Salah crowned by fans as the Premier League’s greatest forward — here’s the full dozen

Mohamed Salah has barely finished telling Liverpool he’ll be off in the summer and the debate has exploded: who’s the Premier League’s finest ever forward? Thousands of supporters weighed in on the league’s official poll and the verdict is emphatic — Salah sits on the throne with 40% of the vote, a parting nod to a nine-year Anfield reign that’s been nothing short of era-defining.

Salah’s farewell lights the fuse

The Egyptian star confirmed in an emotional video that this is his last dance at Liverpool, reflecting on a club that became “part of his life,” the silverware they hauled in, and the supporters who carried him through highs and lows. No surprise then that, in the immediate afterglow of that announcement, fans put him atop the pantheon. It’s a modern verdict for a modern great.

How the fans ranked the greats

1) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) — 323 games, 191 goals — 40% of the vote. The big moments, the big numbers, the big aura. Case closed for many.

2) Thierry Henry (Arsenal) — 258 games, 175 goals — 22%. The conductor-turned-finisher who made Highbury hum; elegance with end product.

=3) Wayne Rooney (Everton, Manchester United) — 491 games, 208 goals — 11%. Power, vision, versatility — the glue in title-winning machines.

=3) Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) — 236 games, 103 goals — 11%. A meteor across two spells; fewer games than others, but unforgettable peaks.

5) Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United) — 441 games, 260 goals — 5%. The gold standard No 9 and the all-time top scorer; still the bar to clear.

=6) Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) — 275 games, 184 goals — 3%. The deadliest finisher of the Man City era; cold-blooded in the box and a title-clincher on speed dial.

=6) Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City) — 320 games, 213 goals — 3%. The lone name here without a Premier League crown; left for Bayern and traded the record chase for medals.

=8) Erling Haaland (Manchester City) — 107 games, 126 goals — 2%. Numbers from a video game; keep this rate up and Shearer’s record will start sweating.

=8) Didier Drogba (Chelsea) — 254 games, 104 goals — 2%. Not the biggest haul, but the biggest moments — a nightmare in the games that mattered most.

=10) Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal) — 315 games, 87 goals — 1%. The artist; goals were only half the story of his genius.

=10) Eric Cantona (Leeds United, Manchester United) — 156 games, 70 goals — 1%. The catalyst of United’s dominance; swagger and substance in equal measure.

12) Andy Cole (Newcastle United, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, Portsmouth, Sunderland) — 414 games, 187 goals — 0%. Criminally underappreciated by this vote, despite sitting fifth on the all-time scoring list.

The talking points only a proper Brit would argue over

Salah over Henry is the headline. One is the modern sprint-press finisher with relentless output, the other a silken auteur who defined an era. There’s no wrong answer, but recency and Salah’s trophy-laden legacy have clearly swayed the masses.

Rooney and Ronaldo sharing third is bang on: one a decade-long heartbeat, the other a lightning bolt. Shearer at five will raise eyebrows for traditionalists — 260 goals is the granite fact of the Premier League — yet it shows how fans prize peak impact as much as longevity.

Kane equal-sixth is the great what-if. Had he stayed in North London, the Shearer record was there to be had. Instead, he chased silver in Bavaria and, fair play, he’s stacking it high — just not in the Prem.

Haaland at joint-eighth feels like a bookmark. He’s already bending the scoring curve; give it a few seasons at this clip and he won’t just be in the conversation — he’ll be writing the script. Meanwhile, Agüero’s consistency and Drogba’s big-game menace get their due, even if the percentages feel light for two generational match-winners. And then there’s Andy Cole: 187 league goals and not a single percent — that, folks, is memory playing tricks.

Final whistle

It’s a fans’ poll, so it’s passion first, spreadsheets second — and that’s the beauty of it. Salah bows out of Anfield with the crowd’s crown, Henry remains the purist’s pick, and Shearer’s granite record still looms over everyone. The debate isn’t ending; it’s only just kicked off.

For form guides, markets, and the latest odds chat, have a look at our best betting sites and make your own mind up about the next great No 9.

All statistics via the Premier League, correct as of 28/03/2026.