Harry Kane’s 185th Premier League strike saw him climb to fourth in the division’s all-time goalscoring charts, just two behind Andy Cole. It is now four Englishmen leading the way, with Alan Shearer still out in front with a mammoth tally of 260.
After passing Aguero, Kane has his sights set on catching the former Newcastle striker.
There are 33 players with 100 or more Premier League goals, but the focus here is on the top five.
1. Alan Shearer – 260
Alan Shearer’s 260 Premier League goals were split between Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. A Premier League champion and two-time Golden Boot winner with Blackburn, Shearer won a third Golden Boot with his hometown Magpies.
Prolific with 112 goals in 138 league appearances for Rovers, Shearer’s 0.59 goals-per-game ratio overall is fifth-best among players with 100 or more Premier League goals.
Still the man to beat, it will take a combination of longevity and elite performance for anyone to match Shearer’s mark of 260 goals.
Remarkably, Shearer actually scored 283 total league goals, as his career started with Southampton in the late-1980s before the Premier League began.
2. Wayne Rooney – 208
While not always thought of as an out-and-out striker, Wayne Rooney still racked up the goals throughout his career, finishing with 208 in the Premier League.
Rooney’s 183 goals for Manchester United was pipped by Aguero and then Kane for the most with one club. Of course, he also scored 25 for Everton, 15 of which came before his big-money move to Old Trafford.
Rooney had 12 seasons with 10 or more Premier League goals, one more than Shearer. He never won the Golden Boot, despite 26- and 27-goal campaigns.
At times used in midfield or even out wide, Manchester United took advantage of Rooney’s versatility to benefit the team, but this perhaps cost him a shot at breaking Shearer’s record.
3. Andy Cole – 187
Andy Cole is in the select group of players to appear for seven teams in the Premier League. Cole scored for six of the seven teams he played for, but his spells at St James’ Park and Old Trafford were his most prolific with 43 and 93 goals respectively.
A Golden Boot winner in 1993-94 with 34 goals for Newcastle, Cole had seven more seasons in double figures but never broke the 20 mark again. Unlike the other players on this list, however, Cole did not take penalties, with none of his 187 goals coming from 12 yards.
Five times a Premier League winner, Cole is considered one of the most underrated players of the last 30 years.
4. Harry Kane – 185
Only Thierry Henry has won more Golden Boots than Harry Kane. He already has five seasons with 20 or more Premier League goals, and at just 29 years of age, has at least three or four seasons left at the top level.
Kane has averaged 22.5 league goals per season since his breakthrough campaign in 2014-15. Injuries and a slightly different role have seen that number drop to just 18.75 across the last four seasons, but if he can continue at that pace for another four seasons, he will be in striking distance of Shearer.
The only player on this list not to win the Premier League, Kane failed to force a move from Tottenham last summer and looks set to stay at the club long-term. While team accolades have been hard to come by, Kane has been named to the Team of the Year on five occasions, and won the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot.
5. Sergio Aguero – 184
Sergio Aguero was a sensation from the moment he arrived in the Premier League in 2011. The Argentine had a brace and assist on his debut, and capped off his first campaign with the most famous goal in Premier League history as Manchester City defeated QPR to win the title.
Surprisingly, Aguero is only a one-time Golden Boot winner, but he had six seasons with 20 or more Premier League goals and won five league titles during his decade in Manchester.
Injuries held Aguero back to an extent. Of players with over 100 Premier League goals, only Thierry Henry scored at a better rate, and if Aguero had been available more often, he may well have broken into the 200 club.
