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davieG

Greatest Leicester City X1 - Forwards/Strikers 433

By davieG, in Leicester City Forum

Vote for THREE  

107 members have voted

  1. 1. Forwards / Strikers - Vote for THREE

    • Arthur Chandler
      36
    • Steve Claridge
      19
    • Allan Clarke
      4
    • Emile Heskey
      34
    • Derek Hines
      2
    • Gary Lineker
      94
    • Frank Worthington
      44
    • Arthur Rowley
      51
    • Alan Smith
      5
    • Sep Smith
      3

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davieG

davieG

Posted
Posted

We now move on to the most exciting part of our search for the greatest Leicester City team of all time – the strikers. Every great side needs iconic centre-forwards, players who will find the back of the net with ruthless regularity, whether that be through opportunistic poaching or down to mesmerising skill and technical majesty.

There are many of those who have pulled on a City shirt in the 129 years of the club's history. To pick just three will be a very tough decision. Here is our shortlist:

 
  1. ​
 

STRIKERS

Arthur Chandler

Position: Striker

Appearances: 419

Goals: 273

Verdict: What a way to start our search for City’s greatest-ever frontline than with the club’s most prolific marksman. Signed from QPR in 1923, a club that regarded him as merely a ‘support player’, Chandler went on to score an unrivalled 17 hat-tricks or better on his way to scoring more goals for City than any other player. Scoring four on one occasion, as well as three five-goal hauls, Chandler also matched Johnny Duncan’s record of six goals in a game when City thumped Port Vale 10-0 in 1928. None of Chandler’s 273 goals came from the penalty spot either, having had both of his two penalties saved. Incredibly, he was never capped by England.

 

Steve Claridge

Position: Striker

Appearances: 79

Goals: 20

Verdict: This ‘scruffy ragamuffin’ was a far more cultured finisher than his appearance may have you believe. By no means a spring chicken when Martin O’Neill snapped up the 29-year-old journeyman for £1million from Birmingham City, Claridge’s clinical marksmanship shone through. He will be forever etched into City folklore after his last-gasp ‘shin’ against Crystal Palace in the 1996 play-off final. Back in the top flight, he became the club’s top scorer the following season while, continuing his taste for the dramatic, his extra-time strike clinched the 1997 League Cup.

 

Allan Clarke

Position: Striker

Appearances: 46

Goals: 16

Verdict: A British-record fee of £150,000 from Fulham in 1968, Clarke was a man for the big occasion. The instinctive goalscorer netted the winner for Leicester in the 1969 FA Cup semi-final victory against West Brom, before being awarded man of the match in the final, despite losing 1-0 to Manchester City. He was City’s leading scorer that season but was unable to save them from relegation. However, he gained most of his success at Leeds, where he won the First Division, the FA Cup, the Charity Shield and the Fairs Cup. That led to a prolific, albeit brief, international career, scoring 10 goals in his 19 England appearances.

 

Emile Heskey

Position: Striker

Appearances: 197

Goals: 46

Verdict: Leicester born-and-bred, ‘Bruno’ will always have a special place in the hearts of City fans. A powerhouse centre-forward blessed with blistering pace and strength, Heskey definitely had his best days in a City shirt. His finest came in the 1996-97 season, when he notched 12 goals for the campaign, and scored the equaliser in the League Cup final, forcing the triumphant replay. He was also runner-up to David Beckham for PFA Young Player of the Year. Heskey became City’s record outgoing player when he moved to Anfield for £11m in 2000. A staple of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England side, Heskey racked up 62 caps, scoring seven goals.

 

Derek Hines

Position: Striker/Inside-left

Appearances: 317

Goals: 117

Verdict: Just 17 when City granted the teenage prodigy his first professional contract, Hines went on to become the fourth-highest scorer in the club’s history. He forged a formidable partnership with Arthur Rowley – who we will come to in a moment – scoring 19 goals on the way to City’s capture of the Second Division title in 1954, and bagging 14 when they won it again three years later. Hines is the last City player to score four goals in a league game, with his haul against Aston Villa in 1958.

 

Gary Lineker

Position: Striker

Appearances: 216

Goals: 103

Verdict: One of Leicester’s most famous sons, Lineker went from helping out on his dad’s market stall to Golden Boot winner in the 1986 World Cup. After a slow start to his career at Filbert Street, Lineker became one of the most predatory strikers in world football, and his goal-scoring instincts made him the complete poacher. City’s leading scorer for four consecutive seasons, from 1981-85, Lineker soon became an England regular, for whom he would eventually become their second-highest scorer with 48. He was ultimately poached by reigning Division One champions Everton, who signed him for £800,000 in 1985.

 

Frank Worthington

Position: Striker

Appearances: 239

Goals: 78

Verdict: As charismatic, flamboyant and confident off the field as he was on it, the player known as ‘Elvis’ was the ultimate box-office attraction of City’s side of the 1970s. Signed by Jimmy Bloomfield after he failed a medical with Bill Shankly’s Liverpool, Worthington graced the Filbert Street turf for five seasons, playing with the utmost flair, a genius with the ball at his feet. Capped eight times for England, scoring two goals, his finest return in a City shirt came in the 1973-74 season when he bagged 24 goals for the campaign.

