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Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably one of the greatest players in European football. His first stint at Manchester United was quite successful as he developed himself into a lethal goal-scoring winger. It was not until his final years at Real Madrid that Ronaldo developed into a penalty-box poacher. However, he has always been a terrific header of the ball.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best headers of a ball in the Premier League
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored some iconic headers in his near two-decade journey but only a few of those were in the Premier League. As mentioned before, he was a natural winger in his first stint in English football. However, his second stint has not been as successful so far.
Out of the eight goals Ronaldo has scored in the Premier League this term, none have been headers. On that note, let us take a look at five active players who have scored more headers than Cristiano Ronaldo in the Premier League.
#5 Dominic Calvert-Lewin (18)
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is perhaps the talisman who is going to turn Everton's fortunes around this season. The Toffees have not enjoyed a good Premier League campaign so far but have a proven goal-scorer in their ranks to bail them out.
Frank Lampard, who recently became manager at Goodison Park, can rely on the finishing skills of Calvert-Lewin, who is good on the ground and even better in the air.
The Englishman is quick to get off the ground and has the physical presence to dominate his opponent. It also helps that he is 6'2 and can get his head to the ball first on most occasions. Out of the 43 Premier League goals the 24-year-old ace has scored in total, 18 of them have been headers.
Calvert-Lewin is one of the best strikers in the Premier League and his aerial ability has gone a long way in proving the same.
#4 Michail Antonio (21)
Michail Antonio has been one of the main reasons behind West Ham United doing so well over the past couple of years. The former right-back has been turned into a marauding forward who can cause all sorts of problems for defenders.
The Jamaican international is fast, slick and a real asset in the penalty box. Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo, who is tall enough to win most headers, Antonio is only 5'9 and uses other aspects to win aerial duels. The 31-year-old ace is built like a tank and can outmuscle most defenders in the league.
However, Antonio's most impressive quality is the timing of his jump and his ability to find empty spaces in the box. This allows him to put most of the headers he takes into the back of the net. The striker has scored 21 headed goals out of a total of 54 goals in the Premier League.
Antonio may not be as good a poacher as Cristiano Ronaldo but his strength in the air cannot be denied.
#3 Romelu Lukaku (25)
Romelu Lukaku has worked really hard on his game over the last decade to become a great finisher. Of course, the Belgian still has moments where he misses clear-cut chances. Regardless, his goal-scoring record in England is impeccable.
The Belgian international can shrug off opponents, hold up the ball and even get his head on most crosses in the box due to his aerial ability. A brute force in the air, Lukaku is strong enough to hold off opponents and bury the ball in the back of the net. The Chelsea striker's headers against Aston Villa and Brighton this term are fine examples of the same.
Like Cristiano Ronaldo, the 28-year-old ace also has a good physique and can jump higher than most. Out of the 118 Premier League goals the Chelsea star has scored, 25 of them have been headers.
Lukaku is yet to get going this season but Thomas Tuchel will be hoping Lukaku can deliver more of his trademark headers in the second half of the campaign.
#2 Harry Kane (26)
Harry Kane is one of the few strikers in England that has developed all the facets of his game and is incredibly consistent in delivering season-after season. The current campaign has been a forgettable one so far. However, one would not bet against him turning things around in the coming months.
An all-round team player, Kane can score goals himself and also create for others. In fact, he uses his aerial ability to not just score goals but also facilitate the build-up play. However, once the ball is crossed into the box, the English international is the first man to try and nestle into the net.
Like Michail Antonio, Kane also takes up good positions in the box, which allows him to score comfortably. One thing he has mastered is the art of glancing headers. Kane often runs towards the near post and puts in the deftest headed touch to beat the defender and the goalkeeper. The Tottenham Hotspur star has scored 26 headers out of his 171 league goals.
While Cristiano Ronaldo excels at taking towering headers, Kane has his own style of using his aerial prowess to score goals.
#1 Christian Benteke (33)
Christian Benteke has spent the last decade of his professional life in English football playing for Aston Villa, Liverpool and now Crystal Palace. Although he is not the most potent finisher of the ball, Benteke certainly knows where the goal is.
While Benteke lacks the pace of a natural centre-forward, his aerial abilities more than make up for it. What is even more impressive is the kind of power he generates on them. Even a cross with little to no venom can be put away with quite a lot of force by the Belgian international.
Although Cristiano Ronaldo is far more active in the penalty box, Benteke dominates his opponents by comfortably leaping over them. Over the last nine and a half seasons, the 31-year-old has scored 86 league goals in England, with 33 of them being headers.
One of the best headers of the ball in the Premier League, Benteke may never win a Ballon d'Or like Cristiano Ronaldo but can take great pride in his aerial ability.
