The Toffees have had some brilliant centre forwards in the Premier League era.
Everton’s Romelu Lukaku scores their fifth goal
To almost every neutral, Everton are seen as a staple of the top flight and a tremendously successful club in years gone by – in the club’s entire history, they’ve only spent four years out of the top division and are England’s seventh most successful club.
It’s a shame that their time in the Premier League hasn’t seen them compete for the top prize like they did in their heyday, but they’ve still had some thrilling campaigns – and some even more thrilling players who have put the ball in the net.
In light of the current situation regarding key man Romelu Lukaku, which will remain a ‘will he stay, won’t he stay’ saga for a very long time, here are five of Everton’s best strikers to represent the club in the Premier League.
Romelu Lukaku
It seems strange to kick this off with a current player, but 23-year-old Lukaku has been nothing but a goal machine for the Toffees since he signed from Chelsea in 2014. In just three years, the powerful Belgium international has – at time of writing – plundered in 64 goals in just 134 Premier League matches for the Merseyside club, and has proved to be an absolute steal. While speculation surrounding his future remains, if he departs Goodison Park, Lukaku will leave as Everton’s highest Premier League goalscorer – which for someone with his best years ahead of him, is a true reflection of his frightening potential.
Everton’s Louis Saha celebrates scoring his sides first goal of the match with team mate Tim Cahill (L)
Louis Saha
After an injury hit spell at Manchester United, some Everton fans feared that the former France international was slightly over the hill and wouldn’t represent a great deal when he checked in at Goodison Park in 2008, but they’d needn’t have worried. Saha scored 27 goals in 97 Premier League appearances for the Toffees, and broke the record for the fastest goal ever scored in an FA Cup final when he bagged after 25 seconds against Chelsea in 2009, which Everton ultimately lost 2-1. It may have been a risk, but signing Saha proved to be excellent business for Everton.
Kevin Campbell
The former Arsenal and Nottingham Forest powerhouse striker initially arrived at Everton on loan in 1999, with the club battling relegation. Campbell then hit nine in eight games to steer the club away from the drop, and his move was made permanent later that year. Campbell’s goals didn’t dry up when he pledged his future to the club, and would go on to score 36 in 137 on a permanent basis – one of which being the winner against Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Anfield – taking his overall tally to 45 goals in 145 Premier League games for Everton.
Yakubu celebrates after scoring the first goal for Everton
Aiyegbeni Yakubu
While Yakubu has recently become a bit of a joke following a shambolic spell at Coventry City, once upon a time, he was one of the deadliest African strikers in the Premier League. He was once Everton’s club record signing at £11.25m, as reports the club’s website, but Yakubu’s stint at Goodison Park was ravaged by injuries, however he still scored 25 in 82 in the Premier League.
Duncan Ferguson
Up until very recently, ‘Big Dunc’ was Everton’s all time Premier League goalscorer, and Ferguson is still revered around Goodison Park as a modern day icon. Ferguson had three separate spells with Everton, the first was a loan spell in 1994, and the second was after that loan spell was made permanent – which saw Ferguson shine at Goodison Park, winning an FA Cup in the process. However, that spell ended in acrimonious circumstances, with the powerful striker being sold to Newcastle United in 1998 behind then manager Walter Smith’s back, as reports BBC Sport. However, Ferguson returned for a third spell in 2000, and remained with the club until his retirement in 2006, scoring 60 goals in 239 Premier League outings in total for Everton.
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