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List of English football first tier top scorers
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The top tier in English football today is the Premier League, replacing the Football League First Division for the 1992–93 inaugural season. Since the 1888–89 season, the first year of top flight football, three players have scored over 300 goals with a further 25 players scoring over 200 goals. In total 256 players have all scored 100 goals or more. 110 individual players have been named top scorer. Players from Tottenham Hotspur have been named top scorer more than players from any other club, appearing thirteen times on this list. Jimmy Greaves, the all-time top goal scorer in top flight history, won it four times whilst at Tottenham. Nineteen nationalities are represented and although the vast majority of players are English, there were fifteen times where the top scorer in the First Division was Scottish. Since the Premier League started, the player (or players) is awarded the Golden Boot Trophy, for the most league goals in the season. In the Premier League era, Thierry Henry, Arsenal, and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool, have both won the Golden Boot accolade on four occasions. Wayne Rooney, the Premier League's third highest goal scorer, does not appear on this list at all.
Once a rarity, a more widespread assortment of nationalities has achieved this success in recent years; in the 2018–19 season, it was shared between three players from different African countries, then in the 2021–22 season, Son Heung-min from South Korea finished level with Egypt's Mohamed Salah. Sergio Agüero won the award once, scoring 26 in the 2014–15 season. The Argentinian striker scored 184 goals between 2011 and 2021 to become the top foreign top flight goal scorer, a record later bettered by Salah during the 2024–25 season.
Top scorers
By season
On six occasions Jimmy Greaves was the league top scorer: twice with Chelsea and later four with Tottenham Hotspur; however, Steve Bloomer with five holds the record for one team. Thierry Henry is the record Premier League winner with four. Gary Lineker has won the honour three times, all with different clubs, the only player to do so.
In the 1951–52 season, Chile international Jorge 'George' Robledo became the first foreign player to score the most goals in a season, topping the list with 33 goals for Newcastle United. For two consecutive years the award was won by the lowest total of goals ever, 18. Englishmen Michael Owen, Dion Dublin and Chris Sutton won in the 1997–98 season. Owen again won in the 1998–99 season, but this time he was joined by Dutchman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Dwight Yorke, Trinidad and Tobago, the duo becoming the first foreign, league top scorers since Robledo. During this period however, two Republic of Ireland internationals, winger Andy McEvoy and striker John Aldridge, topped the scoring charts. McEvoy shared the most goals with Jimmy Greaves in the 1964–65 season while Aldridge top scored for Liverpool in the 1987–88 season. Both players, although non-British, do not appear on the top foreign goalscorers list published by the IFFHS as well as many other more reputable football websites. Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) became the first African to win the award in 2006–07 season and later Carlos Tevez, Luis Suárez and Sergio Agüero would add to the South American winners. In 2018–19, two players from the same club both finished as top scorers for the first time, Sadio Mané, Senegal, and Mohamed Salah, Egypt, of Liverpool, finished in another three way tie, joined by Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Gabon. The 2021–22 season saw Son Heung-min become the first Asian winner; the South Korean international scored 23 goals, finishing level with Mohamed Salah.
From the start of the Premier League, a golden boot trophy is presented to the top goalscorer. The first player to win this trophy was Teddy Sheringham, then playing for Tottenham Hotspur. In the 1993–94 season Andy Cole scored 34 goals for Newcastle United, the highest number of goals in the Premier League era to win the award. The following season Alan Shearer equalled it while playing for Blackburn Rovers. Both these records however, were set during a 42 match season. Since the Premier League was reduced down to 20 teams, Mohamed Salah held the record previously with 32 in a 38 match season for Liverpool until Norwegian striker Erling Haaland scored his 33rd goal for Manchester City during the 2022–23 season. Haaland's next goal saw him break the record of most goals scored in a season by a foreign player, ending Robledo's 71-year-old record. Haaland finished the season with 36 goals, the highest goal amount since Ron Davies scored 37 for Southampton fifty-eight years ago. However all these totals are dwarfed by the all time record holder, Everton legend Dixie Dean, who still holds the record for the most goals in a season with 60, set in the 1927–28 season. Dean's 310 goals scored for Everton is still the record for most goals scored for one club, and also still holds the records for most hat-tricks, both overall and in a single season.
Since the turn of the millennium only three Englishmen have won the award. In the 1999–2000 season Kevin Phillips won with 30 goals for Sunderland. This was a record for most goals by a debut player, in a 38 match season, until Erling Haaland broke it in the 2022–23 season. Harry Kane won the golden boot in successive seasons when he scored 25 in 2015–16 and then 29 in the 2016–17 season. He won it again in the 2020–21 season with 23. The third is Jamie Vardy; the Leicester City striker scored 23 goals in the 2019–20 season.
