The very reason why Greg Dyke, the then MD of London Weekend Television, came up with the idea of the formation of the Premier League was to boost the finances of the teams through independent TV rights and sponsorship deals so that English clubs could compete regularly on the European stage. And ever since the league's advent in 1992, we have seen exactly the same.
Today, the league generated over €2 billion in TV rights alone and is the most watched league in the world, which brings in a host of sponsorship opportunities for every single team. This has led to heavy investments over the last 27 years in world class players with sterling reputations as well as in extensive youth facilities to give opportunities to the ones looking to make it big. Hence, the league has witnessed some of the greatest players of all time grace the grass, and here is a list in no particular order of 5 of the greatest strikers to have plied their trade in England's modern top flight.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ask the Manchester United players who have played with him, and they'll unanimously agree that he is the greatest strikers ever to have stepped on the grass with them and possibly the best ever to grace the league. In an interview, Patrick Vieira himself allowed Nistelrooy to be placed over Thierry Henry in a combined United-Arsenal XI, such is the legacy of this guy.
Hardly has there been a more complete striker in the history of the game. You name it, he could do it. Left foot, right foot, headers, through balls, dribbles, poaching, incisive runs, pace, strength, agility, or in other words, a defender's biggest nightmare. The goalkeeper was as good as nonexistent when he got in through on goal, which shows in his astonishing penalty record as well.
Rio Ferdinand: "Van Nistelrooy was the most devastating finisher I have ever played with. We could win a game with three or four goals but, if he hadn't scored, he would sulk. But in order to become a world-beating striker like Ruud, you need to have that attitude. He lives and breathed goals. I tried to make him stay but it was too late. One of the big disappointments in my time at Manchester United was to see the club let him go."
219 goals in 250 appearances, Premier League player of the year, PFA player of the year, Sir Matt Busby POTY twice, the Champions League's 5th all-time highest goal scorer, FIFA's top 100 living footballers, 4 trophies and numerous other individual honours, all that in 5 injury plagued seasons while competing with Henry including a last season at the club which saw him fall out of favour with the manager and some players. To think how great he could have become remains the league's one of the biggest what-ifs. But one thing is for sure, he is a Premier League legend and probably the greatest modern striker.
Alan Shearer
No list about Premier League legends can be complete without the mention of this man. Be it the glowing words of fiercest rivals, the history books, the 8500 ft large banner in his honour or simply the warmth of the fans on the mention of his name, all of it speak volumes about the greatest personality in Premier League history. He reached heights no one thought achievable, and then went beyond them.
Michael Owen: “Scored goals at every level and even when he was out injured for months on end, he always seemed to be top scorer! I like him because you get a lot of flair players, but nobody was as mentally tough as Alan, who got the most out of his body for such a long time. Probably the greatest Premiership player ever.”
Not only was he incredible aggressive and rarely lost aerial duels, but the power he generated when he hit the ball from every weird angle possible was also nothing less than miraculous. Having started off as a no.10, he could create chances naturally, identify and run into space and run past any defender in the world when he came to his own. And he was always on form. He was an astute penalty taker and you could bet your life on him taking his chances in front of goal. From being a creative outlet to a target man, he also could do it all. But his most important asset was his mentality and determination. He suffered some devastating injuries over the course of his career, and yet came back as if he has been in the form of his life. He was the most unpredictable striker, whose tapes were watched by the legendary Trezeguet and del Piero so that they could watch and learn. As Alan Smith once famously quipped, “a jack-of-all-trades who, in defiance of the proverb, has mastered them all.”
The greatest goal scorer in the history of the league with 260, the only player to score 100 goals for two different clubs in the league, a record 11 hat tricks, PL's player of the decade, a English Hall of Fame inductee, multiple player of the year awards and golden boots, the list of records and honours is ridiculously long. As long as the league exists, the name of Alan Shearer will be taken among the greatest ever to have graced it with his presence.
Thierry Henry
132 years old, with hundreds of players and legendary strikers including the likes of Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp and Robin Van Persie, Arsenal is one of the greatest clubs of all time. And Thierry Henry holds the distinction of being ranked by it as their greatest ever player in history, rightfully so. The French phenomenon was an absolute sensation and remains one of the greatest ever to have kicked the round ball.
David Seaman: “What do you say about a guy like Thierry? He was phenomenal, just phenomenal. In training, he was brilliant. He was proper. I’ve seen Martin Keown, Tony Adams, Sol Campbell, and Steve Bould kicking lumps out him, but he just got up and gave them some back. He was a proper athlete. He could change the game in a flash, from defence straight up to attack. When he came in, he was a young man, but he changed really quickly, and you could see the power and pace that he had, but he had a focus on finishing that was really special. He was like a Rolls-Royce, he could turn that accelerator pedal on anytime he wanted.”
