Can’t really argue with the top three.
The news that Sergio Aguero will be leaving Manchester City at the end of the season has prompted the footballing world into reflecting on his career. Jamie Carragher could not resist wading into a classic debate.
The Argentine has undeniably been one of the greatest players the Premier League has ever seen, and an incredible servant to Manchester City, but there is still a lingering sense that he is not given his dues. Perhaps his relentless consistency made his staggering goal records and achievements a bit… boring? That would certainly explain his exclusion from the PFA TOTY until 2018.
Anyway, discussing his place among the Premier League greats is in vogue at the moment, and as such, Jamie Carragher has listed his top 10 Premier League strikers of all time.
Writing in the Telegraph, Sky Sports pundit Carragher explained his selections were based on three criteria: goals scored, trophies won, and the importance of their goals in winning those trophies.
It will therefore not surprise you to hear that Harry Kane comes in at 10th.
Carragher explains that despite other strikers like Jamie Vardy and Michael Owen winning trophies Kane hasn’t: “Kane must be included because of the volume of goals. With 175 already, injury permitting he might break Alan Shearer’s modern league record and eclipse Wayne Rooney’s England tally. But the reality is this: Kane will not move any higher up this list without the biggest prizes.”
Dwight Yorke, Luis Suarez, Andy Cole and Mohamed Salah come in next between ninth and sixth. Does Salah count as a striker? Carragher acknowledges he is not a traditional number 9 but that: “Salah has to be an exception because his primary purpose during his Anfield career has been to score, and his statistics have been off the scale.” Fair enough.
The top five pretty much pick themselves, it’s just the order that people will disagree on. Jamie’s top five are as follows
5. Wayne Rooney
4. Didier Drogba
3. Alan Shearer
2. Sergio Aguero
1. Thierry Henry
Carragher described his choice to put Henry top of the list as “not even close.”
“Henry is not only the greatest Premier League striker, he is the greatest Premier League player,” he said.
“In the year of ‘The Invincibles’, he scored 39 in 51 appearances. Between 2001 and 2006, he scored at least 30 goals in every campaign, and no player has delivered so spectacularly, so often,” he added.
It’s difficult to argue with this choice, but rest assured people will.
