Premier League’s Greatest Strikers – Part 3

After some great feedback from our last two articles on this subject of who are some of the best at banging the ball in the net, the natural conclusion is to bring you, lovely readers, a part three. Luckily this won’t be a difficult task as the Premier League has been home to a plethora of outstanding strikers.

Didier Drogba

In the summer of 2004, Didier Drogba made his highly anticipated move to Chelsea. The transfer, valued at £24 million (substantial at the time), marked the beginning of a glittering career for the Ivorian striker in the English Premier League. Drogba wasted no time in making his mark, swiftly finding the back of the net in just his third appearance for Chelsea against Crystal Palace.

However, his initial season with the club was marred by a setback when he suffered a stomach muscle injury against Liverpool, sidelining him for over two months. Despite this setback, Chelsea clinched the Premier League title, their first in half a century, along with the League Cup. Drogba’s crucial goal in extra time secured a 3–2 victory against Liverpool in the final. The man had a habit of scoring in cup finals.

In the 2005–06 season, he started with a bang, scoring two goals in the Community Shield win over Arsenal. Chelsea also retained the league title that season, becoming only the second club to achieve back-to-back championships in the Premier League era until of course the rise of Man City.

In the 2006–07 campaign Drogba’ netted an impressive 33 goals across all competitions, securing the Premier League Golden Boot. Drogba’s impact also extended beyond domestic competitions as he was recognized with awards such as the Ivorian Player of the Year and the African Footballer of the Year.

The 2007–08 season began on a turbulent note for Drogba as he expressed discontent over the departure of manager José Mourinho. Despite initial challenges, he reaffirmed his commitment to Chelsea, contributing crucial goals throughout the season. However, injuries and controversies continued to plague him, impacting his performance on the field.

Amidst uncertainties, Drogba found success with his move to Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua in 2012, followed by a stint with Galatasaray in the Süper Lig. However, his journey came full circle as he made a triumphant return to Chelsea in 2014, reaffirming his status as one of the club’s legends.

Andrew Cole

Andrew Alexander Cole is most prominently associated with Manchester United, where his goal-scoring exploits earned him legendary status. Notably, Manchester United secured his services for a British record transfer fee from Newcastle United.

During his six-year tenure at Manchester United, Cole clinched nine trophies, including five Premier League titles and the prestigious Treble in 1999. His exceptional goal-scoring abilities contributed significantly to Manchester United’s dominance during that period as he scored an important goal on the last day of the season to secure the league title against Tottenham Hotspur.

Cole’s name is etched in Premier League history as the fourth-highest goal-scorer with 187 goals. He held several Premier League records, including most goals in a 42-game season and the fastest player to reach 50 goals. The first 50 goals have of course now been broken by Erling Haaland. Cole was also the first player to lead both the Premier League’s goalscoring and assist charts in a single season.

Cole’s individual accolades include the PFA Young Player of the Year award. Internationally, Cole represented the England national team on 15 occasions, netting a solitary goal against Albania in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.

In terms of his club career, Cole began his journey at Arsenal before loan spells at Fulham and a permanent move to Bristol City. He then caught the attention of Newcastle United with his impressive goal-scoring form.
During his spell at Newcastle United, he scored 68 goals in 84 appearances.

Cole then joined Manchester United in 1995 for a record fee, and the rest as they say was history. In his later career, Cole moved to Blackburn Rovers in 2001, winning the League Cup. He had stints at Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Sunderland, and Burnley before retiring in 2008 at Nottingham Forrest.

Paolo Di Canio

On August 6, 1997, on of the Premier League’s most eccentric players joined the league. Paolo Di Canio joined Sheffield Wednesday in a transfer deal valued at approximately £4.2 million. During his stint at Sheffield, Di Canio emerged as the club’s leading goal scorer for the 1997–98 season, notching an impressive tally of 14 goals.
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However, Di Canio’s time at Sheffield Wednesday was marred by a controversial incident in September 1998. After being sent off in a match against Arsenal at Hillsborough, Di Canio pushed referee Paul Alcock to the ground, resulting in an extended ban of eleven matches and a £10,000 fine.

In January 1999, Di Canio found a new home at West Ham United, joining the club for £1.5 million. Despite not having played football since his ban following the altercation with Paul Alcock, Di Canio’s arrival at West Ham was met with optimism. He quickly made an impact, scoring his first goal for the club in February 1999 against Blackburn Rovers.

His contributions helped West Ham achieve a commendable league position and qualify for the UEFA Cup through the Intertoto Cup. Di Canio’s sublime skills with the ball earned him recognition as the OPTA Player of the Season for 1998–99. He further established his reputation as one of the league’s best forwards in football history by scoring the BBC Goal of the Season in March 2000 with a spectacular flying volley against Wimbledon.

In December 2000, Di Canio displayed a remarkable act of sportsmanship during a game against Everton. Despite having a clear goal-scoring opportunity, he halted play to assist the injured Everton goalkeeper, earning praise from FIFA and later receiving the FIFA Fair Play Award.

Although there were attempts by Sir Alex Ferguson to lure him to Manchester United, Di Canio remained loyal to West Ham, describing the club as a lifeline during challenging times in his life. However, tensions arose between Di Canio and manager Glenn Roeder in 2003, leading to his exclusion from the first team. Despite his reinstatement towards the end of the season, West Ham were relegated on the final day, marking the end of Di Canio’s tenure at the club.

Di Canio subsequently joined Charlton Athletic for the 2003–04 season, where he contributed to the club’s highest league finish since 1953. His stint at Charlton saw him score crucial goals, albeit primarily from the penalty spot. In August 2004, Di Canio returned to his hometown team Lazio in Italy, despite having signed an extension to his Charlton contract. His return to Lazio was marked by a significant pay cut.

That brings an end to part three. keep your eyes peeled for more footy content in the future on Counteract.