Aston Villa’s top 10 strikers of the Premier League era

Aston Villa made numerous significant signings this summer and although not the most glamorous of the bunch, arguably none were more important than Danny Ings.

Ings is a proven Premier League goalscorer and has already netted a couple  for Dean Smith’s men including that ridiculous bicycle kick in his first game for the club at Villa Park.

Ollie Watkins had a great debut season in the claret and blue, but the arrival of Ings takes a heap of pressure off of the young man. Not only that, but the latter’s mentorship could really help take Watkins’ game to another level.

Anyway, with all this forward talk, it only makes sense to take a look at Villa’s top 10 forwards of the Premier League era. Oh and spoiler alert, Jordan Bowery is not on the list.

John Carew

After joining from Lyon in an exchange deal for Milan Baros in 2007, the Norwegian became a bit of a cult-hero during his four-and-a-half years at Villa Park.

In his first two seasons in particular, he boasted extremely impressive goal-scoring statistics in an equally impressive Villa side.

Carew’s time with the club was predominantly during the era in which they were regularly challenging in Europe under Martin O’Neill and for that, it’s hard not to be fond of the big man.

One of his most memorable appearances for the team came when he helped himself to a brace in a 5-1 thumping of Birmingham City at Villa Park. Again, not a bad way to leave a lasting impression on the Villa faithful.

Since retiring from football, Carew now finds himself acting, producing and photographing among various other things. Not bad for some, is it?

Dalian Atkinson

The late Dalian Atkinson was a pivotal part of the Villa strike force in the earlier Premier League years.

Atkinson joined the club in 1991 from Real Sociedad for £1.6m - a large fee for a player in the early 90s but one that he gratefully repaid.

The former striker will forever go down in the history books as the first ever Villa player to score in the Premier League - a late equaliser versus Ipswich Town on the opening day.

Arguably more memorable than even that, though, are both that goal against AFC Wimbledon and scoring in the victory over Manchester United in the 1994 League Cup final.

Darren Bent

A controversial one, maybe, but despite never truly setting the world alight at Villa, Bent still had a goal-scoring record better than one in three.

He was one of the Premier League’s most lethal finishers when he joined from Sunderland in January of 2011 and although he started on fire, that form was quickly extinguished due to constant injury problems.

It was very much the story of his career at Villa Park, every time he got up and running, he was once again curtailed by injury. But, with that said, when he played, he played very well and he deserves his spot on the list.

Darius Vassell

Making 198 appearances for Villa between 1998 and 2005, Vassell was always a pretty well thought of figure, despite never having a prolific scoring record.

Born in Birmingham and a self-confessed Villan himself, it was hard not to root for him from a Villa perspective although some did grow frustrated that he always seemed to save his best performances for an England shirt.

He scored 45 goals during his seven years with the club before sealing a £2m move to Manchester City. They seem to like Villa fans over that way, don’t they?

Dwight Yorke

Yorke started his career with Villa and did so predominantly as a winger rather than a striker. However, once Brian Little moved him to a more forward role in 95/96, he became one of the deadliest strikers in Premier League history.

The Trinidad & Tobago international went on to score 97 goals in 288 appearances for the Claret and Blue which included a ridiculous run of 61 in 131 in the lead up to his move to Manchester United.

His exit was a controversial one and one that left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Villa fans but his contribution during his time at the club can’t be overlooked. He truly was an elite forward.

Juan Pablo Angel

The Colombian wizard himself. Angel joined the club from Argentine side River Plate in 2001 and became an instant hit with the Villa faithful.

Although his six years in the west midlands weren’t always the most consistent, Angel did produce some real quality during his time at Villa Park and the 2003-04 season in particular will live long in many fans’ memories.

He managed 23 goals over the course of the year, including 16 in the Premier League - cementing himself firmly as the club’s top scorer of the campaign.

Only two players have scored more goals in the claret and blue during the Premier League era, Dwight Yorke and Gabriel Agbonlahor - underlining just how important Angel was during his stint in England.

Dion Dublin

For those not old enough to remember, before Dublin was following numerous sets of stairs up to bedrooms across the country, he used to be a pretty good football player.

His career at Villa started on fire and after scoring on his debut, he followed that up with goals in the next three consecutive games, including a hattrick against Southampton in only his second ever appearance for the club.

In 1999 he suffered a serious broken neck and his career both in claret and blue as well as collectively, unsurprisingly never really recovered.

Dublin scored 59 goals in 186 appearances during his time at Villa Park. It was a good innings but sadly for Dublin and Villa alike, one that could have been superb.

Dean Saunders

As with Dublin, Saunders himself once had a pretty decent football career before he moved into the field of what can only be described as questionable punditry.

The Welshman was Villa’s record signing at the time when he joined from Liverpool for £2.5million and his partnership with the previously mentioned Atkinson saw Villa finish runners-up for the inaugural Premier League title, just behind Manchester United.

Despite not boasting the goalscoring record he perhaps had at previous clubs, Saunders still registered a goal in under every three games, finishing his Villa career with 50 in 148 appearances.

In his final season with the team in 1994/95, he was voted supporters’ player of the year before moving to Galatasary for £2.35million.

Christian Benteke

The streets won’t forget the Benteke that suited up for Aston Villa.

If you judge his career as a whole, he won’t be making many top 10 lists, but Benteke’s three years at Villa were among some of the very best that we’ve seen anywhere.

Strength, power, precision. He had it all. Most importantly, he was deadly in front of goal.

49 goals in 94 starts saw him earn himself a big money move to Liverpool. And well, let’s just say he hasn’t been the same since.

From a Villa perspective, though, he’ll always be remembered as one of their greatest strikers of the Premier League era.

Gabriel Agbonlahor

Last but not least is Mr. Aston Villa himself and no Villa related list would be complete without him.

Apart from a couple of loans in his first year with the club, Agbonlahor spent his entire career with the Claret and Blue, racking up 391 appearances and 86 goals over a 13 year period.

Although his goalscoring record doesn’t make for as pleasant reading as some, his loyalty to the team as well as the importance of some of those 86 goals puts him head and shoulders above most.

He retired from playing football at the spritely age of 32, deciding not to sign anywhere else meaning his entire career was spent with his hometown club.

Agbonlahor remains Villa’s record Premier League goalscorer and above all else, is a rare breed of player that always put his loyalty first.