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6. Michael Owen- Clubs: Liverpool, Newcastle, Man United- Goals: 149
After progressing from the youth team at Liverpool, Michael Owen made his first team debut as a 17 year old in May 1997, scoring against Wimbledon.In the next campaign, Owen became a first team regular, scoring 18 league goals to win the Golden Boot. He was also voted the PFA Young Player of the Year to crown a promising first full season.After an explosive World Cup for England in ‘98, Owen was regarded as the greatest young talent in world football. He followed up his travails in France with another fine season domestically, finishing joint top scorer in the division again with 18 goals.With pace allied to his clinical finishing, Owen was generally one of the best strikers in the country in the late 90‘s, early 2000‘s. He scored 23 goals in 1998/99, and continued to net regularly, despite brief spells on the sidelines with hamstring injuries. In 2004, after almost 120 Premier League goals to his name, he left Anfield to join Real Madrid for £8m.After an unsuccessful 12 month spell in Spain, Owen returned to sign for Newcastle in the summer of 2005. His time at St James Park was punctuated with injuries, and following their shock relegation to the Championship in 2009, he left for champions Manchester United on a free transfer, where he made just 30 league appearances in three years.
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He has a single Premier League title to his name (technically), playing a bit part as United triumphed in 2010/11. It’s a crying shame that Owen decided to wind down the latter years of his career in such uninspiring fashion. Still a clinical striker when fit, one can hope he will go in search of more regular first team football in the very near future.
5. Eric Cantona- Clubs: Leeds, Man United- Goals: 70
Eric Cantona was a key figure of Manchester United’s domestic dominance during the 1990’s, winning 4 league titles in an all too short career. He completed the move from arch rivals Leeds in December 1992, and his 9 goals in 22 appearances helped United along to the first ever Premier League title in 1993.
Cantona scored 18 times in the league the following season as United retained their trophy, and he was voted the PFA Player of the Year for his efforts. As well as immense ability on the pitch, however, there was also a dark side to Cantona’s game. In January 1995, he received an eight month ban for a shocking assault on a Crystal Palace fan during a game at Selhurst Park. In his absence, United missed out on the Premier League title to Blackburn. Cantona returned from suspension in 1995/96, as United won the League and F.A Cup double. He won his 4th title in 1996/97, scoring 11 goals in the process, but at the end of that season, Cantona announced his retirement from the game, aged just 30.In 2002, he was named as one of the best two overseas strikers of the first 10 years of the Premier League.