| Player (X) | § |
|---|---|
| Name of the player and number of times they were top scorer at that point (if more than one) | |
| Indicates multiple top scorers in the same season | |
| Indicates player also won the European Golden Shoe in the same season (since 1967–68) | |
| Denotes the club were English champions in the same season |
| Season | Player(s) | Nationality | Club(s) | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1888–89 | John Goodall | Preston North End§ | 21 | |
| 1889–90 | Jimmy Ross | Preston North End§ | 22 | |
| 1890–91 | Jack Southworth | Blackburn Rovers | 26 | |
| 1891–92 | John Campbell | Sunderland§ | 32 | |
| 1892–93 | John Campbell (2) | Sunderland§ | 31 | |
| 1893–94 | Jack Southworth (2) | Everton | 27 | |
| 1894–95 | John Campbell (3) | Sunderland§ | 22 | |
| 1895–96 | Steve Bloomer | Derby County | 20 | |
| John Campbell | Aston Villa§ | |||
| 1896–97 | Steve Bloomer (2) | Derby County | 22 | |
| 1897–98 | Fred Wheldon | Aston Villa | 21 | |
| 1898–99 | Steve Bloomer (3) | Derby County | 23 | |
| 1899–1900 | Billy Garraty | Aston Villa§ | 27 | |
| 1900–01 | Steve Bloomer (4) | Derby County | 23 | |
| 1901–02 | Jimmy Settle | Everton | 18 | |
| 1902–03 | Sam Raybould | Liverpool | 31 | |
| 1903–04 | Steve Bloomer (5) | Derby County | 20 | |
| 1904–05 | Arthur Brown | Sheffield United | 22 | |
| 1905–06 | Albert Shepherd | Bolton Wanderers | 26 | |
| 1906–07 | Alex Young | Everton | 28 | |
| 1907–08 | Enoch West | Nottingham Forest | 27 | |
| 1908–09 | Bert Freeman | Everton | 38 | |
| 1909–10 | Jack Parkinson | Liverpool | 30 | |
| 1910–11 | Albert Shepherd (2) | Newcastle United | 25 | |
| 1911–12 | Harry Hampton | Aston Villa | 25 | |
| George Holley | Sunderland | |||
| David McLean | Sheffield Wednesday | |||
| 1912–13 | David McLean (2) | Sheffield Wednesday | 30 | |
| 1913–14 | George Elliott | Middlesbrough | 32 | |
| 1914–15 | Bobby Parker | Everton§ | 35 | |
| 1919–20 | Fred Morris | West Bromwich Albion§ | 37 | |
| 1920–21 | Joe Smith | Bolton Wanderers | 38 | |
| 1921–22 | Andrew Wilson | Middlesbrough | 31 | |
| 1922–23 | Charlie Buchan | Sunderland | 30 | |
| 1923–24 | Wilf Chadwick | Everton | 28 | |
| 1924–25 | Frank Roberts | Manchester City | 31 | |
| 1925–26 | Ted Harper | Blackburn Rovers | 43 | |
| 1926–27 | Jimmy Trotter | Sheffield Wednesday | 37 | |
| 1927–28 | Dixie Dean | Everton§ | 60 | |
| 1928–29 | Dave Halliday | Sunderland | 43 | |
| 1929–30 | Vic Watson | West Ham United | 41 | |
| 1930–31 | Tom Waring | Aston Villa | 49 | |
| 1931–32 | Dixie Dean (2) | Everton§ | 44 | |
| 1932–33 | Jack Bowers | Derby County | 35 | |
| 1933–34 | Jack Bowers (2) | Derby County | 34 | |
| 1934–35 | Ted Drake | Arsenal§ | 42 | |
| 1935–36 | W. G. Richardson | West Bromwich Albion | 39 | |
| 1936–37 | Freddie Steele | Stoke City | 33 | |
| 1937–38 | Tommy Lawton | Everton | 34 | |
| 1938–39 | Tommy Lawton (2) | Everton§ | 35 | |
| 1946–47 | Dennis Westcott | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 37 | |
| 1947–48 | Ronnie Rooke | Arsenal§ | 33 | |
| 1948–49 | Willie Moir | Bolton Wanderers | 25 | |
| 1949–50 | Dickie Davis | Sunderland | 25 | |
| 1950–51 | Stan Mortensen | Blackpool | 30 | |
| 1951–52 | George Robledo | Newcastle United | 33 | |
| 1952–53 | Charlie Wayman | Preston North End | 24 | |
| 1953–54 | Jimmy Glazzard | Huddersfield Town | 29 | |
| 1954–55 | Ronnie Allen | West Bromwich Albion | 27 | |
| 1955–56 | Nat Lofthouse | Bolton Wanderers | 33 | |
| 1956–57 | John Charles | Leeds United | 38 | |
| 1957–58 | Bobby Smith | Tottenham Hotspur | 36 | |
| 1958–59 | Jimmy Greaves | Chelsea | 33 | |
| 1959–60 | Dennis Viollet | Manchester United | 32 | |
| 1960–61 | Jimmy Greaves (2) | Chelsea | 41 | |
| 1961–62 | Ray Crawford | Ipswich Town§ | 33 | |
| Derek Kevan | West Bromwich Albion | |||
| 1962–63 | Jimmy Greaves (3) | Tottenham Hotspur | 37 | |
| 1963–64 | Jimmy Greaves (4) | Tottenham Hotspur | 35 | |
| 1964–65 | Jimmy Greaves (5) | Tottenham Hotspur | 29 | |
| Andy McEvoy | Blackburn Rovers | |||
| 1965–66 | Roger Hunt | Liverpool§ | 29 | |
| Willie Irvine | Burnley | |||
| 1966–67 | Ron Davies | Southampton | 37 | |
| 1967–68 | George Best | Manchester United | 28 | |
| Ron Davies (2) | Southampton | |||
| 1968–69 | Jimmy Greaves (6) | Tottenham Hotspur | 27 | |
| 1969–70 | Jeff Astle | West Bromwich Albion | 25 | |
| 1970–71 | Tony Brown | West Bromwich Albion | 28 | |
| 1971–72 | Francis Lee | Manchester City | 33 | |
| 1972–73 | Pop Robson | West Ham United | 28 | |
| 1973–74 | Mick Channon | Southampton | 21 | |
| 1974–75 | Malcolm Macdonald | Newcastle United | 21 | |
| 1975–76 | Ted MacDougall | Norwich City | 23 | |
| 1976–77 | Andy Gray | Aston Villa | 25 | |
| Malcolm Macdonald (2) | Arsenal | |||
| 1977–78 | Bob Latchford | Everton | 30 | |
| 1978–79 | Frank Worthington | Bolton Wanderers | 24 | |
| 1979–80 | Phil Boyer | Southampton | 23 | |
| 1980–81 | Steve Archibald | Tottenham Hotspur | 20 | |
| Peter Withe | Aston Villa§ | |||
| 1981–82 | Kevin Keegan | Southampton | 26 | |
| 1982–83 | Luther Blissett | Watford | 27 | |
| 1983–84 | Ian Rush | Liverpool§ | 32 | |
| 1984–85 | Kerry Dixon | Chelsea | 24 | |
| Gary Lineker | Leicester City | |||
| 1985–86 | Gary Lineker (2) | Everton | 30 | |
| 1986–87 | Clive Allen | Tottenham Hotspur | 33 | |
| 1987–88 | John Aldridge | Liverpool§ | 26 | |
| 1988–89 | Alan Smith | Arsenal§ | 23 | |
| 1989–90 | Gary Lineker (3) | Tottenham Hotspur | 24 | |
| 1990–91 | Alan Smith (2) | Arsenal§ | 22 | |
| 1991–92 | Ian Wright | 29 | ||
| 1992–93 | Teddy Sheringham | 22 | ||
| 1993–94 | Andy Cole | Newcastle United | 34 | |
| 1994–95 | Alan Shearer | Blackburn Rovers§ | 34 | |
| 1995–96 | Alan Shearer (2) | Blackburn Rovers | 31 | |
| 1996–97 | Alan Shearer (3) | Newcastle United | 25 | |
| 1997–98 | Dion Dublin | Coventry City | 18 | |
| Michael Owen | Liverpool | |||
| Chris Sutton | Blackburn Rovers | |||
| 1998–99 | Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink | Leeds United | 18 | |
| Michael Owen (2) | Liverpool | |||
| Dwight Yorke | Manchester United§ | |||
| 1999–2000 | Kevin Phillips | Sunderland | 30 | |
| 2000–01 | Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2) | Chelsea | 23 | |
| 2001–02 | Thierry Henry | Arsenal§ | 24 | |
| 2002–03 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | Manchester United§ | 25 | |
| 2003–04 | Thierry Henry (2) | Arsenal§ | 30 | |
| 2004–05 | Thierry Henry (3) | Arsenal | 25 | |
| 2005–06 | Thierry Henry (4) | Arsenal | 27 | |
| 2006–07 | Didier Drogba | Chelsea | 20 | |
