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There are several ways to put the ball in the back of the net and heading an aerial ball home is one of the most satisfying ways to do it. The discussion on what makes a perfect header is a never-ending one.
Some say that players should use the momentum of the ball to guide it goalwards while some say that they should try to be in a position to head the ball against where it's going to get maximum impact. However you may choose to go at it, what matters most is how good your leap and timing is.
As such, heading the ball home is an intricate skill and not many have been able to master it. With an improved focus on set-pieces in modern football, it is a skill that is highly valued in football these days.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five players with the best headers right now.
#5 Edinson Cavani
Manchester United's latest high-profile acquisition Edinson Cavani has been tagged a panic buy but even if that is the case, it is a signing that will improve Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side. Cavani is a natural goalscorer and has stacked up ridiculous numbers everywhere he has played.
Cavani is excellent with the ball at his feet and has an unreal strike in him. But what makes him a daunting proposition to opposition defences is that his ability on the ball is complemented by his aeriel prowess. Cavani has scored a good share of his goals via headers.
While playing for Napoli, Cavani scored a hattrick of headers and that performance in particular, exemplifies both his poaching and heading expertise. United have also signed Alex Telles from Porto. The Brazilian left-back is famous for whipping in deliveries into the area and as such, he could strike a great partnership with Cavani.
#4 Virgil Van Dijk
Not only is Virgil Van Dijk a colossus at the back for Liverpool, he is also an absolute bully inside the opposition's box during set-pieces. The Dutchman has incredible strength and heads the ball just as well as he tackles and passes.
Van Dijk has scored a good number of headed goals in the Premier League and consistently chips in with goals from the backline which any manager would agree is a welcome addition.
He started off this season with a headed goal against Leeds United in the first Premier League gameweek and looks set to continue to be an aerial threat and a source of goals from set-pieces for the Merseysiders.
#3 Olivier Giroud
One of the most underrated players of his generation, Olivier Giroud often slips under the radar when the top strikers of our times are discussed simply because his game is not as flashy as most players we love to shower praises on.
Giroud is not a striker who scores a lot of goals. He is a great technical player who can be such a menacing presence in the final third thanks to his sheer physicality and ability to hold up the ball. In addition to that, at 192 cms, he is a tall customer and packs an incredible header.
A great share of his goals at Arsenal and Chelsea have come from headers. In fact, not only does Giroud offer more stability to his team in the final third, he can also be a great Plan B (read: Aerial route) home whenever his side is desperate to find a goal. He has scored some thumping headers and continues to do so.
#2 Sergio Ramos
Well, Sergio Ramos was Real Madrid's second highest goalscorer last season. While most of them came from penalties, he scores an awful lot of incredible headers too. Ramos absolutely relishes set-pieces and it's something he has very clearly worked on.
The Real Madrid captain has a great leap and times his headers to perfection more often than not. One of those players who have exhibited enviable mental strength and focus, you could say that there is a method to Sergio Ramos' madness because of the sheer effectiveness and the consistency with which he has delivered across the years for Los Blancos.
When it comes to attacking set-pieces, he almost always starts at the edge of the area and then uses his powerful neck muscles and the momentum he generates from swiveling into the centre of the box to score thumping headers that almost always nestle in the top corner.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Was there ever a question? It's one of those rare aspects of Ronaldo's game that Lionel Messi does not even stand a chance of matching. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a lot more than a hundred goals from headers and that's the product of hours spent at the training ground practicing and perfecting his technique.
Now that he has moved into a striker's position after joining Juventus, we have seen a lot more goals coming from headers as opposed to earlier when he would operate in a wider role. There is no player on the football pitch who can leap as high as Cristiano Ronaldo.
It looks superhuman at times and he also times his headers to perfection. When Cristiano Ronaldo is waiting to collect an aerial ball inside the box, there's every reason for the opposition to panic and lose their cool because more often than not, there's usually only one end product. And that's the net bulging and the Portuguese wheeling away in celebration.
