Top 10 Goalscorers In England’s Top Division Since 1888
2. Steve Bloomer [1892–1910] [314 Goals/536 Games]
More than a century has passed since Steve Bloomer played his last game for Derby County in 1914. During his career, Bloomer was a prolific goalscorer for both club and country. A quick-thinking forward, he was able to shoot powerfully and accurately with either foot and his speciality was the daisy cutter – a low shot hit with great power, speed and accuracy.
In 536 First Division games, he scored 317 goals that makes him the second-highest all-time goalscorer in the top-flight. He also scored 28 goals in 23 appearances for England. He helped Derby to win the Second Division title in 1911–12, and to reach second in the First Division in 1895–96. His Derby County record of 332 goals in all competitions may stand forever.
Two spells with the Rams were split by four years at Middlesbrough, where the inside right also boasted a decent strike-rate of 62 goals in 130 games. He was the England captain, capped 23 times in an era of three international games a year, and scored 28 goals for his country.
1. Jimmy Greaves [1957–1972] [357 Goals/516 Matches]
Greaves stands as one of the most prolific strikers England has ever produced. A suave figure ambling around the final third, you could forget he was there for 89 minutes, but often a minute of magic was more than enough. Goals were all he offered, but boy did he offer plenty – and the stats prove it.
He still stands as the all-time top scorer in the English top-flight, with 357 goals in 567 games largely procured during his time at Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. He still leads the charts at the latter and remains the top scorer in a league season for both. Since his national debut, no other player has a better ratio of goals for the Three Lions, bagging 44 in his 57 caps, and his tally of six hat-tricks is still a record.
The much-loved striker netted 266 times during a glorious nine-year stint at Tottenham, becoming their all-time leading scorer and winning two FA Cups and a European Cup Winners’ Cup in the process. His achievements were due to be recognised with an induction to Tottenham’s Hall of Fame in a sell-out ceremony at White Hart Lane.
England is yet to produce another goalscorer quite as prolific as Greaves.