| 2007–08 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Manchester United§ | 31 | |
| 2008–09 | Nicolas Anelka | Chelsea | 19 | |
| 2009–10 | Didier Drogba (2) | Chelsea§ | 29 | |
| 2010–11 | Dimitar Berbatov | Manchester United§ | 20 | |
| Carlos Tevez | Manchester City | |||
| 2011–12 | Robin van Persie | Arsenal | 30 | |
| 2012–13 | Robin van Persie (2) | Manchester United§ | 26 | |
| 2013–14 | Luis Suárez | Liverpool | 31 | |
| 2014–15 | Sergio Agüero | Manchester City | 26 | |
| 2015–16 | Harry Kane | Tottenham Hotspur | 25 | |
| 2016–17 | Harry Kane (2) | Tottenham Hotspur | 29 | |
| 2017–18 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 32 | |
| 2018–19 | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Arsenal | 22 | |
| Sadio Mané | Liverpool | |||
| Mohamed Salah (2) | Liverpool | |||
| 2019–20 | Jamie Vardy | Leicester City | 23 | |
| 2020–21 | Harry Kane (3) | Tottenham Hotspur | 23 | |
| 2021–22 | Mohamed Salah (3) | Liverpool | 23 | |
| Son Heung-min | Tottenham Hotspur | |||
| 2022–23 | Erling Haaland | Manchester City§ | 36 | |
| 2023–24 | Erling Haaland (2) | Manchester City§ | 27 | |
| 2024–25 | Mohamed Salah (4) | Liverpool§ | 29 |
By number of seasons as top scorer
|Chelsea 1959, 1961, Tottenham Hotspur 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969 ||1958–59, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1968–69|| |- |Derby County ||1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1903–04|| |- |Arsenal||2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06|| |- |Egypt Mohamed Salah|| |Liverpool||2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2024–25|| |- |Sunderland ||1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95|| |- |England Gary Lineker|| |Leicester City 1985, Everton 1986, Tottenham Hotspur 1990 |1984–85, 1985–86, 1989–90|| |- |England Alan Shearer|| | Blackburn Rovers 1995, 1996, Newcastle United 1997 ||1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97|| |- |England Harry Kane|| |Tottenham Hotspur||2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21|| |- |Blackburn Rovers 1891, Everton 1894 ||1890–91, 1893–94|| |- |England Albert Shepherd|| |Bolton Wanderers 1906, Newcastle United 1911 ||1905–06, 1910–11|| |- |Scotland David McLean|| |Sheffield Wednesday ||1911–12, 1912–13|| |- |England Dixie Dean|| |Everton ||1927–28, 1931–32|| |- |England Jack Bowers|| |Derby County ||1932–33, 1933–34|| |- |England Tommy Lawton|| |Everton ||1937–38, 1938–39|| |- |Wales Ron Davies|| |Southampton ||1966–67, 1967–68|| |- |England Malcolm Macdonald|| |Newcastle United 1975, Arsenal 1977 ||1974–75, 1976–77|| |- |England Alan Smith|| |Arsenal||1988–89, 1990–91|| |- |England Michael Owen|| | Liverpool||1997–98, 1998–99|| |- |Netherlands Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink|| | Leeds United 1999, Chelsea 2001||1998–99, 2000–01|| |- |Ivory Coast Didier Drogba|| |Chelsea||2006–07, 2009–10|| |- |Netherlands Robin van Persie|| | Arsenal 2012, Manchester United 2013||2011–12, 2012–13|| |- |Norway Erling Haaland | |Manchester City |2022–23, 2023–24 | |}
- Bold shows players currently playing in the Premier League.
- Italics show players still playing professional football.
By club
Coventry City and Stoke City are the only clubs with top league scorers whose teams have never finished in the top three.
| Rank | Club | Titles | Seasons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1957–58, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1980–81, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1992–93, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21, 2021–22 | ||
| 2 | Arsenal | 1934–35, 1947–48, 1976–77, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2018–19 | ||
| Everton | 1893–94, 1901–02, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1914–15, 1923–24, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1977–78, 1985–86 | |||
| Liverpool | 1902–03, 1909–10, 1965–66, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2024–25 | |||
| 5 | Sunderland | 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1911–12, 1922–23, 1928–29, 1949–50, 1999–2000 | ||
| 6 | Derby County | 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1903–04, 1932–33, 1933–34 | ||
| Aston Villa | 1895–96, 1897–98, 1899–1900, 1911–12, 1930–31, 1976–77, 1980–81 | |||
| Chelsea | 1958–59, 1960–61, 1984–85, 2000–01, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10 | |||
| Manchester United | 1959–60, 1967–68, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2012–13 | |||
| 10 | West Bromwich Albion | 1919–20, 1935–36, 1954–55, 1961–62, 1969–70, 1970–71 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 1890–91, 1925–26, 1964–65, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1997–98 | |||
| Manchester City | 1924–25, 1971–72, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2022–23, 2023–24 | |||
| 13 | Bolton Wanderers | 1905–06, 1920–21, 1948–49, 1955–56, 1978–79 | ||
| Southampton | 1966–67, 1967–68, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1981–82 | |||
| Newcastle United | 1910–11, 1951–52, 1974–75, 1993–94, 1996–97 | |||
| 16 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1911–12, 1912–13, 1926–27 | ||
| Preston North End | 1888–89, 1889–90, 1952–53 | |||
| 18 | Middlesbrough | 1913–14, 1921–22 | ||
| West Ham United | 1929–30, 1972–73 | |||
| Leeds United | 1956–57, 1998–99 | |||
| Leicester City | 1984–85, 2019–20 | |||
| 22 | Sheffield United | 1904–05 | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 1907–08 | |||
| Stoke City | 1936–37 | |||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1946–47 | |||
| Blackpool | 1950–51 | |||
| Huddersfield Town | 1953–54 | |||
| Ipswich Town | 1961–62 | |||
| Burnley | 1965–66 | |||
| Norwich City | 1975–76 | |||
| Watford | 1982–83 | |||
| Coventry City | 1997–98 |
By nationality
| Country | Titles |
|---|
Top 50 all-time top scorers
The Football League Division One from 1888 through to the end of the 1991–92 season and now the Premier League, make up the top tier in English football. During these 137 years three players have scored over 300 goals, with another 25 scoring over 200 goals. A further three players were a goal shy, finishing on 199 goals. The first was Sheffield Wednesday's Andrew Wilson whose career was interrupted by World War I but went onto make 501 appearances. In the mid-sixties, Bobby Smith retired after scoring 23 in 74 for Chelsea and 176 in 271 for Tottenham, and finally ten years later, England legend Sir Bobby Charlton, left Manchester United after making 606 appearances.
