Football’s 10 great battering rams of their time
With Andy Carroll causing somewhat of a stir, a bulking 6ft tall stir at that, within the Premiership and being a number 9, the images of previous famous number nines come flooding back. He is a traditional ‘big man’ up-front, leading the line and putting his body on it for Newcastle United’s cause. In tribute to the manner in which Carroll plays is a list of the top traditional physical centre forwards who would plough through defenders in a quasi-juggernaut fashion.
Alan Shearer
Where else to start but with Carroll’s predecessor and all round legend on Tyneside. Shearer was a physical player, but coupled with this he had a fierce strike and unrivalled goal scoring ability that led to him score a record 260 Premiership goals. His name thus tops the all-time goal scoring table for the league, with the closest being 73 goals away in the form of Andy Cole. He rose to become a cult figure in the North East who was feared by even the most resilient defenders of the day.
Les Ferdinand
With 149 Premiership goals to his name, Ferdinand finds himself fifth in the top goal scorer’s chart. In being 5ft 11in, Ferdinand wasn’t exactly a tall target man, but his ability to rise above defenders with his leap and then seemingly suspend himself in animation was a special sight that compensated for his height. Ferdinand’s style was one that relied heavily on a physical presence but paid dividends in effectiveness, as with the majority of his fellow listed figures.
Mark Hughes
The itinerant striker played for seven clubs in all, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich included, his major successes where won at home though. A player of great bravery and neglect for his own preservation in his conquest for a striker’s Holy Grail: goals. Rather than being prolific Hughes would put quality over quantity by scoring some spectacular goals and in only being 5 ft 10 inches would get his fair share of headed goals.
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Dion Dublin
111 Premiership goals and eleventh in the top goal scorer’s chart Dublin was a towering physique of a man who laid emphasis on grinding down his opponents into submission and taking advantage when sufficiently worn out. After having an unsuccessful spell at Manchester United, Dublin had a point to prove and did so competently at Coventry City by scoring 62 goals in 145 appearances. A central defender at first, he moved to affirm himself as a striker who would always play in the physical manner he did having this past experience.
William ‘Dixie’ Dean
The first football player to wear what was to become one of the most illustrious numbers a striker could wear, the number 9. This pre-war figure was one of the most renowned figures in his time for his goal scoring exploits; he managed to score 60 league goals in one season, a record that still stand to this day and, I can safely say, will never be beaten. The strength of the man was exemplified by his extraordinary rehabilitation from a motorcycling accident that fractured his skull and jaw, with the doctors unsure whether he’d play again.
Duncan Ferguson
The petulant and infamous jail visitor Ferguson was not a man to be crossed, with his reputation preceding him and causing defenders to avert their eyes when in his 6ft 4in presence. In his robust and disparaging mental state, Ferguson would amass nine red cards which restricted his playing time along with his susceptibility to injuries. Whether his temperament was a releasing of frustrations or not, you would rather watch him than play against him.
John Fashanu
A former Wimbledon player and central member of the ‘Crazy Gang’ side who won the FA Cup, he was an uncompromising striker who would declare his intentions from the outset. Said to perform a fear inducing warm-up in full view of everyone, he would oil his body and act out a karate routine. Famous for a clash with Gary Mabbutt, that left the latter with a fractured skull and eye socket, which reinforced his aggressive nature on the pitch.
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Andy Gray
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The now battering ram of a football commentator and presenter, much like marmite, love him or hate him, his playing days were to define him as a goal scorer. Using his heavy frame, physical prowess and under-rated ability on the ball, Gray would score a total of 178 goals in 493 games, with the majority of them coming in his early career playing for Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Malcolm Macdonald
He was the quintessential number 9 on Tyneside who was to reign supreme in the goals for Newcastle by finishing top goal scorer for five consecutive seasons. ‘Supermac’ as he was affectionately termed, was plucked from Luton Town after having scored 49 goals in 88 games and he didn’t disappoint; on his home debut he scored a hat-trick against Liverpool to claim a 3-2 victory. He still holds the record for scoring the most goals from a single player in an England shirt; this was against Cyprus of whom he put five goals past.
Peter Withe
The man looked more of a lumberjack than a professional football player, sporting a grizzly beard and arms that could wrestle a bear into submission. Woe betides the defender that had to grapple against his 6ft 3in frame that would crash into you when challenging for the ball. He scored, arguably, the most important goal of Aston Villa’s history, which saw them triumph over Bayern Munich to lift the European Cup.
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