The best Premier League strikers ever, as we count down the hitmen who've dazzled in English football
10. Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland (Image credit: Getty Images)
It’s easy to scoff at the inclusion of a player with only two years of Premier League experience under his belt in this list, but even if Erling Haaland decided to hang up his boots and become the face of Vidal Sassoon next week, his deeds will still be talked about in 30 years time.
His total of 63 goals in 66 games going into the 2024/25 season is beyond compare and you’d imagine the only thing that could save Alan Shearer’s all-time goalscoring record is a phone call from either Barcelona or Real Madrid in the next few seasons.
9. Andy Cole (Newcastle United, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Sunderland)
Andy Cole
One of the most reliable finishers of the Premier League’s first era, Andy Cole remains fourth on the all-time scoring chart with 187 goals, which is a remarkable tally when you consider he didn’t take penalties.
Slipped through the net as a youngster at Arsenal and wins bonus points from us for his 1999 single ‘Outstanding’.
8. Eric Cantona (Leeds United, Manchester United)
Eric Cantona (Image credit: PA)
Eric Cantona was a unicorn. You can watch the Premier League for the next 50 years and you’re not going to see another player that combines charisma, philosophy and genius on the pitch to such an extent that the former Leeds United and Manchester United forward did.
The mercurial Frenchman was the catalyst behind the Red Devils’ early dominance of the Premier League, while his kung fu kick on a mouthy Crystal Palace fan remains one of the most iconic moments in the competition’s history.
7. Harry Kane (Norwich City, Tottenham Hotspur)
Harry Kane (Image credit: Getty Images)
The England captain had Alan Shearer nervously looking behind his shoulder at the top of the all-time Premier League goalscoring list until he jumped ship to Bayern Munich last summer.
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Kane departed these shores on 213 Premier League goals, 47 fewer than Shearer, who will no doubt be lobbying the ex-Spurs skipper to remain in the Bundesliga for the rest of his career after seeing him net 44 times for the German giants last season.
6. Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal)
Dennis Bergkamp
This list is full of great goalscorers, but few of them scored greater goals than the non-flying Dutchman. During 11 seasons with Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp scored a respectable 87 goals, but what cannot be measured is how he was able to run the show, as he had a supernatural ability to be one step ahead of his opponents, allowing his teammates such as Ian Wright and Thierry Henry to rack up the goals.
When he did score, it was more often than not spectacular. The touch, spin and finish against Newcastle United remains a highlight reel staple, while his hat-trick against Leicester City was sublime.
5. Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
Didier Drogba
The heartbeat of Chelsea’s best sides under Jose Mourinho, Didier Drogba’s skillset and physique were perfectly suited to both the Premier League and the Portuguese’s style of play. The Ivorian had a knack for scoring goals at the most opportune times, as evident by his two Premier League Golden Boots and 12 major honours with the Blues.
4. Wayne Rooney (Everton, Manchester United)
Wayne Rooney (Image credit: Getty Images)
When a 16-year-old Wayne Rooney curled the ball home for Everton against Arsenal in October 2002, Clive Tyldesley urged us to ‘remember the name.’
Football history is full of players who did not hit their potential, but a 16-year Premier League career that saw him score 208 goals and conjure up 103 assists (third all-time behind just Ryan Giggs and Cesc Fabregas) has seen Rooney go down as one of the greats.
3. Sergio Aguero (Manchester United)
Sergio Aguero (Image credit: Nick Potts)
Even if he hadn’t delivered the signature moment of the first 30 years of the Premier League, Sergio Aguero would be at the top end of this list. The Argentine’s 2012 Premier League title-winning goal against QPR granted him a place in footballing immortality, but he would score 183 other Premier League goals during his ten years with Manchester City, which are the most by an overseas player of all time.
His dribbling skills and acceleration set him apart from his peers and he remains an integral part of City’s rise to the all-conquering behemoth they have been in recent times.
2. Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United)
Alan Shearer
It’s been 18 years since Alan Shearer hung up his boots and during this time only one player has got within 50 goals of his all-time Premier League goalscoring record, which tells you nearly everything that you need to know about the Newcastle United legend’s goalscoring prowess and longevity.
Few players in recent English football history have bettered Shearer’s consistency, power, accuracy and leadership, while his loyalty to the Magpies faithful and iconic celebration are the other x-factors that see him top our list.
1. Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
Thierry Henry
Watching a Juventus misfit blossom into one of his generation’s greatest strikers was a treat for Arsenal fans and neutrals alike in the 2000s. Henry brought a grace and sense of style to English football that fans had rarely seen at a time when the Premier League began to overhaul La Liga as the planet’s most popular competition.
There was substance behind the style though, with Henry netting 20 or more goals in five straight seasons while the Gunners enjoyed their modern golden age.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
