Top 10 Premier league top scorers all time
The Premier League is not only the toughest league in the world but also a place where excellent strikers gather, leaving their mark with hundreds of goals over the decades. “Premier League top scorers all time” is not just a list, but also the journey of outstanding players, with talent, perseverance and indelible influence. From Alan Shearer’s records to Harry Kane’s consistent form or Thierry Henry’s brilliance, each name tells its own story, leaving a memorable legacy in the hearts of football fans. In this article, let’s take a look at the top scorers in Premier League history with Kingsoccertips, starting with Jermain Defoe’s 10th place.
Top goal scorers all time Premier League
10. Jermain Defoe – 162 goals
Premier League clubs: West Ham, Tottenham, Portsmouth, Sunderland and Bournemouth.
A man of many clubs – who played until he was 39. Jermain Defoe deserves credit for reaching double figures in the Premier League with three different clubs – West Ham, Tottenham and Sunderland – over 15 years. The England striker scored the bulk of his goals for Spurs in two separate spells with the North London club, scoring 91 goals in the famous white shirt.
Defoe’s best season in the Premier League was the 2015/16 campaign, when he scored 15 goals in 22 games for current Championship side Sunderland. Defoe may not be the biggest name on the list, but his incredible consistency over such a long period deserves to be celebrated, and he is deserving of his place as the ninth highest goalscorer in Premier League history.
9. Robbie Fowler – 163 goals
Premier League clubs: Liverpool, Leeds United, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers.
A phenomenal finisher in his prime. Robbie Fowler left a lasting impression during the early days of the Premier League, when, at the start of his career, he scored 25 goals in the 1994/95 season, and improved that tally with 28 a season later. His goalscoring exploits at Liverpool were limitless and, among all his accurate finishing, he proved himself to be just as effective, holding the record for the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history for over two decades.
Fowler never again scored 20 goals in a Premier League season, although he did score in double figures at both Leeds and Manchester City. Fowler will be best remembered for his early days when his goals lit up the league.
8. Mohamed Salah – 164 goals
Premier League clubs: Chelsea and Liverpool.
Mohamed Salah has been a consistent goalscorer since he walked through the doors at Anfield in 2017 from Roma. The Egyptian broke the record for goals in a 38-game Premier League season in his first campaign with the club when he scored 32 goals – although that record has now been broken by Erling Haaland – and the winger has never looked back since. His lowest scoring seasons in the league for Jurgen Klopp’s side came in 2019/20 and 2022/23, when he still managed 19 goals.
The 32-year-old entered the top 10 of this illustrious list with a powerful strike in Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the 2023/24 campaign, and it was fitting that he did so in front of his home fans in a big game. Salah has always been one to step up at crucial times for the Reds, and his landmark goal was no exception as he rounded Oleksandr Zinchenko and fired a bullet-like shot into the near post, leaving David Raya with no chance. His latest strike, in a 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, saw him overtake former Merseyside legend Fowler.
7. Thierry Henry – 175 goals
Premier League clubs: Arsenal.
An Arsenal icon, Thierry Henry was a key part of one of the most legendary Premier League sides of all time, the Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ of the 2003/04 season. It was unsurprisingly his best season for the Gunners, with Henry – one of the greatest foreign players to ever grace English football – scoring 30 goals as Arsenal completed an unbeaten campaign in the league.
Henry’s goalscoring record continued after the unbeaten season, and he scored 25 and 27 goals himself in the following two campaigns. His remarkable time at Arsenal soon came to an end, and he moved to Barcelona, but Henry made an emotional return to the club in the 2011/12 campaign, scoring one goal in four games. Henry is considered one of – if not the – greatest players in Premier League history.
6. Frank Lampard – 177 goals
Premier League clubs: West Ham, Chelsea and Manchester City.
The only midfielder on the list, Frank Lampard started his career at West Ham, but his best days were at Chelsea, where he was a key member of José Mourinho’s side that dominated English football in the mid-2000s, winning two league titles and a host of cups. There may be debates about the most complete midfielder in the history of the competition, but he is without doubt the best at getting into the box and scoring from midfield. Lampard was a genius at timing his runs into the box to perfection.
Lampard reached double figures in the Premier League for an incredible 10 consecutive seasons, with his best campaign coming in 2009/10, when his 22 goals helped the Blues win another league title. He is widely considered one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history. Given his record, it’s hard to argue against that. He even scored six more goals after leaving Stamford Bridge for Manchester City, including one against his former club.