The records speak for themselves. Fifth highest goalscorer in the league, a record three footballers of the year and four French footballer of the year awards, a record four Premier League golden boots, a part of Pele's 100 greatest footballers alive list and a bronze statue outside the Emirates stadium apart from a World Cup and the Euros are only an overview of his glittering career. If you are a football fan and you haven't seen him play, you're missing out on one of life's greatest joys and you have been living under a rock. As Carragher once said, his game didn't have a single weakness, and as Messi admitted, he didn't dare look him in the face when he arrived at Barcelona because of everything he had achieved, such was his greatness. To say he conquered the league for the 8 years he was there would be a gross understatement, for there have been monarchies that have been less dominating than his reign. He is widely regarded as the greatest ever to play in the Premier League and was voted by the league's fans as their favourite ever to play the game.
Arsene Wenger achieved a lot of great things, but bringing Henry to Arsenal would go down as possibly his biggest achievement apart from making the club the Invincibles, which again would have been impossible without this man.
Wayne Rooney
If there's one man that has been doubted throughout his career, it's been this man. He kept sacrificing himself for the club from the day he arrived. Be it Nistelrooy, Tevez, Ronaldo, Berbatov or Van Persie. He went from being a centre forward to attacking midfielder to the wings to central midfield, and then even played as a defensive midfielder, all for the glory of the crest. He never hesitated in giving up on personal glory when it came to achieving collective success, and yet ended up overtaking legends like Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker to be the top scorer for club and country.
A footballing phenomenon, an industrial talent who oozed quality and always gave his 200% on the pitch, Wayne Rooney is an iconic footballer who never quite fulfilled his potential, which only makes us wonder how special he was considering his achievements, but is someone who'll never be forgotten by any football fan living in this era. Second highest goalscorer in the history of the league, the glory he has achieved is astounding, having won every title possible at the domestic and continental level with his club. He is also the league's third-highest assist provider of all time, which gives him the edge over the other wonderful strikers because this man could pull off every play in the book without flinching. His partnership with Cristiano would go down as one of the most legendary pairings in history. And of course, that overhead kick against City is practically the league's most iconic moment ever, if not football's in the present century. If you say haven't seen that goal, then we refuse to believe you.
Gary Lineker: “Rooney is three world-class players in one and doesn’t have an identifiable weakness."
Wazza, the White Pele, the Wonder Boy or Pitbull, it doesn't matter what you call him, because he is a Manchester United legend through and through and the kind of personality that the league will miss for a long long time to come now that he's gone. To achieve the things he has achieved while being troubled with so many off the field issues is simply a testament of never say die attitude and ferocious passion and intensity with which he played the game. Simply put, the kind of player that you can't imagine having haters because who doesn't love the Golden Boy?
Sergio Agüero
The most underrated player on the list by far, Sergio Kun Agüero is only 30 and already a Manchester City legend. His goal by minute ratio is the best in the league's history as far the top 30 goalscorers of all time are concerned and he is the one player one can always rely on to come up with the goods. Having made his debut as a mere 15-year-old in Argentina, he has stayed on the scene ever since.
The sixth highest goal scorer in the history of the league, he only needs 25 goals to go as far up as third in the list ahead of the likes of Henry and Cole, which considering his goal scoring rate should merely take a season if he manages to stay injury free. A proper centre forward, he can not only score but hold up the ball and set up his team-mates due to his excellent perception of the game. He is very aware tactically and highly adaptable, the reason why he has flourishes under each manager he has played for at City. Just 5'7", his body reminds one of the players like Diego Maradona, his father in law, and Carlos Tévez, his predecessor at City, who excelled in finding space as well as running with the ball and slotting it past the keeper.
Pep Guardiola: "He's a legend, and it's a part of history in the club. Aguero's numbers speak for themselves – he is amazing."
The club's record goalscorer, what gives him the edge over the others is his ability to turn up at crucial times and his incredible consistency. The deadliest of strikers fall behind him when it comes to keeping scoring at a regular rate. And the hand that he has had to play in City's rise to success is one that would be remembered by fans for years once he is gone. He is also responsible for giving the footballers fraternity its most thrilling and cherished moment in modern football. The world will never never forget you, England will never forget you, "Agueroooooo!"
The list of legendary strikers is endless. There was the loud-mouthed Robbie Fowler, the don Eric Cantona, the permanent goal of the season contender scorer Matt Le Tissier, the sizzling Michael Owen and so on and so forth. They all provided the world with some iconic moments that were worth a great but in our view, the above five just nick them in being the top 5 strikers of the modern era in the English Premier League.
