We glance throughout the Premier League’s all-time prime goalscorers, with the legendary Alan Shearer nonetheless main the way in which together with his 260 targets.
High 10 Premier League Scorers of All Time
Alan Shearer – 260 targets
Harry Kane – 213 targets
Wayne Rooney – 208 targets
Andrew Cole – 187 targets
Sergio Agüero – 184 targets
Frank Lampard – 177 targets
Thierry Henry – 175 targets
Mohamed Salah – 170 targets
Robbie Fowler – 163 targets
Jermain Defoe – 162 targets
1. Alan Shearer – 260 Objectives
Extremely, Alan Shearer can have been the Premier League’s all-time main scorer for 30 years in December. Clearly his 260 targets have been stretched over a a lot higher interval than simply August 1992-December 1993, however it was then that he bought himself out in entrance and nobody has overtaken him since.
Teddy Sheringham had been prime of the leaderboard for a piece of 1993 till Shearer went previous him, although Shearer had beforehand additionally held the lead within the inaugural Premier League season previous to a nasty knee damage.
Just a few pretenders to his crown have threatened to problem within the intervening years, however Shearer’s file seems protected for some time but after the summer time departure of Harry Kane.
On the price Erling Haaland is scoring, it in all probability gained’t be that lengthy till we’re pondering whether or not he’ll be the one to knock Shearer off his perch. However the modern-day footballer modifications membership and/or league so regularly that it’s additionally not out of the query that Shearer’s file stays intact for many years extra.
Whereas Shearer is in fact most carefully related to hometown membership Newcastle, for whom he scored 148 of his Premier League targets over a 10-year interval, he additionally netted 112 in simply 138 video games for Blackburn Rovers, the place he gained his solely league title in 1994-95.
A product of Southampton’s academy, Shearer went house to Newcastle in 1996 and spent the remainder of his profession at St James’ Park, the place he continues to be deified by followers.
2. Harry Kane – 213 Objectives*
Has Harry Kane kissed goodbye to his probabilities of breaking Shearer’s file? There are definitely many who suppose so since he moved to Bayern Munich in the summertime of 2023.
It’s honest to say, few may blame him for his resolution to make such a transfer; Kane’s had a dire lack of success on a group degree for a participant so gifted, and at Bayern it appears a certainty he’ll win one thing.
However would breaking the Premier League targets file even have given him a higher legacy? That was the chief counterargument to him transferring to the Bundesliga, as he’s solely 47 targets behind Shearer.
In fact, what’s to say Kane doesn’t take pleasure in two or three years in Germany after which return to England when he’s 32 or 33? Given his sport has by no means been about uncooked tempo, he presumably stands a very good probability of taking part in properly into his 30s similar to Shearer.
The graphic beneath, which offers a snapshot of Kane’s trajectory previous to leaving Spurs, definitely suggests he was on the right track to overhaul Shearer.
If he have been to return to England with Spurs, he may prolong the file he at present holds of essentially the most Premier League targets for a single membership (213) – Kane additionally holds the file for many Premier League targets scored in a calendar yr (39).
3. Wayne Rooney – 208 Objectives
Contemplating he solely ever managed 20 or extra Premier League targets in a season twice, the very fact Wayne Rooney was for a time the second-highest scorer within the competitors’s historical past says loads about his longevity.
However on the identical time, it may very well be argued he started to fade a lot sooner than would’ve been anticipated; he left Manchester United in 2017 when he was 31 having scored solely 13 Premier League targets in his ultimate two seasons, an output impacted by his conversion to a midfielder that seemingly happened on account of no him longer being as dependable or explosive to play up prime.
However, in his prime there have been few higher all-round footballers on the earth, not to mention within the Premier League. Rooney may do all of it, and he tried to as properly.
Simply as able to scoring screamers as he was tap-ins, Rooney left an indelible mark on English soccer, Everton and Manchester United, for whom he’s the all-time main scorer (all competitions) with 253 targets. He’s additionally scored 74 extra Premier League targets for United than every other participant.
4. Andrew Cole – 187 Objectives
One other former Man Utd striker, Andy Cole performed a distinguished function within the membership’s most interesting hour as he was one in all 4 dependable goalscorers they’d within the 1999 treble-winning marketing campaign.
He netted 93 occasions within the Premier League for United, simply shy of half of his general output. He additionally scored for Newcastle, Blackburn, Fulham, Man Metropolis and Portsmouth within the competitors.
In reality, Craig Bellamy (seven) is the one participant in Premier League historical past to attain for extra golf equipment than Cole (six).
However for a lot of, he’ll be most related to Sir Alex Ferguson’s sensible United sides of the mid-to-late 90s and his on-pitch rapport with Dwight Yorke – much less so with Teddy Sheringham…
5. Sergio Agüero – 184 Objectives
Just a few others could have scored extra Premier League targets than Sergio Agüero, however has anybody netted a extra iconic one than him?
Uncertain.
Agüero in fact scored the aim that secured Manchester Metropolis their first Premier League title in 2012, a dramatic late winner towards QPR that additionally sparked in all probability essentially the most recognisable commentary in Premier League historical past courtesy of Martin Tyler.
However whereas that could be Agüero’s most memorable contribution to the Premier League, his affect went a lot deeper than that.
He’s arguably the very best goalscorer the Premier League’s ever seen, not less than pre-Erling Haaland. The Argentinian’s 184 got here at a price of 1 each 108 minutes; of gamers to attain 70 or extra, his file is comfortably the very best, forward of Thierry Henry (one each 122 minutes).
A coronary heart situation compelled his early retirement in 2021 shortly after becoming a member of Barcelona, however make no mistake, his legacy at Metropolis and within the Premier League stays potent.
