The 20 Best Premier League Forwards of All Time—Ranked

An elite forward is the ultimate currency in football, and the Premier League’s 31-year story has been illuminated by a succession of attackers who could both finish and create. From record-shattering strikers to transformative wingers, these are the 20 greatest forwards to grace England’s top flight since 1992, ordered by impact, longevity and the sheer awe they inspired.

20. Sadio Mané Operating anywhere across the front line, Mané tormented defenses with 111 Premier League goals, 85 of them for Liverpool. His 2015 Southampton hat-trick against Aston Villa—three goals in 2 minutes 56 seconds—remains the fastest in top-flight history, while four PFA Team of the Year nods underline sustained excellence.

19. Ruud van Nistelrooy Ninety-five Manchester United goals, only one from outside the box, reveal a poacher of surgical precision. A serious knee injury in 2004-05 likely cost him a place in the 100-club, yet his strike-rate remains the stuff of finishing-school textbooks.

18. Andy Cole Cole’s 187 top-flight goals came for six different clubs, but just one was a penalty. His 93 for Manchester United delivered five titles, while earlier devastation at Newcastle and later contributions elsewhere confirm one of the division’s most complete scorers.

17. Robbie Fowler Fowler’s 120 Premier League goals for Liverpool arrived in two bursts: 71 in three seasons from 1994-97 and a revered Anfield second act. Nicknamed “God” for his instinctive finishing, he later added strikes for Leeds and Manchester City.

16. Gareth Bale Converted from left-back to left-wing by Harry Redknapp in 2009, Bale’s 21-goal 2012-13 campaign propelled Tottenham into Europe and earned an £85 million move to Real Madrid. Power, pace and a left foot like a 3-wood redefined modern wing play.

15. Robin van Persie After injury-plagued early years, Van Persie’s sublime left foot delivered titles for Arsenal and, sensationally, Manchester United in Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2012-13 farewell season. Space on the edge of the box was invitation, not caution.

14. Luis Suárez Three-and-a-half seasons, 61 goals in his final two campaigns, one 31-goal masterpiece in 2013-14. Suárez dragged Liverpool to the brink of the title with a cocktail of ferocity and imagination; a stronger supporting cast might have delivered the trophy.

13. Gianfranco Zola The 5'6" Italian turned Stamford Bridge into a theatre: twisting Carragher inside-out in 2003, scoring audacious volleys, crafting assists with the outside of his boot. Zola’s technical majesty still sets the creative standard.

12. Didier Drogba Cup-final king and four-time title winner, Drogba’s 104 Premier League goals arrived via thunderous volleys, towering headers and ice-cool pressure penalties. When the stakes spiked, the Ivorian invariably delivered.

11. Erling Haaland The fastest to 100 goals, the Norwegian cyborg has shredded records since arriving at Manchester City in 2022. At current velocity, Alan Shearer’s 260 could be within sight before the decade turns.

10. Eden Hazard Loose laces, tighter control. Hazard’s dribbling married balance and bravery; defenders beaten in clusters, games bent to his will. Two Premier League titles and a cabinet of individual awards confirm Chelsea’s modern-day magician.

9. Dennis Bergkamp The Dutch artist painted masterpieces: Newcastle twist-and-finish, Leicester volley, outside-of-the-foot passes threaded through eyes of needles. Part scorer, part architect, Bergkamp’s legacy is technique personified.

8. Sergio Agüero 184 goals, a goals-per-game ratio among the elite, five titles and the 93:20 moment that shook Manchester. Agüero’s low centre of gravity and lethal snap-shot made him the Premier League’s ultimate penalty-box predator.

7. Eric Cantona Collar up, chest out, Cantona swaggered through mid-90s defences and into United folklore. His swagger and vision birthed the club’s attacking ethos; his influence transcended numbers yet yielded four titles in five seasons.

6. Harry Kane 213 goals in 320 Spurs appearances, no penalties taken for granted. Kane’s all-surface finishing and playmaking nearly toppled Shearer’s mark; his 2023 move to Bayern merely shifted the pursuit of trophies abroad.

5. Mohamed Salah From Chelsea cast-off to Liverpool icon, Salah is the leading overseas scorer in Premier League history. Four Golden Boots, two titles and a kaleidoscope of left-foot curlers have redefined Anfield’s modern era.

4. Alan Shearer The benchmark: 260 goals, split between Blackburn’s 1995 champions and hometown Newcastle. Shearer’s blend of brute force and explosive shooting made him the division’s original unstoppable force.

3. Wayne Rooney 208 Premier League goals, 253 for United overall, five titles and an all-round game that could drop deep, spray 60-yard passes or smash 30-yard volleys. Rooney’s competitive fire masked a football intellect few have matched.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo A rough diamond polished into 2008’s Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo’s 42-goal season delivered league and Champions League. His 2021 homecoming at 36 still yielded 24 goals, a reminder of relentless evolution and athletic supremacy.

1. Thierry Henry Fastest player on record, deadliest in front of goal. Henry’s 130 Premier League strikes arrived via pace, poise and either foot, while two unbeaten seasons and a quartet of Golden Boots make him the near-perfect striker. Between 2001-06, he was simply unplayable.