Derby County forward Steve Bloomer was the first player to score over 300 goals, his record of 314 stood for over half a century. In 14 years, he scored 240 goals in 376 matches in his first stint at Derby County before moving to Middlesbrough where he scored 59 in 125 games for the Boro. After five years on Teesside, he returned to Derby who were in the second division then. He spent two years in the second division scoring 38 goals before the Rams won promotion. In his final two seasons he scored a further 15 goals in 34 matches, a total of 255 in 410 appearances for Derby County. Everton striker Dixie Dean came very close to breaking the record, he scored 349 league goals all for Everton, however 39 were scored in the second division, leaving him 4 goals behind. Bloomers' achievement was finally surpassed when Jimmy Greaves broke the record scoring 357 goals, playing for Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. For Chelsea he scored 124 goals in 157 appearances, only Frank Lampard 147, Roy Bentley 130, and Bobby Tambling 129 have scored more top flight goals for Chelsea. Greaves moved on to Tottenham Hotspur where, to this day, remains Tottenham's top league goalscorer after scoring 220 goals in 321 appearances. His top flight career ended at West Ham United, where he scored 13 in 38 matches.
In the Premier League era, Alan Shearer sits top, but even with his full tally of 283 goals, he still trails. Four more "modern day" players, who have played in the Premier League make the list, Wayne Rooney, the third highest Premier League goalscorer with 208 goals for Everton and Manchester United, is 22nd. Liverpool legend Ian Rush is the 14th highest scorer in the history of top flight football, but his Premier League tally is only 48 goals, ranking him 144th. Another player to lose goals is Tony Cottee, who sits in 18th place. His last 78 goals gives him a current PL ranking of 62. Apart from these three, a further 20 players, who have scored 100 or more goals, have lesser totals. Ranked 45th, Lee Chapman scored 177 goals, the same as Frank Lampard and two more than Thierry Henry, but his last 23 goals sees him in 365th place in the Premier League. Peter Beardsley and Matt Le Tissier (jointly ranked 71st), both scored 161 goals, 11 more than Michael Owen who is eleventh on the PL list. Beardsley is in 97th position with 58 goals in the Premier League while a lack of centurions, assists Le Tissier's ranking. Losing 61 goals improves his overall position, ranked 34th in the Premier League with 100 goals.
The most recent active player in the Top 50 is Mohamed Salah, his goal against Leicester City on Boxing day, 2024, was his 173rd, moving the Egyptian winger inside the top 50. Recently, former Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, scored 30 goals in his last season in England to move above players such as Dennis Viollet, Ray Charnley who both had 190 goals, Peter Harris, who scored 192 goals for Portsmouth, Stan Mortensen who scored 197 goals for Blackpool, George Elliott who scored 198 goals for Middlesbrough and the three players mentioned above who all scored 199 goals. Kane, ranked 19th, became only the 28th player in 136 years of league football to join the elite 200 club, who, in the summer of 2023, signed for German club Bayern Munich.
First Division/Premier League top 50 goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England Jimmy Greaves | 357 | 516 | 1957–1971 | Chelsea (124/157), Tottenham Hotspur (220/321), West Ham United (13/38) | |
| 2 | England Steve Bloomer | 314 | 535 | 1892–1914 | Derby County (255/410), Middlesbrough (59/125) | |
| 3 | England Dixie Dean | 310 | 362 | 1924–1938 | Everton | |
| 4 | England Gordon Hodgson | 288 | 455 | 1925–1940 | Liverpool (233/359), Aston Villa (4/15), Leeds United (51/81) | |
| 5 | England Alan Shearer | 283 | 559 | 1988–2006 | Southampton (23/118), Blackburn Rovers (112/138), Newcastle United (148/303) | |
| 6 | England Charlie Buchan | 258 | 481 | 1912–1928 | Sunderland (209/379), Arsenal (49/102) | |
| 7 | England David Jack | 257 | 476 | 1920–1934 | Bolton Wanderers (144/295), Arsenal (113/181) | |
| 8 | England Nat Lofthouse | 255 | 452 | 1946–1960 | Bolton Wanderers | |
| 9 | England Joe Bradford | 248 | 410 | 1921–1935 | Birmingham City | |
| 10 | Scotland Hughie Gallacher | 246 | 355 | 1925–1938 | Newcastle United (133/160), Chelsea (72/132), Derby County (38/51), Grimsby Town (3/12) | |
| 11 | England Joe Smith | 243 | 416 | 1908–1927 | Bolton Wanderers | |
| 12 | England George Brown | 240 | 366 | 1921–1935 | Huddersfield Town (142/213), Aston Villa (79/116), Leeds United (19/37) | |
| 13 | England George Camsell | 233 | 337 | 1921–1939 | Middlesbrough | |
| 14 | Wales Ian Rush | 232 | 515 | 1980–1998 | Liverpool (229/469), Leeds United (3/36), Newcastle United (0/10) | |
| 15 | Scotland David Herd | 222 | 412 | 1954–1970 | Arsenal (97/166), Manchester United (114/202), Stoke City (11/44) | |
| 16 | England Harry Hampton | 219 | 357 | 1904–1922 | Aston Villa (215/339), Birmingham City (4/18) | |
| 17 | England Billy Walker | 214 | 478 | 1919–1933 | Aston Villa | |
| England Tony Cottee | 214 | 548 | 1982–2001 | West Ham United (115/279), Everton (72/184), Leicester City (27/85) | ||
| 19 | England Harry Kane | 213 | 320 | 2012–2023 | Tottenham Hotspur (213/317), Norwich City (0/3) | |
| 20 | Scotland Dave Halliday | 211 | 257 | 1925–1933 | Sunderland (156/166), Arsenal (8/15), Manchester City (47/76) | |
