22 ‘greatest strikers of all time’ ranked by Peter Crouch and Joe Cole | OneFootball

Over the years, football fans have been blessed to watch several iconic strikes grace the pitch. To be considered as one of the best forwards in the history of the sport is a rare achievement given how many legendary names played in that position.

The likes of Pele and Ronaldo Nazario have proven to be two of the best strikers in the 20th and 21st centuries, with many footballers in this day and age trying to replicate some of their achievements, which has proven to be a difficult task. However, many forwards have ignored potential comparisons with these former icons in an attempt to create history individually.

In this era, we are blessed to have watched the likes of Thierry Henry,Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney. The future seems to be in good hands with both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe bursting into the limelight and already becoming two of the best players in the world despite still being very early and raw in their respective careers.

Peter Crouch, who knows a thing or two about scoring goals, sat down with fellow former England teammate Joe Cole, along with FIVE host Joel Beya, to rank some of the best strikers in the history of the sport. While some proved to be slightly controversial, most names seemed to speak for themselves.

Good

Heung-min Son, Carlos Tevez, Nicolas Anelka, Hernan Crespo

For Heung-min Son to be mentioned in the same breath as Carlos Tevez, Nicolas Anelka and Hernan Crespo is a testament to how far the South Korean has risen since he moved to the Premier League. So far, the forward has made 288 appearances for Tottenham and has scored 115 times in the league. The 31-year-old is one of the best in the world in his position, and it's no surprise that both Crouch and Cole have included him in their list.

Before his big move to West Ham in 2006, no one had heard of the name Carlos Tevez. However, fans in England were quick to find out what he was all about. The former Argentina international enjoyed a remarkable spell with the Hammers, before playing for the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City, scoring 84 times in the Premier League before moving to Juventus in 2013. Anelka was another iconic name on these shores, playing for the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Bolton, scoring 125 times in 364 games. While Crespo failed to establish himself as one of the best in the world in England, he was best known for his career in Italy with the likes of Parma, Lazion, AC and Inter Milan.

World Class

Robert Lewandowski, Sergio Aguero, Fernando Torres, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, Raul, Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez

Many may argue that a lot of these players should be in the 'Elite' category, but it shows just how blessed football fans have been to witness many great strikers. Robert Lewandowski and Raul are the only two players who have not plied their trade in England at some point in their careers. The Poland icon scored 312 goals in 384 games in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Despite turning 35 at the start of the current season, Lewandowski has shown no signs of slowing down and continues to be a nuisance for defenders with his current club, Barcelona. As for Raul, the Spain legend established himself as one of the best strikers to play in La Liga, scoring 323 times in 741 games for Real Madrid.

Sergio Aguero will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest strikers in the history of the Premier League. The retired forward scored 184 goals in 275 games for Manchester City and will be remembered for scoring in the dying embers to win City their first title since the formation of England's top-flight league back in 2012. Fernando Torres' electrifying pace caused mayhem for many defenders during his time at Liverpool and Chelsea, while Ruud van Nistelrooy was always a threat for Manchester United during his playing days. Scoring 128 times in 316 league games for Chelsea, Didier Drogba enjoyed two spells at the club and deserves to be mentioned in the same category as some of these top names in the sport. Samuel Eto'o enjoyed most of his success in La Liga with Barcelona, but showed glimpses of his prime towards the back end of his career at Chelsea and Everton, while many will argue the same for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Luis Suarez was rarely known by fans before moving to Merseyside, where he would go on to score 69 goals in 110 games for Liverpool. While a lot of Van Persie's success came at Arsenal, the Dutchman was still a regular goalscorer during his time at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Elite

Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Wayne Rooney, Karim Benzema, Harry Kane

Despite being very early into their respective careers, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe deserve to be ranked highly, with both Crouch and Cole quick to heap praise on the pair. The Norwegian burst onto the scene with Salzburg, but has since gone on to make a name for himself in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund and now the Premier League with Manchester City. Since moving to England, the 23-year-old has sensationally scored 50 goals in as many games for Pep Guardiola's side. As for Mbappe, the Frenchman has already won several titles for PSG and became the youngest goalscorer in a World Cup final since Pele and played a starring role as France lifted the iconic title in 2018.

The bicycle kick against Manchester City alone was enough to put Wayne Rooney in the 'Elite' category, but he has achieved so much more during his time in England. The United legend scored 208 times in 491 league games and helped the Red Devils win five Premier League titles. While Harry Kane didn't win a trophy during his time at Tottenham, the striker still managed to score 213 times in the league and picked up three Golden Boot awards. Karim Benzema is another who deserves to be named among one of the best. Despite many arguing that he was in Ronaldo's shadow during his time at Real Madrid, once the Portuguese international left, Benzema was quick to show that he too could step up on the big occasion. In 654 games for Los Blancos, the Frenchman netted 354 goals.

Ronaldo Nazario, Thierry Henry, Pele

There was no explanation needed when both Crouch and Cole named their 'GOAT' strikers of all time. Ronaldo, or 'R9' to many, was a joy to watch. His ability to score with both feet and his dazzling pace in-behind made him one of the best players in the world during his time. After breaking through at Cruzeiro, many top teams in Europe were eager for his signature. He eventually chose PSV before enjoying wonderful spells at Barcelona, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. The Brazilian scored 298 times in 454 games during his career and won many honours, including two World Cup titles with his beloved nation.

Many Premier League fans will be familiar with Thierry Henry. It's a bold statement to name the Frenchman alongside Ronaldo and Pele, but it's hard to argue why. The forward scored 175 goals in 258 Premier League games for Arsenal and won the Golden Boot award four times during his spell with the Gunners. Henry also played a pivotal role in helping the north London side go unbeaten in the league back in the 2003/04 season. As for Pele, while he was way before most of our time, it's very easy to watch footage of him back in the day kicking the ball around for a living. Clips of the former forward in action show why he is the best player in the history of the sport. Despite making a name for himself for Santos, Pele's international career seemed to capture the interest of many football fans. Scoring 77 times in 92 games for his nation, the Brazilian won three World Cups as a player, with his last coming in 1970 in Mexico.