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The Premier League Golden Boot is an annual award presented to the highest scoring player over the course of a single season. For sponsorship purposes, its official name is the Cadbury Golden Boot. As well as being given a trophy (in the shape of a Golden Boot), the winner is also given £1,000 for every goal scored. The amount is then donated to a charity of the winner's choice.
Teddy Sheringham of Tottenham Hotspur was the first to win the award in 1992, thanks to the 22 goals he scored in that campaign. This was also the first season of the newly-created Premier League.
The record for the most goals scored to get the Golden Boot is tied between Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers) and Andy Cole (Newcastle United), who had both netted a total of 34 goals. Andy Cole received the award in the 1993-1994 season, and Shearer had his in the next (1994-1995). Cole finished on 34 goals in just 40 games (this was before the total league games to be played became 38), and Shearer managed 34 goals in 42 games.
For this article, however, we'll be looking at the last ten Golden Boot winners to see what they're doing now; whether they're still playing for a club, or retired and focusing on other things.
Disclaimer: In this list, I've made one slide for a player who managed to get the Golden Boot more than once. As a result, the list flies back to the 2007-08 season. Let's see how many names you recognise.
#10 Cristiano Ronaldo (2007-08) - Juventus FC
First on the list is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar netted a staggering 31 goals in 34 games in a season which saw Manchester United win the league that season with a total of 89 points.
Ronaldo's brilliant string of performances at Old Trafford were about to come to a screeching halt, however, as by the summer of 2009, he was gone. Real Madrid had signed the 24-year-old for an eye-watering £80m, which was a record transfer fee at the time.
Cristiano Ronaldo spent nine years at Real Madrid, and won a plethora of accolades in the process. Here, he cemented himself as one of the best players in the world. He seemed to score for fun, whether it be in the league or on the biggest stage of them all: the Champions League. No match that Ronaldo participated in was left untouched by his magic.
Then, in the summer of 2018, after rumours broke out regarding his poor treatment at Real Madrid, Juventus announced that they had signed the 33-year-old for £100m. Whilst he hasn't gotten off to the best of starts in Turin, there's no doubt that the Euro 2016 winner will bounce back soon enough.
#9 Nicolas Anelka (2008-09) - Roda JC Technical Coach
Despite only scoring a total of 19 goals in the 2008-09 season of the Premier League, it was enough for Nicolas Anelka to secure the Golden Boot. Chelsea finished third in the Premier League that season, as the two-man strike force of Anelka and Didier Drogba unleashed hell on the opposition.
Anelka left Chelsea in January 2012 to join Shanghai Greenland Shenhua on a free transfer. The news wasn't too much of a surprise to fans as the Frenchman had found himself stuck between the substitute bench and the reserves in his last few months at Stamford Bridge.
His time with the Chinese club was tainted, however, as the 33-year-old only managed to score three times in 22 games. So when Juventus swooped in and offered Anelka a six-month contract, he snapped it up just as eagerly as Shanghai had accepted the offer.
Once his contract with Juventus had expired in the summer of 2013, Anelka was briefly without a club. His time out of action was short-lived, though, as he was signed by West Bromwich Albion on a one-year-deal. This transfer was seen by most as the striker's final chance to showcase his ability. But, ultimately, just two goals in 12 appearances for the Baggies did little to prove that he was worth his place in the starting eleven.
Anelka's time with West Brom came to a premature end after his contract was terminated following a 'quenelle' gesture he made during a goal celebration. The former France international was left a disgrace, and it virtually ended his career at a high level.
Anelka joined Mumbai City in September 2014, and was later named as the new player-manager in July 2015. He was with the club until January 2016, before he retired.
After retiring as a player, Anelka became a technical coach at Dutch Eredivisie side Roda JC in February 2017, claiming he wanted to help his friend and the club's shareholder Aleksey Korotaev.
#8 Didier Drogba (2009-10) - Phoenix Rising FC
Didier Drogba netted 29 goals in 32 games to receive his Golden Boot award in the 2009-10 Premier League season. Alongside Nicolas Anelka, he was a very dangerous player. He could play as both a Target Man and a False Nine, often alternating between the two during games, which confused defenders.
He left Chelsea in the summer of 2012 to join up with Anelka at Shanghai Greenland Shenhua on a two-and-a-half year deal. Drogba was a lot more clinical than Anelka at Shenhua, and he bagged eight goals in eleven appearances. Like his teammate, however, he didn't stay out his contract in China, as he moved to Turkish side Galatasaray in January 2013.
Once the summer of 2014 rolled around, Drogba had found his way back to Stamford Bridge on a free transfer. He spent a year in London, featuring in 28 games, but only scoring four times. It was a disappointing turnout for the Chelsea legend, but the fans were just happy to see him back in blue.
The Ivorian was now 36-years-old and knew that his options were restricted now insofar as clubs were concerned. But an opportunity to play for Montreal Impact in the MLS arose in 2015 and he took it immediately. He was with the Canadian side for two years, before he left and rendered himself a free agent again.
In the spring of that year, Phoenix Rising offered to sign Drogba, and he duly accepted. He remains with the club today. Despite being 40-years-old, Drogba is still capable of putting in brilliant displays, showing to the world that he's still got it.