| 21 | England Geoff Hurst | 210 | 519 | 1959–1975 | West Ham United (180/411), Stoke City (30/108) | |
| 22 | England Ronnie Allen | 208 | 415 | 1950–1961 | West Bromwich Albion | |
| England Wayne Rooney | 208 | 491 | 2002–2018 | Everton (25/98), Manchester United (183/393) | ||
| 24 | England Bobby Gurney | 205 | 348 | 1926–1944 | Sunderland | |
| 25 | England Arthur Chandler | 203 | 309 | 1925–1935 | Leicester City | |
| England Vic Watson | 203 | 295 | 1923–1936 | West Ham United | ||
| 27 | England Harry Johnson | 201 | 313 | 1919–1931 | Sheffield United | |
| Scotland Denis Law | 201 | 377 | 1960–1974 | Manchester City (30/68), Manchester United (171/309) | ||
| 29 | England Bobby Smith | 199 | 345 | 1950–1965 | Chelsea (23/74), Tottenham Hotspur (176/271) | |
| Scotland Andrew Wilson | 199 | 501 | 1900–1920 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| England Bobby Charlton | 199 | 606 | 1956–1975 | Manchester United | ||
| 32 | England George Elliott | 198 | 327 | 1909–1925 | Middlesbrough | |
| 33 | England Stan Mortensen | 197 | 317 | 1946–1959 | Blackpool | |
| 34 | England Peter Harris | 192 | 468 | 1946–1960 | Portsmouth | |
| 35 | England Ray Charnley | 190 | 359 | 1954–1972 | Blackpool | |
| England Dennis Viollet | 190 | 391 | 1953–1967 | Manchester United (159/259), Stoke City (31/132) | ||
| 37 | Egypt Mohamed Salah | 187 | 302 | 2013– | Chelsea (2/13), Liverpool (185/289) | |
| England Tommy Thompson | 187 | 354 | 1947–1964 | Newcastle United (4/16), Aston Villa (67/149), Preston North End (116/189) | ||
| England Andy Cole | 187 | 415 | 1992–2007 | Arsenal (0/1), Newcastle United (43/58), Manchester United (93/195), Blackburn Rovers (27/83), Fulham (12/31), Manchester City (9/22), Portsmouth (3/18), Sunderland (0/7) | ||
| 40 | England Jack Bowers | 186 | 255 | 1928–1939 | Derby County (167/203), Leicester City (19/52) | |
| 41 | Argentina Sergio Aguero | 184 | 275 | 2011–2021 | Manchester City | |
| 42 | England Tony Brown | 179 | 459 | 1963–1980 | West Bromwich Albion | |
| England Teddy Sheringham | 179 | 521 | 1988–2007 | Millwall (20/64), Nottingham Forest (14/42), Tottenham Hotspur (97/236), Manchester United (31/104), Portsmouth (9/32), West Ham United (8/43) | ||
| 44 | England Ginger Richardson | 178 | 269 | 1928–1946 | West Bromwich Albion | |
| 45 | England Lee Chapman | 177 | 508 | 1979–1995 | Stoke City (34/99), Arsenal (4/23), Sunderland (3/15), Sheffield Wednesday (63/149), Nottingham Forest (15/48), Leeds United (50/118), West Ham United (7/40), Ipswich Town (1/16) | |
| England Frank Lampard | 177 | 609 | 1995–2015 | West Ham United (24/148), Chelsea (147/429), Manchester City (6/32) | ||
| 47 | France Thierry Henry | 175 | 258 | 1999–2012 | Arsenal | |
| England Billy Hibbert | 175 | 387 | 1906–1922 | Bury (99/178), Newcastle United (46/139), Bradford City (26/53), Oldham Athletic (4/17) | ||
| Northern Ireland Derek Dougan | 175 | 458 | 1957–1975 | Blackburn Rovers (26/59), Leicester City (35/68), Wolverhampton Wanderers (86/247), Portsmouth (9/33), Aston Villa (19/51) | ||
| 50 | England Jack Rowley | 173 | 351 | 1937–1957 | Manchester United | |
| England Peter Dobing | 173 | 509 | 1955–1973 | Blackburn Rovers (60/120), Manchester City (31/82), Stoke City (82/307) |
Lee Chapman holds the record of most top flight clubs scored for with eight. Andy Cole played for eight clubs also, but only scored for six. Marcus Bent is another player to play for eight top flight clubs, again only scoring for six. A name that does not appear on the top scorer list is Arthur Rowley, the record holder for the most goals in league football, scoring 434 goals in 619 league games. Arthur's brother Jack Rowley scored 173 goals for Manchester United and is ranked 50th, shown above. Arthur however didn't play much top flight football in his career, but he did score 51 goals in 95 matches. In one season at Fulham he scored eight in 34 appearances and then later hit 43 in 61 appearances over two seasons for Leicester City.
Clubs top scorer in top tier
The start of the Football League saw 12 teams become the founding members of the first ever league season in 1888–89. These were Accrington, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Everton, Preston North End, Aston Villa, Derby County, Notts County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Since then sixty five clubs have played at the top level, with only four premier league players breaking club records set in the football league. Thierry Henry beat the 150 scored by Cliff Bastin for Arsenal. Roy Bentley who scored 130 goals for Chelsea was surpassed by Frank Lampard, while Sergio Aguero overtook the 147 Eric Brook scored for Manchester City. Matt Le Tissier scored in both the First Division and the Premier League to become Southampton's top scorer, exceeding the 134 goal record set by Welshman Ron Davies. As of November 18th, 2025, Danny Welbeck sits on 40 goals for Brighton and Hove Albion, 3 above Michael Robinson's 37. The Premier League's top three goalscorers, who all have scored over 200 goals, fail to appear. Alan Shearer finished nine goals adrift of Blackburn's Ted Harper and finished two short of Geordie legend Jackie Milburn, while Wayne Rooney was sixteen short of Bobby Charlton's record. Harry Kane ended with 213, leaving Jimmy Greaves still as Tottenham's record goalscorer.
Glossop statistics currently unavailable.