5. Sergio Aguero – 184 goals
Premier League clubs: Manchester City.
Sergio Aguero’s time at Manchester City came to an end in the summer of 2021, and the striker left as not only one of City’s all-time top scorers, but also one of the Premier League’s all-time greats. Aguero’s goalscoring might have dipped in his final season with the club, when he only managed four league goals, but he was a goal machine up until then. Aguero netted 20 or more goals in the Premier League during six of his 10 seasons at the club.
His best campaign was the 2014/15 season, when he scored 26 goals. The Argentine joined the exclusive club of Premier League players to score five goals in the same game, when he did it against Newcastle in 2015. Despite Erling Haaland’s exploits in front of goal, regardless of who Pep Guardiola signs to replace Aguero, he will be a very difficult – if not impossible – act to keep up with.
4. Andrew Cole – 187 goals
Premier League clubs: Newcastle, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Sunderland.
A player whose goalscoring exploits may have been somewhat forgotten given his heyday was over 20 years ago, Andy Cole – widely regarded as one of the greatest English players to ever play for Manchester United – deserves to be remembered not only for his role in Sir Alex Ferguson’s iconic treble in 1999 but also for his fine displays for Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle United.
In his first Premier League season, Cole scored 34 goals for Newcastle. He didn’t quite reach that tally, but it did earn him a move to Old Trafford, and he also scored in double figures for United (five times) and once each for Blackburn and Fulham. A very consistent goalscorer who has had a very solid long spell in the top flight of English football for a number of top clubs.
3. Wayne Rooney – 208 goals
Premier League clubs: Everton and Manchester United.
Wayne Rooney’s stats during his time at Manchester United are truly remarkable. He reached double figures in the Premier League for 11 consecutive seasons and scored 10 goals on his return to Everton. The Red Devils’ all-time leading goalscorer is a record Rooney proudly holds, and he has even more goals to his name for England until 2023.
Although Rooney’s Premier League career began and ended at Everton, it was at United that he made his name, with his goals helping the Old Trafford club win five league titles. His best season came in 2011/12, when he scored 27 goals, ironically in a year when United were not crowned champions. Rooney’s goalscoring prowess will be remembered for years to come. Such consistency is hard to match, as demonstrated by the fact that he was the second-highest scorer in the history of the league until he was surpassed by the next person on this list.
2. Harry Kane – 213 goals
Premier League clubs: Norwich City (loan) and Tottenham.
Only the second player on the list is still playing: Harry Kane. He may no longer be playing in the Premier League, but his goalscoring record shows how consistent he has been for Tottenham, as he is the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the competition. Kane has reached double figures in nine consecutive Premier League seasons, with his highest totals coming in both 2017/18 and 2022/23, when he scored 30 goals.
Kane could well become the Premier League’s all-time top scorer if he returns to the league after his Bayern Munich adventure ends, although it would be a tall order for him to score another 50 goals in the competition. His goalscoring ability doesn’t seem to stop as he gets older, which keeps him competitive. If he doesn’t decide to move abroad in the summer of 2023, Kane will be well on his way to breaking the record held by the next player, barring injury.
1. Alan Shearer – 260 goals
Premier League clubs: Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle.
Alan Shearer may be better known as a pundit today, but in the early years of the Premier League, he was the undisputed leader when it came to scoring goals. The fact that he tops the scoring charts with over 50 goals shows just how deadly a finisher Shearer was. In his four Premier League seasons with Blackburn, he scored over 30 goals on three occasions.
He carried that incredible form to Newcastle, where he scored over 20 goals on four occasions. Had it not been for injuries, Shearer could have become the first Premier League player to score 300 goals. Considering he also scored for Southampton before England’s top flight was renamed in 1992 makes his feat of becoming the highest goalscorer in Premier League history all the more impressive.
Conclusion
The list of “Premier League top scorers all time” reflects not only the talent and effort of each player, but also the harshness and competitiveness of the English top flight. From the tenacity of Alan Shearer, the top goalscoring ability of Sergio Agüero, to the incredible consistency of Mohamed Salah, each name is an icon of modern football. These players have made their mark not only with their goals, but also with their dedication and influence on their teams and fans. Their journey is a testament to the spirit of overcoming challenges and the desire to conquer the top, leaving a lasting legacy in the history of the Premier League.
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