Jermain Defoe retires: Where does he rank among the greatest Premier League strikers of all time?

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On Thursday, Jermain Defoe officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 39 – bringing the curtain down on a memorable 22-year career.

The legendary striker played for five English clubs – Tottenham, West Ham, Sunderland, Portsmouth and Bournemouth – as well as Scottish side Rangers and MLS outfit Toronto FC.

Although he enjoyed success in Scotland and North America, he will always be remembered for his time in England. But where does he rank among the best Premier League strikers in history?

If the Premier League’s all-time goalscoring charts are anything to go by, then Defoe should go down as one of the greats.

TOP 10 GOALSCORERS IN PREMIER LEAGUE HISTORY

1. Alan Shearer: 260
2. Wayne Rooney: 208
3. Andy Cole: 187
4. Sergio Aguero: 184
5. Harry Kane: 178
6. Frank Lampard: 177
7. Thierry Henry: 175
8. Robbie Fowler: 163
9. Jermain Defoe: 162
10. Michael Owen: 150

As you can see, Defoe finds himself ninth on the Premier League’s all-time goalscoring leaderboard – 12 clear of Michael Owen and just one shy of Robbie Fowler.

With Jamie Vardy (128) the closest active player behind Defoe, he looks set to remain in the top ten for the foreseeable future.

Defoe started his professional career at West Ham, scoring 40 goals in 104 games. During his time at the Hammers, he was loaned to Bournemouth – netting 18 goals in 29 league outings.

Across two permanent spells and one loan stint at Tottenham, he racked up a whopping 143 goals in 362 appearances.

He also made 100 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 37 goals. In a single season at Portsmouth, he contributed 18 goals in 36 matches.

Defoe also enjoyed success abroad. After scoring 12 goals in 21 games for Toronto, he chalked up 32 goals in 74 games for Rangers – helping them to win the Scottish Premiership in 2021.

Granted, Defoe was never one of the most glamourous players on the pitch. But he was undoubtedly one of the most prolific when it came to sticking the ball in the back of the net.

Having scored 163 goals in 496 Premier League games, there is absolutely no denying that Defoe is one of the greatest strikers that England’s top flight has ever seen.