| Club | Player name | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accrington | Scotland Billy Barbour | 33 | 1888–1890 |
| Arsenal | France Thierry Henry | 175 | 1999–2012 |
| Aston Villa | England Harry Hampton | 215 | 1904–1920 |
| Barnsley | England Neal Redfearn | 10 | 1991–1998 |
| Birmingham City | England Joe Bradford | 248 | 1920–1935 |
| Blackburn Rovers | England Ted Harper | 121 | 1923–1934 |
| Blackpool | England Stan Mortensen | 197 | 1941–1955 |
| Bolton Wanderers | England Nat Lofthouse | 255 | 1946–1960 |
| Bournemouth | Norway Josh King | 48 | 2015–2021 |
| Bradford City | Scotland Frank O'Rourke | 63 | 1920–1921 |
| Bradford Park Avenue | Scotland David McLean | 49 | 1919–1922 |
| Brentford | Scotland Dave McCulloch | 85 | 1935–1938 |
| Brighton & HA | England Danny Welbeck | 41 | 2020– |
| Bristol City | Scotland Sam Gilligan | 44 | 1904–1910 |
| Burnley | England George Beel | 142 | 1923–1932 |
| Bury | England Billy Hibbert | 99 | 1906–1911 |
| Cardiff City | Wales Len Davies | 117 | 1919–1931 |
| Carlisle United | England Joe Laidlaw | 12 | 1972–1976 |
| Charlton Athletic | England Charles Vaughan | 91 | 1946–1953 |
| Chelsea | England Frank Lampard | 147 | 2001–2014 |
| Coventry City | England Dion Dublin | 61 | 1994–1998 |
| Crystal Palace | Ivory Coast Wilfried Zaha | 68 | 2010–2023 |
| Darwen | England John McKnight | 11 | 1893–1894 |
| Derby County | England Steve Bloomer | 255 | 1891–1914 |
| Everton | England Dixie Dean | 310 | 1925–1937 |
| Fulham | Scotland Graham Leggat | 106 | 1958–1966 |
| Grimsby Town | Wales Pat Glover | 117 | 1929–1939 |
| Huddersfield Town | England George Brown | 142 | 1921–1929 |
| Hull City | Croatia Nikica Jelavic | 13 | 2014–2015 |
| Ipswich Town | Scotland John Wark | 107 | 1974–1990 |
| Leeds United | Scotland Peter Lorimer | 151 | 1962–1979 |
| Leicester City | England Arthur Chandler | 203 | 1923–1935 |
|
| Club | Player name | Goals | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leyton Orient | England Dave Dunmore | 11 | 1961–1964 |
| Liverpool | England Gordon Hodgson | 233 | 1925–1936 |
| Luton Town | England Gordon Turner | 101 | 1949–1964 |
| Manchester City | Argentina Sergio Aguero | 184 | 2011–2021 |
| Manchester United | England Bobby Charlton | 199 | 1956–1973 |
| Middlesbrough | England George Camsell | 233 | 1925–1939 |
| Millwall | Republic of Ireland Tony Cascarino | 22 | 1987–1990 |
| Newcastle United | England Jackie Milburn | 150 | 1946–1957 |
| Northampton Town | England Bobby Brown | 9 | 1963–1966 |
| Norwich City | England John Deehan | 48 | 1981–1986 |
| Notts County | England Trevor Christie | 41 | 1979–1984 |
| Nottingham Forest | Wales Grenville Morris | 152 | 1898–1913 |
| Oldham Athletic | England Joe Walters | 35 | 1912–1919 |
| Oxford United | Republic of Ireland John Aldridge | 38 | 1984–1987 |
| Portsmouth | England Peter Harris | 193 | 1946–1960 |
| Preston North End | England Tom Finney | 164 | 1946–1960 |
| Queens Park Rangers | England Les Ferdinand | 80 | 1987–1995 |
| Reading | Republic of Ireland Kevin Doyle | 19 | 2005–2009 |
| Sheffield United | England Harry Johnson | 201 | 1916–1931 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | Scotland Andrew Wilson | 199 | 1900–1920 |
| Southampton | England Matt Le Tissier | 161 | 1986–2002 |
| Stoke City | England Freddie Steele | 140 | 1933–1949 |
| Sunderland | England Charlie Buchan | 209 | 1911–1925 |
| Swansea City | Ivory Coast Wilfried Bony | 27 | 2013–2019 |
| Swindon Town | Norway Jan Age Fjortoft | 12 | 1993–1995 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | England Jimmy Greaves | 220 | 1961–1970 |
| Watford | England Luther Blissett | 70 | 1975–1988 |
| West Bromwich Albion | England Ronnie Allen | 208 | 1950–1961 |
| West Ham United | England Vic Watson | 203 | 1920–1935 |
| Wigan Athletic | Colombia Hugo Rodallega | 24 | 2009–2012 |
| Wimbledon | England John Fashanu | 103 | 1986–1994 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | England Johnny Hancocks | 158 | 1946–1957 |
|}
Top five scorers by nationality / region

With 187 goals, Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah is currently the highest foreign goalscorer in English top flight history.]] Many nationalities have played in English top flight football throughout the years. The tables below show the top five highest scorers from their respective countries or region. As shown in the top 50 list above, the top English and Scottish goal scorers can be seen.
Of the home nation countries, Premier League players are well short of the overall records. Northern Ireland's top Premier League scorer is Iain Dowie who scored 33 of his 57 goals in the Premier League. The top Welsh goal scorer is Ryan Giggs who scored 114 goals, 109 in the Premier League while Duncan Ferguson with 68 goals is the top Scottish goal scorer in the Premier League. All well short of the record totals by Derek Dougan, Ian Rush and Hughie Gallacher. Elsewhere, Republic of Ireland striker Robbie Keane scored 126 goals in the Premier League, but ended with 10 goals less than record holder Frank Stapleton.
A different story occurs with the rest of the world, made up predominately of Premier League players only. South American Jorge Robledo's record remains from the fifties, currently the joint third highest goalscorer. Craig Johnston has been overtaking by Premier League Oceanic players while Lindy Delapenha, also, has lost his Caribbean record. American Roy Wegerle has dropped to second in the United States and Canada scorers; his goals span the switch to the Premier League. The European and African top scorers are all from the Premier League era.
When Dwight Yorke scored a hat-trick for Manchester United against Leicester City, on Sunday 17 January 1999, he became the top foreign scorer. With this treble he moved onto 84 top-flight goals, surpassing the previous record of 82, set by Chilean Jorge Robledo in 1953. Later that year on Saturday 18 December 1999, Yorke scored twice for Manchester United in a 4–2 away win at West Ham United. His first goal that day saw him become the first foreign player to score 100 top flight goals. This was his 27th league goal for Manchester United, after scoring 73 previously for Aston Villa. As of the end of the 2024–25 season, his 136 goals ranks him as the fifth-highest foreign goalscorer, behind Mohamed Salah 186, Sergio Agüero 184, Thierry Henry 175 and Robin van Persie 144.
- Bold shows players currently playing in the Premier League.
