He is also in the fourth position of the most goals scored list in the English top division.
Games | 415 |
Goals | 187 |
Assists | 69 |
Golden Boots | 1 |
Premier League Title | 5 |
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9. Luis Suarez
Keeping Luis Suarez out of this list would be a sin, given the striker’s contribution to guiding Liverpool toward the path of resurrection in a league that was mainly dominated by the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea. Suarez played only 110 games for the Reds in the Premier League, but his final two seasons at Anfield are the reasons behind his inclusion in this list. El Pistolero scored 54 goals in just 66 appearances, with 31 coming in his final season. He almost handed the league title to Liverpool through his explosive performance alongside his attacking partner, Daniel Sturridge.
Games | 110 |
Goals | 69 |
Assists | 39 |
Golden Boots | 1 |
Premier League Title | 0 |
8. Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona is one of the most popular strikers in the history of the Premier League. He was fondly called King Eric due to his contributions to making Manchester United one of the elite clubs in modern-day football. The French superstar won four Premier League titles in his five-season stint at Old Trafford. Cantona recorded only 70 league goals in his career. But, his legacy can’t just be defined by the numbers, as he represented way more than just goals, he represented the resurrection of United as a force in modern-day football.
Games | 156 |
Goals | 70 |
Assists | 55 |
Golden Boots | 0 |
Premier League Title | 5 |
7. Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler was a Premier League great who represented three big Premier League clubs – Manchester City, Liverpool, and Leeds United. Coming through the ranks of the Liverpool youth academy, Robbie Fowler found a place in the senior team through his scoring prowess.
Alongside Michael Owen, Fowler became one of the most lethal strikers in England. He featured in 379 league games where he smashed 162 goals and assisted 34 times. Fowler is considered a Liverpool legend.
Games | 379 |
Goals | 162 |
Assists | 34 |
Golden Boots | 0 |
Premier League Title | 0 |
6. Michael Owen
Michael Owen reached the highest level of his career during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He solidified his place as one of the greatest players to have ever played in the Premier League by winning the 2001 Ballon d’Or title. Owen’s career peaked when he netted 117 goals in seven seasons for Liverpool, before moving to Newcastle United and Real Madrid respectively. Despite suffering a string of injuries, he utilized his scoring skills to make a mark in the English top flight. Later on in his career, Owen moved to Manchester United and achieved his dream of winning a Premier League title.
Games | 326 |
Goals | 150 |
Assists | 39 |
Golden Boots | 2 |
Premier League Title | 0 |
5. Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero is one such player who ensured Manchester City’s rise from rags to riches within a decade. Every Premier League fan still remembers his iconic goal against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the league which led City to their maiden Premier League title. The Argentine, who scored 20 times in five successive seasons, is also the highest goal scorer in the club’s history.
Games | 275 |
Goals | 184 |
Assists | 55 |
Golden Boots | 1 |
Premier League Title | 5 |
4. Harry Kane
Former Tottenham Hotspur striker, Harry Kane, stayed behind the curtain of secrecy before the 2016-17 Premier League season. The then Spurs number nine netted 29 goals and won the first Golden Boot in his career. Since then, he had been scoring goals for fun in the Premier League before his move to Bayern Munich in 2023. Kane scored 213 goals in England in just 320 appearances in the top flight.
Games | 320 |
Goals | 213 |
Assists | 50 |
Golden Boots | 3 |
Premier League Title | 0 |
3. Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney has etched his name in the folklore of English football through an eventful legacy. Since bursting onto the scene as a teenager, Rooney continued to dominate in club football at the highest level. With 253 goals, he is the highest scorer in the history of the Red Devils and the third-highest in the English top flight. His dribbling, vision, off-the-ball movement, and beautiful assists have earned him the third place place on our list of the best Premier League strikers.
Games | 491 |
Goals | 208 |
Assists | 114 |
Golden Boots | 0 |
Premier League Title | 5 |
2. Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry’s numbers in the Premier League are insane. He lifted three league titles and scored 175 goals for Arsenal. Except for the prestigious Champions League, he won it all under Arsene Wenger’s tutelage, including a 24-goal haul for five consecutive seasons. Henry’s positioning before laying a ball for his teammates and scoring stunners from outside and inside the penalty area made football look easy.
Games | 258 |
Goals | 175 |
Assists | 80 |
Golden Boots | 4 |
Premier League Title | 2 |
1. Alan Shearer
It was a tough choice to pick Alan Shearer ahead of Henry, but in the end, the greatest goal scorer in the history of the Premier League is our number one pick in this list of the best Premier League strikers of all-time.
Shearer’s peak arrived during his time at Blackburn Rovers, where he clocked over 30 goals for three seasons in a row. During this time, he lifted his career’s only Premier League title. He then moved to Newcastle United and became their greatest-ever player. Shearer’s 260 league goals speak volumes and even if he didn’t win the league with Newcastle, he left behind the greatest goalscoring legacy in English football history.
Games | 441 |
Goals | 260 |
Assists | 68 |
Golden Boots | 3 |
Premier League Title | 1 |
Also Read: Top 10 Most Expensive Premier League Transfers of All Time
FAQs
Q. Who is the highest goal scorer in Premier League history?
A. Alan Shearer is the highest goal scorer in Premier League history with 260 goals.
Q. Who are the best 5 Premier League clubs of all time?
A. Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal are the best 5 Premier League clubs of all time.
Q. Who is the most successful PL team?
A. Manchester United is the most successful Premier League team.