5 Premier League strikers who fell out of the public eye
The English Premier League has been graced by some of the best strikers in the world, such as Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Michael Owen, Didier Drogba, etc. These group of strikers although currently retired, or playing out the latter stages of their careers in other leagues are still fondly reminisced by the club faithful as well as football fans all over the world.But, in the last decade, there was a flood of fantastic striking talent on display in the mid-table to lower-half table teams. These strikers were regarded as one of the best in the world, in their prime. Years have passed by, and these talents have fallen out of the general public eye, or currently retired. Here, we take a look at 5 attacking talents who took the Premier League by storm in their playing time. These players made their mark in the most competitive league in the world, despite playing for teams that were either struggling for survival or a mid-table spot.This forgotten group of striking talents include former Champions League winners, leading scorers for their national team, Serie A winner, Bundesliga Champion, and a top striker who worked in close accordance under Jose Mourinho at Porto.So, let’s take a closer look at this group.
#1 Benni McCarthy
South Africa’s all-time leading scorer, Benni McCarthy, came into prominence in his time with Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam where he enjoyed much success. Regarded as one of the best among African players, he moved to Spanish side Celta Vigo, to further assert himself as one of the best.
McCarthy though endured a torrid time in Spain and would seek a loan move to FC Porto; where he was eventually signed on a permanent basis. It was at Porto, McCarthy won his highest accolades. The Bafana-Bafana star, led Jose Mourinho’s side to the national title, scoring 20 in 23 games; winning him the golden boot.
The highlight of his Porto career was winning the Champions League in 2004, where he scored 2 crucial goals in the second round, knocking out Manchester United. He went on to win another Portuguese League Title the following year, before moving to English Premier League’s Blackburn Rovers.
McCarthy was an instant hit in the Premier League, finishing second in the goal scoring tally, with 18 goals in his first season. Injury and arrival of Paraguyan Roque Santa Cruz saw him drop out of the first team.
His third season took a similar path, but the South African ended his Blackburn career with 52 goals in total. He moved to West Ham the following season, and after making only 14 appearances that season, he had his contract terminated and returned to South Africa, with the Orlando Pirates.
McCarthy retired from football in 2013.