#7 Carlos Tevez (2010-11) - Boca Juniors
Carlos Tevez began his time in the Premier League with West Ham, after he was signed from Corinthians for £13m in 2006. But it wasn't until four years later in 2010 when he finally grabbed the Golden Boot, thanks to his 20 goals in 31 games for Manchester City. He shared this accolade with Dimitar Berbatov of Manchester United, though, who also scored 20 goals.
Tevez was a tricky play to defend against; his speed, aggression and agility made him a top striker in the Premier League and he was a force to be reckoned with.
Tevez left City in the summer of 2013 to join Juventus for £8m. He was just as clinical in Turin as he was in Manchester, netting 20 goals for Serie A champions. But his time there was cut short as he opted for a move back to his boyhood club, Boca Juniors. His price tag was only £4.6m, which was a bargain for the ability he possessed.
It wasn't long before Tevez moved yet again, this time to Shanghai Greenland Shenhua for around £9m. To be taken away from Boca Juniors, with whom he has such a sentimental attachment to, was quite a task. But the €753,000-per-week wages might have played a big part in his switch.
In January 2018, Tevez made his return to Boca Juniors on a free transfer, leaving behind his title as the "highest paid player in the world" with Shanghai Greenland Shenhua. He told the press that "it's [playing football] much easier if I'm happy." Tevez's time in China was ultimately a miserable one, as he was injured for most of it, and was homesick.
He remains with Boca Juniors to this day, with his contract set to expire in 2020.
#6 Dimitar Berbatov (2010-11) - Retired
Joint-winner of the Golden Boot alongside Carlos Tevez with 20 goals, Dimitar Berbatov was a crucial part of Manchester United's attack back in the 2010-11 Premier League campaign. While he was deemed by some spectators as "lazy", due to his somewhat languid movement off-the-ball, he was undoubtedly a threat to almost all opposition when in possession of the ball.
Berbatov left United in the summer of 2012 to join Fulham FC. He enjoyed life in England and the Premier League, and had turned down big offers to stick around. And in his first season with the London-based club, he scored 15 goals, just five shy of the amount that earned him the Golden Boot a couple of seasons prior.
His form began to dwindle, however, and he was shipped out to AS Monaco in January 2014 on loan. Here, he netted just seven times in 28 appearances, leaving many disappointed with the Bulgarian international. Clearly, Fulham had been feeling the same, and once he returned, they let him go to PAOK for free.
Berbatov had unremarkable spells with PAOK and Kerala Blasters before his contract expired in April 2018. He is yet to make a next move, and is still regarded as a free agent.
#5 Robin Van Persie (2011-12, 2012-13) - Feyenoord
In the 2011-12 season, Robin Van Persie scored 30 goals in 38 games for Arsenal. The next season, he scored 26 goals in 38 appearances for Manchester United and was a pivotal part of their title-winning campaign. Van Persie was the complete striker, who had the speed, agility, skill and superb shooting to sink any side he faced.
Van Persie stayed with the Red Devils for a couple more seasons before he was sold by Louis Van Gaal to Fenerbahce in 2015.
Now, in 2018, Robin Van Persie is back at his boyhood club, Feyenoord, in the Netherlands, after he moved there on a free transfer in January. It's rumoured that Van Persie had cancelled his contract with the Turkish side.
#4 Luis Suarez (2013-2014) - Barcelona
Luis Suarez was absolutely unstoppable during his three-year spell with Liverpool in the Premier League. He scored 31 goals in 33 games in the 2013-2014 season, when the Reds finished as runners-up with 84 points, just two points behind champions Manchester City.
His frustration at not winning the title must have been too much for him as he jetted off for Spain that summer after a £75m bid from Barcelona was accepted for the striker. At the Camp Nou, the Uruguayan is certainly winning a great deal more than he would have had he stayed at Anfield.
The 32-year-old remains with Barcelona to this day.
#3 Sergio Aguero (2014-2015) - Manchester City
Sergio Aguero scored 26 goals in 33 games for City in the 2014-2015 Premier League campaign, which was enough to bag him the Golden Boot for that season. Aguero has been City's star man up front for a while now, and that doesn't seem to change.
Aguero remains with Manchester City despite an abundance of offers from various high-profile clubs around the world.
#2 Harry Kane (2015-16, 2016-17) - Tottenham Hotspur
Harry Kane scored 25 goals in 38 games in the 2015-16 season to secure the Golden Boot, and 29 in 30 the following campaign to get two Golden Boots in a row. He narrowly missed out on the trophy last season, too. His physical prowess and eye for goal have made him the ultimate threat to opposition defences, and no team has yet found a way to properly defend against him.
Kane remains with Tottenham Hotspur despite a great deal of speculation which linked him to other clubs. He is hot property, especially after winning the Golden Boot at the FIFA World Cup this year.
#1 Mohamed Salah (2017-18) - Liverpool
Mohamed Salah scored 32 goals in 36 games last season, which broke the record for the most goals scored in a 38-game Premier League campaign. He has found himself catapulted from the depths of obscurity with Chelsea and Roma to being nominated for major footballing awards, thanks to his sublime performances for Liverpool.
He remains with Liverpool after having signed a new five-year contract, which hikes his wages-per-week up to £200,000.
