Players with 300+ League goals for a single club in Europe's top 5 Leagues

Players 300 league goals Europe
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored at least 300 goals in La Liga

Football at the end of the day is all about scoring goals. No matter how long people ponder over different tactics and formations, it is the goals that make fans jump off their seats.

Scoring 300 goals in itself is a staggering achievement. When the added stipulations such as more than 300 goals for a single club in one of Europe's top 5 leagues are considered, the list becomes extremely small.

The list of players that fit into that criteria is truly a very illustrious one with some of them being up there among the best in the world. Notable absentees from this list who came quite close to breaking the 300 goal barrier but could not quite make it.

They include - Klaus Fischer in the Bundesliga (268 goals), Alan Shearer in the English Premier League (260 goals), and Telmo Zarra in La Liga (251 goals).

So, who are those players who are a part of this distinguished list?

#4 Cristiano Ronaldo: 301 goals for Real Madrid (La Liga)

Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: First Leg
Ronaldo has turned into a goal-scoring machine at Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a perfect example of how work ethic and the desire to be the best in the world separates the great players from the legendary ones. His unrelenting determination and his desire to be the best has enabled him to consistently produce mind-boggling performances week after week, month after month, and year after year.

Ronaldo is tireless and never stops and is not afraid to take on players in one-on-one duels. If there is one thing that characterizes the Portuguese star, it is doing everything at a blistering pace. No skill, no move, no pass, nor any shot is done slowly.

After a truly stunning stint at Manchester United where he also won his first Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo made the move to Real Madrid in 2009 for a then world record transfer fee. He hit the ground running at the Bernabeu and there has been no looking back ever since.

He has scored 20 or more goals in La Liga in each of his previous eight seasons with his best campaign coming in the 2014/15 season when he scored 48 goals from 35 appearances.

All in all, he has banged in 301 goals in just 286 appearances in La Liga so far - maintaining a stunning goals-per-game ratio of 1.05. He also reached the landmark in 48 fewer games than his great rival Lionel Messi - a fact that is undoubtedly going to make him incredibly satisfied.

His standout games in La Liga include his 5-goal haul in the 2014/15 campaign against Granada, and against Espanyol in 2015/16.

He will now be looking to cross the 400-goal barrier soon for Los Blancos.

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#3 Dixie Dean: 310 goals for Everton (English First Division)

Dixie Dean
Dixie Dean

Not a player everyone has heard of, Dixie Dean - the pride of Everton - was an absolute legend at the Merseyside club. A childhood supporter of the Toffees, he made the move to Everton from Tranmere Rovers where he spent the most prolific years of his footballing career.

He made an instant impact as he plundered 32 goals for Everton in his first full season for the club. The 1927/28 season was his best one as he scored a record 60 goals in the English First Division - a record that is unlikely to be ever broken.

He continued his goal-scoring exploits throughout his Everton career and he finally ended up with 310 goals for the club in 363 appearances in England's top flight, helping the club win two league titles.

#2 Gerd Muller: 365 goals for Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)

Gerd Muller
German striker Gerd Muller was a lethal finisher

Gerhard "Gerd" Muller was quite simply the ultimate poacher - he was known for his deadly finishing from both inside and outside the penalty box. Quite possibly the greatest footballer from Europe, his killer instincts in front of goal made him a terrifying prospect for the defenders.

Popularly known as 'Der Bomber', he began his footballing career at his hometown club TSV 1861 Nordlingen but made the move to Bayern Munich just a year later. He spent 15 years with the Bavarians and won almost every club competition during this period.

Muller was especially famous for his fascinating ability to turn at lightning speed while controlling the ball. He scored 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga matches for Bayern Munich, nearly 100 goals more than the second-most successful Bundesliga scorer - Klaus Fischer.

He also holds the single season record for most goals in the Bundesliga when he scored 40 goals in the 1971/72 season - a record that stands still today.

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#1 Lionel Messi: 373 goals for Barcelona (La Liga)

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Lionel Messi is perhaps the greatest player of all time.

There are not enough adjectives to describe the genius that is Lionel Messi. The little magician from Argentina has enthralled us with his scintillating play since 2006 and every time we think we have seen it all, he comes up with something even more special.

Messi joined Barcelona at a tender age of 13 and has since then progressed to become the greatest footballer of his generation and, in the eyes of many, the greatest of all time.

Quick and nimble-footed, Messi with his low centre of gravity is a nightmare to defend against. Despite being physically unimposing, he possesses significant upper-body strength and his tendency to not dive in a sport plagued with playacting has won him many plaudits from players and fans alike.

He has spent his entire career at the Camp Nou and made his debut in La Liga in the 2004/05 season. However, it was the arrival of Pep Guardiola at Barcelona that completely changed his fortunes and Messi soon started showcasing his full range of abilities under him.

Since 2009, he has scored 20 or more La Liga goals every season so far. His best season was the 2011/12 campaign when he scored a La Liga record 50 goals in just 37 matches.

He has emerged as the highest goal scorer in La Liga four times in the last eight seasons including last season. Adept at setting up goals too, Messi has also racked up 149 assists to go with his bucketful of goals.

With 373 goals from 409 appearances, this little magician from Argentina is also the highest ever goalscorer in La Liga and it looks as if the 500-goal barrier will be breached before he hangs up his boots.

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Edited by Rohith Nair