 

Arthur Rowley

Position: Striker/Inside-left

Appearances: 321

Goals: 265

Verdict: Without doubt the most prolific marksman the Football League has ever seen. Rowley scored 433 league goals throughout his illustrious career. Despite falling just eight goals short of Arthur Chandler’s club record, Rowley boasted a greater goal-to-game ratio – it took him just 122 games to score his first 100 goals for the club – and he helped himself to 16 hat-tricks or better. He also holds the club record for number of goals in a single season, when he rifled City to the Second Division title with 44 goals in 1956-57.

 

Alan Smith

Position: Striker

Appearances: 217

Goals: 84

Verdict: The final signing of the Jock Wallace era in 1982, Smith struck up an emphatic partnership with Gary Lineker in City’s frontline. Not simply a goalscorer, Smith was also blessed with wonderful vision and excellent ball control, and his inherent unselfishness often left Lineker reaping the rewards of the chances Smith had created. Once Lineker had left, Smith stepped up to the plate as City’s primary marksman, leading the club’s goal tally from 1985-87, scoring 41 goals across the two seasons before making an £800,000 move to Arsenal. Once at Highbury, Smith went on to help his side win two First Division crowns, an FA Cup, League Cup and Charity Shield winner’s medal, as well as scoring the winner in the European Cup Winners’ Cup. He also won 13 caps for England, scoring twice.

 

Sep Smith

Position: Inside-forward/Right-half

Appearances: 373

Goals: 37

Verdict: Widely regarded by the elder City fans as the greatest all-round footballer ever to play for the club. He is certainly the most loyal, as City’s longest-serving player following his 20 years at the club from when he first turned professional in 1929. An instinctive poacher, yet graceful on the ball, Smith possessed wonderful distribution skills and eventually moved into a deeper right-half role to great aplomb. An inspirational leader, and City’s longest-serving captain, he led them to the Second Division title in 1937. A all-too-measly one England cap to his name, his career was interrupted by the outbreak of World War Two, during which he played 213 games and scored 48 goals in the regionalised wartime football.

 

Also considered, but failed to make the shortlist:

Stan Collymore (2000) made the headlines for both the right and the wrong reasons in his short spell at City, scoring five goals in 12 appearances, including a hat-trick on his home debut against Sunderland.

Tony Cottee (1997-2000) was a predatory poacher who was the club’s leading scorer for two Premier League seasons on his way to a tally of 34 in a City shirt.

Paul Dickov (2002-04, 2008-10) scored 40 goals in 124 appearances during two stints at the club with his terrier-like work-rate and clinical finishing.

Derek Dougan (1965-67) combined aerial dominance with on-the-ball flair, boasting a prolific goal-to-game ratio, netting 41 times in 76 games.

Dion Dublin (2004-06) was well into the twilight of his career when he joined the club under Micky Adams and, after being the first City man to be sent off on debut, scored six goals in 65 appearances.

Johnny Duncan (1922-30) was unlucky not to make the shortlist. Big and strong but equally graceful on the ball, this inspirational captain bagged 95 goals in 295 appearances.

Les Ferdinand (2003-04) was the club’s then-oldest debutant when he made his first appearance for City, aged 36. Still a class act in his later years, Sir Les bagged 13 goals in 31 appearances. Had our greatest team been chosen on their entire career, he would have been a strong contender.

Julian Joachim (1992-96) is still probably the most exciting young player to come out of Filbert Street in recent years, but he failed to reach the heights his talent warranted. Scored 31 goals in 119 appearances.

Jim Melrose (1980-82) scored 26 goals in 86 appearances and was the club’s top-scorer during the 1980-81 relegation campaign.

Alan Young (1979-82) led City’s goal-scoring tally as his side won the Second Division title in 1981. The no-nonsense Scot bagged himself 29 goals in his 119 appearances.

 

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stockyfox

stockyfox

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This is descending into a farce and I am not impressed by the ‘research’. Leaving  keeper Dave McLaren without a mention was a big enough error but in surveying the shortlist of strikers, and even more so, the ‘list of those who didn’t quite make it to the shortlist’, I have to wonder as to how much those who compiled the information really know about the history of Leicester City.

Here is a list of those that didn’t even make it to the ‘were also considered list!

Ernie Hine – 156 goals / 259 apps

Arthur Lochhead – 114 goals / 320 apps

Mal Griffiths – 76 goals / 409 apps

Ken Keyworth – 76 goals / 215 apps

Ken Leek – 43 goals / 111 apps 

Willie Gardiner – 49 goals / 71 apps.

There was no ‘Back 4’, there were 2 full backs

There were no midfielders, there were half-backs

There were no strikers, there were wingers, inside-left and inside right and a centre-forward who ‘led the line’.