Northern Ireland
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derek Dougan | 175 | 458 | 1957–1975 | Blackburn Rovers (26/59), Leicester City (35/68), Wolverhampton Wanderers (86/247), Portsmouth (9/33), Aston Villa (19/51) | ||
| 2 | Jimmy Dunne | 153 | 201 | 1926–1937 | Sheffield United (143/173), Arsenal (10/28) | ||
| 3 | George Best | 137 | 361 | 1963–1977 | Manchester United | ||
| 4 | Billy Gillespie | 127 | 448 | 1910–1933 | Sheffield United | ||
| 5 | Jimmy McIlroy | 126 | 519 | 1950–1967 | Burnley (116/439), Stoke City (10/80) |
Republic of Ireland
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frank Stapleton | 136 | 458 | 1974–1995 | Arsenal (75/225), Manchester United (60/223), Derby County (1/10) | title=Frank Stapleton | url=https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe46189/frank-stapleton/ | access-date=20 September 2022 | website=WorldFootball.net}} | |
| 2 | Robbie Keane | 126 | 349 | 1997–2012 | Coventry City (12/31), Leeds United (13/46), Tottenham Hotspur (91/238), Liverpool (5/19), West Ham United (2/9), Aston Villa (3/6) | |||||
| 3 | Niall Quinn | 109 | 399 | 1983–2002 | Arsenal (14/67), Manchester City (66/193), Sunderland (29/139) | |||||
| 4 | Johnny Giles | 91 | 479 | 1959–1976 | Manchester United (10/99), Leeds United (80/343), West Bromwich Albion (1/37) | |||||
| 5 | John Aldridge | 88 | 147 | 1985–1989 | Oxford United (38/64), Liverpool (50/83) |
Wales
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Rush | 232 | 515 | 1980–1998 | Liverpool (229/469), Leeds United (3/36), Newcastle United (0/10) | last=Strack-Zimmermann | first=Benjamin | title=Ian Rush (Player) | url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/14123/Ian_Rush.html | access-date=20 September 2022 | website=National Football Teams}} | |
| 2 | Trevor Ford | 169 | 324 | 1946–1961 | Aston Villa (60/120), Sunderland (67/108), Cardiff City (42/96) | |||||||
| 3 | Grenville Morris | 152 | 332 | 1897–1913 | Nottingham Forest | |||||||
| 4 | Mark Hughes | 149 | 531 | 1980–2002 | Manchester United (120/345), Chelsea (25/95), Southampton (2/52), Everton (1/18), Blackburn Rovers (1/21) | title=Mark Hughes | url=https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe3537/mark-hughes/ | access-date=20 September 2022 | website=WorldFootball.net | date=3 December 2018 }} | ||
| 5 | Roy Vernon | 145 | 315 | 1955–1970 | Blackburn Rovers (22/51), Everton (101/176), Stoke City (22/88) |
Europe (excluding the British Isles)
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France Thierry Henry | 175 | 258 | 1994–2012 | Arsenal | ||
| 2 | Netherlands Robin van Persie | 144 | 280 | 2004–2015 | Arsenal (96/194), Manchester United (48/86) | ||
| 3 | Netherlands Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink | 127 | 288 | 1997–2007 | Leeds United (34/69), Chelsea (69/136), Middlesbrough (22/58), Charlton Athletic (2/25) | ||
| 4 | France Nicolas Anelka | 125 | 364 | 1996–2014 | Arsenal (23/65), Manchester City (37/89), Chelsea (38/125), Liverpool (4/20), Bolton Wanderers (21/53), West Bromwich Albion (2/12) | ||
| 5 | Belgium Romelu Lukaku | 121 | 278 | 2011–2022 | West Bromwich Albion (17/35), Everton (68/141), Manchester United (28/66), Chelsea (8/36) |
South America
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina Sergio Agüero | 184 | 275 | 2011–2021 | Manchester City | ||
| 2 | Argentina Carlos Tevez | 84 | 202 | 2006–2013 | West Ham United (7/26), Manchester United (19/63), Manchester City (58/113) | ||
| 3 | Chile George Robledo | 82 | 146 | 1949–1953 | Newcastle United | ||
| Brazil Roberto Firmino | 82 | 256 | 2015–2023 | Liverpool | |||
| 5 | Brazil Gabriel Jesus | 77 | 233 | 2017– | Manchester City (58/159), Arsenal (19/74) |
Africa
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Egypt Mohamed Salah | 187 | 302 | 2013– | Chelsea (2/13), Liverpool (185/289) | ||
| 2 | Senegal Sadio Mané | 111 | 263 | 2014–2022 | Southampton (21/67), Liverpool (90/196) | ||
| 3 | Ivory Coast Didier Drogba | 104 | 254 | 2004–2012 | Chelsea | ||
| 4 | Togo Emmanuel Adebayor | 97 | 242 | 2005–2016 | Arsenal (46/104), Manchester City (15/34), Tottenham Hotspur (35/92), Crystal Palace (1/12) | ||
| 5 | Nigeria Yakubu | 95 | 252 | 2003–2012 | Portsmouth (28/67), Middlesbrough (25/73), Everton (25/82), Blackburn Rovers (17/30) |
Oceania
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia Mark Viduka | 92 | 240 | 2000–2009 | Leeds United (59/130), Middlesbrough (26/72), Newcastle United (7/38) | |||||
| 2 | NZ Chris Wood | 91 | 264 | 2009– | West Bromwich Albion (0/3), Leicester City (1/7), Burnley (49/144), Newcastle United (4/35), Nottingham Forest (37/75) | |||||
| 3 | Australia Harry Kewell | 57 | 274 | 1993–2008 | Leeds United (45/181), Liverpool (12/93) | |||||
| 4 | Australia Tim Cahill | 56 | 226 | 2004–2012 | Everton | |||||
| 5 | Australia Craig Johnston | 46 | 254 | 1977–1988 | Middlesbrough (16/64), Liverpool (30/190) | title=Craig Johnston » Club matches | url=https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe92227/craig-johnston/club-matches/ | access-date=27 September 2022 | website=WorldFootball.net}} |
North America
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trinidad Dwight Yorke | 136 | 423 | 1989–2009 | Aston Villa (73/231), Manchester United (48/92), Blackburn Rovers (12/60), Birmingham City (2/13), Sunderland (1/27) | ||
| 2 | Jamaica Michail Antonio | 68 | 268 | 2008–2025 | West Ham United | ||
| 3 | Mexico Raúl Jiménez | 61 | 207 | 2018– | Wolverhampton Wanderers (40/135), Fulham (20/72) | ||
| 4 | Jamaica Robbie Earle | 59 | 283 | 1991–2000 | Wimbledon | ||
| 5 | USA Clint Dempsey | 57 | 218 | 2007–2013 | Fulham (50/189), Tottenham Hotspur (7/29), |
Asia
| Rank | Player | Goals | Apps | Ratio | Years | Club(s) (goals/apps) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea Son Heung-min | 127 | 333 | 2015–2025 | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| 2 | Israel Yossi Benayoun | 31 | 194 | 2005–2014 | West Ham United (8/75), Liverpool (18/92), Chelsea (1/8), Arsenal (4/19) | ||
| 3 | Israel Ronny Rosenthal | 25 | 162 | 1990–1997 | Liverpool (21/74), Tottenham Hotspur (4/88) | ||
| 4 | South Korea Hwang Hee-chan | 24 | 122 | 2021– | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| 5 | Japan Kaoru Mitoma | 22 | 99 | 2022– | Brighton & Hove Albion |
Excluded centurions
Former Leeds United legend Johnny Giles in a 2016 interview published in the Irish Independent states "What other sport wipes out 100 years of records and standards and decides that Alan Shearer was the first player to score 100 goals for two clubs when Jimmy Greaves did it decades before? In no other sport in England is there such a casual disregard and disrespect for the achievements of players who inhabit the archives..."
