5 of the best finishers in Premier League history

#2 Ruud Van Nistelrooy

While his career ended with more of a whimper than a bang, during his peak years at Manchester United there would’ve been a fair argument to make for Ruud Van Nistelrooy being the world’s best striker, at least in terms of his finishing skills. A record of 150 goals in 219 appearances – well over a goal every two games on average – is astonishing enough, but it was the nature of the majority of his goals that make him so well-remembered as a finisher.

Watching footage of Van Nistelrooy’s goals for United is telling – it was rare to see him put the ball in the net from outside the box and oftentimes he scored from inside the six-yard box. Few of his goals would be considered aesthetically pleasing. But once he had a clear-cut chance, basically the keeper stood none whatsoever.

Even the infamously hard-to-please Roy Keane – Van Nistelrooy’s captain during his time at Old Trafford – stated that he felt the Dutchman was the best finisher of all time. He was quoted as saying that when Ruud was in the box, “there may as well have been no goalkeeper”.

Left foot, right foot, head, it didn’t matter. Van Nistelrooy was a three-times Champions League top goalscorer, a top scorer in three European leagues, and is still the fourth-highest goalscorer in Champions League history. Quite why he’s somewhat overlooked these days I don’t know.