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davieG

davieG

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This is descending into a farce and I am not impressed by the ‘research’. Leaving  keeper Dave McLaren without a mention was a big enough error but in surveying the shortlist of strikers, and even more so, the ‘list of those who didn’t quite make it to the shortlist’, I have to wonder as to how much those who compiled the information really know about the history of Leicester City.

Here is a list of those that didn’t even make it to the ‘were also considered list!

Ernie Hine – 156 goals / 259 apps

Arthur Lochhead – 114 goals / 320 apps

Mal Griffiths – 76 goals / 409 apps

Ken Keyworth – 76 goals / 215 apps

Ken Leek – 43 goals / 111 apps 

Willie Gardiner – 49 goals / 71 apps.

There was no ‘Back 4’, there were 2 full backs

There were no midfielders, there were half-backs

There were no strikers, there were wingers, inside-left and inside right and a centre-forward who ‘led the line’.

You shouldn't take it too seriously Stocky, even if they were in my poll they wouldn't get a vote. 

 

Any greatest team that ends up with Simon Grayson as Leicester City's Greatest ever left back is not something to get too concerned about.

 

It's just a bit of fun to fill the close season gap.

Erm, it's a 4-3-3 so we should be voting for 3.

Anyway, I'm voting for the clubs record scorers Chandler & Rowley if we can only do 2

You're correct

 

vote for 3 everyone.

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Fox92

Fox92

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Posted

I know he didn't make the cut, but was Alan Young really that good then? 29 goals in 119 games doesn't read that well, yeah I didn't watch him as I wasn't alive, but in 02/03 Dickov scored 15+ goals which assisted in our promotion. Surpised Dickov didn't make the list.

 

I'll be suprised if Lineker doesn't come first anyway, but in my lifetime I've voted for Claridge as he scored some important goals - Palace in the play offs and 'Boro in the League Cup final.

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smudger63

smudger63

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Well as Sep Smith was my Great Uncle, i think i`m qualified to say that he was never a striker!

Interesting to see that they put Don Revie in the midfielders, saying that Sep had taken him under his wing, especially as my family have always said that if you saw Don Revie play, then you had seen Sep play, such was his influence over Revie, and yet they put Sep in with the strikers!

Personally speaking, i think it is very difficult to judge players that you haven`t seen play, so i will leave the merits of Sep to those that seen him play.

My midfied would be in a 442 formation, Weller (the best player i`ve seen play for Leicester) on one wing, Lenny Glover on the other wing, with Lennon and Izzet in midfield, and Lineker and Frank Worthington up front.

At the back, it would be Banks or Shilton, really doesn`t matter, they were both world class, Whitworth and Nish as my full backs, and Elliot and Walsh at centre half.

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stockyfox

stockyfox

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Posted

ge

You shouldn't take it too seriously Stocky, even if they were in my poll they wouldn't get a vote. 

 

Yes! OK davieG,I know its not a matter of life or death like the great Bill S said, its more important than that!

 

Quite understandably,one can only vote realistically for someone they've actually seen and admired. Having followed City since 1949, I still quite vividly remember the great team of the late 50's and early 60's -watching the deadly left foot of Arthur Rowley, the magic of Derek Hogg, the thunderbolts of Howard Riley, the  totally dependable Tony Knapp, the appearance of George Best.making our defence a laughing stock, the injury to Len Chalmers at Wembley, our 'wonder show' against Atletico Madrid ( to quote their manager) in the European Cup winners Cup, Ken Keyworth's 6 minute hat-trick v Man Utd, Denis Law's wonder goal in the same match, the bitterness of the '63 Final, the winning of the League Cup.and so on. I would like to think that our younger fans will be able to look back in a similar way in the years to come.

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Aus Fox

Aus Fox

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Look at Chandlers record and this is not a competition, if he played today he'd be worth 80 million +. Overal a team of

Banks/shillton

Lb

Walsh

Elliott

Rb

Glover

Izzett

Lennon

Weller

Chandler

Lineker

With rowley, worthington, lynex, on the bench.

We would give any team in any era a run for their money, not too sure in the full backs but happy if someone can fill them in. But with a forward line including glover, weller, lineker and chandler I don't think we need to worry about defence!

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absolutelegend

absolutelegend

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Posted

My fave City strikers from the last 30 years (my era)...

Linker, Smith (they just about count, they were thereabouts at my first city game) & Heskey.....to be fair, we haven't had that many great strikers in that time.  Not many getting 20+ goals.

Obv Cottee, Claridge worth a mention too.  Collymore was a great player, but not City for long enough to qualify as our great.  Joachim on his day was unstoppable, but that was mostly in Div 1.

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Zingari

Zingari

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Posted

Worthington was by far the most skillful and Lineker the most lethal , and I've gone for Hines because of his record (and he's I am Rod  Hull 'sgreat uncle I)

 

I only saw Hines a couple of times though 

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