6. Frank Lampard – 177 Objectives
The Premier League’s most prolific midfielder of all time, Frank Lampard grew to become a Chelsea legend throughout a 13-season spell at Stamford Bridge after signing from West Ham in 2001.
It took him a few years to essentially discover his area of interest, however beginning in 2003-04, Lampard reached double figures for Premier League targets in 10 successive campaigns.
His finest season in that respect was 2009-10 when he scored 22 targets within the league. Though that complete was second to Didier Drogba’s 29, which stays essentially the most by a Chelsea participant in a Premier League marketing campaign, Lampard’s exploits have been undoubtedly important as Carlo Ancelotti’s males gained the title.
That haul additionally ensured Lampard grew to become solely the third Chelsea participant to attain 20 or extra targets in a single Premier League season after Drogba and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Diego Costa – twice – is the one different participant to realize that for the Blues since.
In fact, Lampard did additionally rating eight Premier League targets in a one-year spell with Manchester Metropolis in 2014-15, however it was at Chelsea the place his affect was essentially the most important.
7. Thierry Henry – 175 Objectives
After an unconvincing season in Italy with Juventus, Thierry Henry additionally had a troublesome begin to life within the Premier League after reuniting with Arsène Wenger, the supervisor who gave him his breakthrough at Monaco.
Henry didn’t rating in any of his first seven Premier League video games for Arsenal, lastly breaking his duck towards Southampton in match eight on 18 September, 1999. One other barren run lasting over two months adopted that, but he completed the marketing campaign with 17 top-flight targets, a haul bettered by solely Kevin Phillips (30), Shearer (23), Yorke (20), Cole and Michael Bridges (each 19).
In fact, any criticism of Wenger for parting with a major sum (£11 million) to land Henry shortly vanished as soon as the younger ahead discovered his toes, as he developed into one of many best gamers of his technology and a Premier League legend.
From 2001-02, Henry scored not less than 24 targets in 5 successive Premier League seasons and helped the Gunners to 2 titles, together with in 2003-04 as a part of the Invincibles.
He nonetheless holds the file for essentially the most Premier League Golden Boot wins (4).
8. Mohamed Salah – 170 Objectives*
Given he’s 32 and there’s been a good quantity of hypothesis round his future previously couple of years, it appears unlikely Salah will finally threaten Shearer’s all-time file – although you by no means know.
However, his aim for Liverpool in a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace in December 2023 put him within the prime 10 – that was additionally Salah’s two hundredth aim for Liverpool. He’s since moved on to 170.
With two strikes towards Newcastle, he hit the 150-goal landmark for Liverpool within the Premier League, changing into simply the fifth participant within the competitors to attain as many targets for a single membership within the competitors after Harry Kane for Tottenham (213), Sergio Agüero for Man Metropolis (184), Wayne Rooney for Man Utd (183) and Thierry Henry for Arsenal (175).
He was the fifth-fastest participant to succeed in the 150-goal landmark; together with his 247 video games behind solely Shearer (212), Agüero (217), Kane (218) and Henry (220).
After beginning 2024-25 properly, it now stays to be seen how deep into the highest 10 Salah can get.
9. Robbie Fowler – 163 Objectives
Within the early years of the Premier League, Robbie Fowler was one of many competitors’s sharpest strikers, scoring as many as 28 in 38 video games throughout the 1995-96 marketing campaign.
Nonetheless, accidents hampered him within the second half of his first spell with the Reds, ultimately falling down the pecking order behind Michael Owen and Emile Heskey beneath Gérard Houllier.
However, he departed Anfield in December 2001 having scored a powerful 120 Premier League targets in 236 video games, transferring on to Leeds United after which Manchester Metropolis.
He returned to Liverpool halfway by the 2005-06 season, spending one other 18 months at Anfield, scoring eight league targets, his final within the Premier League.
10. Jermain Defoe – 162 Objectives
After coming by the ranks at West Ham in one thing of a golden period for the membership’s academy, Jermain Defoe went on to take pleasure in a protracted profession within the Premier League, taking part in not less than as soon as in each season from 2000-01 till 2018-19.
The vast majority of his time was spent at Tottenham, who first signed him from West Ham in February 2004, however a lot of this four-year spell was spent being rotated with a number of different high-profile forwards.
He ultimately departed for Portsmouth in early 2008, reuniting together with his former West Ham supervisor Harry Redknapp, who he would later observe again to Spurs after a reinvigorating 12 months on the south coast.
Ninety-one of Defoe’s Premier League targets got here for Spurs, however he additionally went on to make an enormous impression at Sunderland in direction of the top of his profession, scoring 34 occasions in 87 top-flight video games.
Defoe’s final Premier League membership was Bournemouth, for whom he scored 4 occasions in 28 video games.
Different Premier League Gamers With 100+ Objectives
Michael Owen – 150 goalsLes Ferdinand – 149 GoalsTeddy Sheringham – 146 GoalsRobin van Persie – 144 GoalsJamie Vardy – 142 Objectives*Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – 127 GoalsRobbie Keane – 126 GoalsNicolas Anelka – 125 GoalsSon Heung-Min – 124 Objectives*Dwight Yorke – 123 GoalsRaheem Sterling – 123 Objectives*Romelu Lukaku – 121 Objectives*Steven Gerrard – 120 GoalsIan Wright – 113 GoalsDion Dublin – 111 GoalsSadio Mané – 111 Objectives*Emile Heskey – 110 GoalsRyan Giggs – 109 GoalsPeter Crouch – 108 GoalsPaul Scholes – 107 GoalsDarren Bent – 106 GoalsDidier Drogba – 104 GoalsCristiano Ronaldo – 103 Objectives*Matt Le Tissier – 100 Objectives
*Participant nonetheless energetic
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