In the 136 year history of football in England, a total of 256 players have scored 100 or more goals in the top flight. Son Heung-min in the 2022–23 season became the latest player to reach a century of goals, all scored for Tottenham Hotspur. That figure includes the 34 players in the Premier League 100 club, leaving 222 players excluded from the records shown today, those centurions among the 104 years of history "wiped out".
Out of those 256 centurions, 24 players played either side of the 1992 rebranding of the top tier in English football. Seven of those players would be among the first players included in the premier league 100 club, those records easily available. The other seventeen players would be included among the neglected records. The records of those other 222 players who have all scored 100 or more goals, are not as easily, or readily available as the 34 players who have, since 1992. The tables below show the seventeen players who scored a century of top flight goals and the seven who have a lesser total, after the 1992 launch of the Premier League, never seen among the Premier League era records.
Matt Le Tissier, despite not having his first 61 goals for Southampton included, is ranked 34th in the Premier League. He scored the same number of goals as Peter Beardsley, however, his 100 goals he scored from 1992 places him in the Premier League records, where as Beardsley is among the 222 excluded centurions, not among any records shown on Sky Sports. The goal-scoring career of Manchester United stalwart Bryan Robson is very nearly entirely erased, the same with Alan Smith, the Leicester City and Arsenal striker. John Wark, the Ipswich Town and Liverpool midfielder scored 135 goals, which would make him the 14th highest goal scorer in the Premier League. The Scottish midfielder is ahead of Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard while Robson would be sitting alongside Dion Dublin and Sadio Mané, just outside the top 20. Many other player records also fail to show their full career goal statistics because of the changeover. These include Manchester United forward Brian McClair who had 70 of his 88 goals deducted. Paul Goddard scored 82 goals but is shot down to only 3 while England midfielder Steve Hodge has 3 goals also, not his full 79. Gary Bannister also had 70 goals removed, 78 reduced to 8 goals. Former England left back Stuart Pearce is shown with 20 goals and not the 63 he scored, mostly at Nottingham Forest. David Platt does not have his 45 goals he scored for Aston Villa included, only the 13 he scored for Arsenal. Chris Waddle loses his entire career records for both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, his 10 goals for Sheffield Wednesday and his solitary Sunderland goal are all that's included.
17 players who all scored 100 or more goals, scoring in both Division 1 & Premier League
| Player | Total | Years | Div. 1 | Prem | Ref. | Goals | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Rush | 232 | 515 | 1980–1998 | 184 | 48 | ||
| Tony Cottee | 214 | 548 | 1982–2001 | 136 | 78 | ||
| Lee Chapman | 177 | 508 | 1979–1995 | 154 | 23 | ||
| Peter Beardsley | 161 | 470 | 1979–1999 | 103 | 58 | ||
| Mark Hughes | 149 | 531 | 1980–2002 | 85 | 64 | ||
| Alan Smith | 149 | 425 | 1982–1995 | 141 | 8 | ||
| John Barnes | 142 | 538 | 1981–1999 | 114 | 28 | ||
| Graeme Sharp | 139 | 419 | 1980–1997 | 123 | 16 | ||
| John Wark | 135 | 467 | 1975–1997 | 122 | 13 | ||
| Mick Harford | 123 | 389 | 1980–1998 | 104 | 19 | ||
| Dean Saunders | 114 | 386 | 1982–2001 | 69 | 45 | ||
| Bryan Robson | 111 | 527 | 1975–1997 | 109 | 2 | ||
| Nigel Clough | 111 | 378 | 1984–1997 | 91 | 20 | ||
| Niall Quinn | 109 | 399 | 1983–2002 | 50 | 59 | ||
| John Fashanu | 106 | 282 | 1978–1995 | 86 | 20 | ||
| Kevin Campbell | 106 | 394 | 1988–2007 | 23 | 83 | ||
| Rod Wallace | 101 | 359 | 1987–2004 | 56 | 45 |
Total goals of players included in the Premier League 100 club
| Player | Total | Years | Div. 1 | Prem | Ref. | Goals | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Shearer | 283 | 559 | 1988–2006 | 23 | 260 | ||
| Teddy Sheringham | 179 | 521 | 1988–2007 | 33 | 146 | ||
| Les Ferdinand | 169 | 401 | 1986–2005 | 20 | 149 | ||
| Ian Wright | 165 | 315 | 1985–1999 | 52 | 113 | ||
| Matt Le Tissier | 161 | 443 | 1986–2002 | 61 | 100 | ||
| Dwight Yorke | 136 | 423 | 1989–2009 | 13 | 123 | ||
| Ryan Giggs | 114 | 672 | 1990–2014 | 5 | 109 |
Player records
All records listed below pertain to league matches played in Division 1 and/or the Premier League only.
Most goals in a season:
- 42 matches – 60 Dixie Dean, Everton 1927–28
- 38 matches – 38 Bert Freeman, Everton 1908–09
Most goals in a debut season:
- 42 matches – 38 Dave Halliday, Sunderland 1925–26
- 38 matches – 36 Erling Haaland, Manchester City 2022–23
Most penalties scored: 56 Alan Shearer (from 67 taken for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, 1992–2006)
Most penalties scored in 1 season: 13 Francis Lee, Manchester City 1971–72
Most consecutive Top Scorer awards: 3
- Jimmy Greaves (1963, 1964, 1965)
- Alan Shearer (1995, 1996, 1997)
- Thierry Henry (2004, 2005, 2006)
Most top scorer awards with different clubs: 3 Gary Lineker (Leicester City 1985, Everton 1986, Tottenham Hotspur 1990)
100 goals for two clubs: 3
- David Jack 1919–34 (Bolton Wanderers 144 – Arsenal 113)
- Jimmy Greaves 1957–1970 (Chelsea 124 – Tottenham Hotspur 220)
- Alan Shearer 1992–2006 (Blackburn Rovers 112 – Newcastle United 148)
Fastest player to reach 100 goals: Dave Halliday in 101 games for Sunderland.
Players to score over 30 league goals in four consecutive seasons: Dave Halliday, 1925–26 to 1928–29. Halliday scored at least 35 goals in each of those four seasons.
Notes
References
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