The Premier League has always been rife with talent, which is what has always helped it stand as one of the greatest, fast-paced and unpredictable leagues in the world. And for many reasons a striker can often be hailed as the match hero especially when he or she can turn a game on its head in an instant with a single breath-taking piece of skill.
Over the years the Premier League has seen plenty of world-class strikers come and go and here is a quick rundown of just some of the very best to grace the league with their excellent.
ALAN SHEARER
Geordie legend Alan Shearer is still currently the Premier League’s highest goal scorer of all time and the total is by some margin. With 260 goals under his hat the now retired striker was an absolutely unstoppable strike hero for both club and country.
When he left Southampton for Blackburn Rovers he was already a rampant goal scorer but for his first two seasons with his new club he managed to net 65 goals which helped the team land the runner-up spot in his year and then pick up the league title the following.
In 1996 following the unforgettable Euro ’96 tournament Shearer returned to his home town to play for Newcastle and was bought for a record breaking fee, at the time, of £15 million.
WAYNE ROONEY
Former Everton star Wayne Rooney was a very exciting prospect when he made his first team debut for the club back in 2002. He even managed to pick up the award that year for BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year. Then at just the age of 18 the Everton star was snapped up by Manchester United for a cool £25 million, the highest ever for a player under the age of 20.
He’s still at Old Trafford and has accumulated 172 goals so far for the club helping them to win no less than five Premier League titles as well as two League Cups and the Champions League in the 2007–08 season.
Although Rooney’s form has allegedly dipped in recent seasons he is still one of the most feared strikers in Europe and he will be hoping to fulfil the champions league hope that United will make it into the knock-out phases once more this season.
THIERRY HENRY
These days the former French striker can be seen commentating on all the prime Premier League matches over on Sky Sports. But during his time with London-based Arsenal this top class striker went from a half-decent forward to a truly one of a kind prolific goal scoring Highbury hero.
With 174 Premier League goals under his belt he’s by no means the biggest goal scorer in the leagues history, in fact he’s down in the 5th spot, but for pure class, skill, style and a consistent finish that would leave any of his footballing contemporaries green with envy he will always be number one.
Henry also had a brief stint in the MLS with New York Red Bulls, scoring 52 goals in the process before he left and it is rumoured that he could soon return to the coaching set-up at the Emirates.
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