Who are the all-time top goalscorers in the Premier League? Which Premier League players have scored 100 goals or more? Who has scored the most goals in each Premier League season? And who is the top Premier League scorer this season?

Below we’ve answered all of the above questions – all players in the Premier League 100 club, the golden boot winners from previous Premier League seasons and the goalscoring charts from the most recent (2011/2012) Premier League season.

The top five Premier League goal scorers get their own little write up and a link to video of their goals. Everyone outside of that gets just their name, the clubs they played and scored for (or club, in the case of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Matt LeTissier) and, of course, their total number of Premier League goals.

You can also jump directly to the Premier League Golden Boot winners and Most Premier League goals this season sections.

All Time Premier League Top GoalScorers

	ALAN SHEARER	260 EPL GOALS
	Blackburn (1992-1996), Newcastle (1996-2006)

Alan Shearer, OBE, was born on 13th August 1970. Having started his career at Southampton, he went on to become one of the most prolific scorers of all time with Blackburn and his beloved Newcastle.

Great in the air, predatory from close range and deadly from distance, Shearer was at one time the complete striker. A series of knee injuries robbed him of some pace, but Shearer adapted his game in his later years and continued to find the net.

After the first ten years of the Premier League, Shearer was named as the outstanding player of the decade. He is also listed in the FIFA 100 greatest living footballers.

Shearer played 63 times for England, scoring 30 goals. He captained the side on 34 occasions.

Now working as a pundit on BBC television’s Match of the Day, Shearer had a brief spell as Newcastle United manager in 2008/9, when he took charge for the last eight games but was unable to save the club from relegation.

Alan Shearer GOALS

	ANDY COLE	187 EPL GOALS
	Newcastle (1993-95), Manchester Utd (1995-2001), Blackburn (2001-04), Fulham (2004-05), Man City (2005-06), Portsmouth (2006-07), Birmingham (2007), Sunderland (2007-08)

Andy Cole, or Andrew Cole, as he now prefers to be called was born on 15th October 1971. He began his career with Arsenal, but played just one game before moving to Bristol City. His goal scoring exploits for The Robins caught the attention of Kevin Keegan at Newcastle, who signed the striker in 1993. Cole partnered Peter Beardsley, won the First Division and continued scoring in the Premier League for he following two seasons.

He was sold controversially to Manchester United in 1995, where he went on to achieve huge success. He was the top scorer in Europe for United in the treble winning season of 1998-99, a season in which he and Dwight Yorke contributed 53 goals between them overall. Cole scored the goal that won the Premier League title, and the goal that took them to the Champions League final. He has five Premier League winners medals, one Champions League winners medal and two FA Cup winners medals.

Since leaving United Cole has played at Blackburn, Fulham, Mancheser City, Portsmouth, Birmingham and Sunderland, without quite recapturing his best goal scoring form. Cole finished his career with a loan move to Burnley and a brief spell at Nottingham Forest before retiring in 2008.

Cole was awarded the PFA Young player of the year award in 1994, and played 15 games for Engand, scoring just one goal.

Andy Cole GOALS

	THIERRY HENRY	176 EPL GOALS
	Arsenal (1999-2007), Arsenal (2012)

Thierry Henry was born on 17th August 1977. He moved to Arsenal after a relatively successful career in France and Italy, but was regarded by many as an overrated wide player. Arsene Wenger converted Henry to be a striker and the rest, as they say, is history. Pacy, classy, goalscoring history.

Henry’s goals won the Premier League twice for Arsenal, including the 30 league goals he scored as Arsenal’s famous Invincibles went the entire 2003/4 season unbeaten. Henry was twice awarded the PFA Players Player of the Year award, and also won the Football Writers Player of the Year award on two occasions.

For France, Henry scored 51 goals in 123 appearances and has World Cup and European Championship winners medals.

Henry left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2007, where he won La Liga, the Champions League, Copa Del Rey and the Club World Cup. He currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. Henry made an emotional loan return to Arsenal in January 2012, playing for 7 weeks and scoring a few crucial goals, including 2 in the league.

Thierry Henry GOALS

	ROBBIE FOWLER	163 EPL GOALS
	Liverpool (1993-2001), Leeds Utd (2001-03), Manchester City (2003-06), Liverpool (2006-07), Blackburn (2008)

Robbie Fowler was born on 9th April 1975. He grew up in Toxteth, a rough area of Liverpool, and went on to become one of the best players ever to represent the Reds. In 1995 and 1996 he was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Renowned for his natural finishing ability, in 1994 Fowler scored three times in 4 minutes, 33 seconds against Arsenal, still the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history. His goal scoring exploits were always matched by the controversy surrounding him. He was particularly criticised when after scoring a goal he pretended to snort the paint from the six yard line, following rumours of a cocaine addiction. Presenting his backside to Graeme Le Saux, rumoured to be gay, was also an episode that Fowler should not be proud of.

Fowler left Liverpool for Leeds United and then Manchester City, but was back at Anfield for one more year in 2006/7. Fowler went on to play for Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers before moving to Australia in 2009, where he played a season for North Queensland Fury before moving to current club Perth Glory.

Fowler played 26 times for England scoring 7 goals.

Robbie Fowler GOALS

	LES FERDINAND	149 EPL GOALS
	Queens Park Rangers (1992-95), Newcastle (1995-97), Tottenham (1997-2003), West Ham (2002-03), Leicester (2003-04), Bolton (2004-05)

Les Ferdinand, MBE, was born on 8th December 1966. He began his career scoring goals galore for lower league Hayes, and continued to do so wherever he went. His first big move was to top flight Queens Park Rangers, where he spent eight years banging in goals from 1987 to 1995 before earning a high profile move to Newcastle United. On Tyneside, Ferdinand developed a frightening strike partnership with Alan Shearer.

Like Shearer, Ferdinand was the complete package. Fast, strong, deadly in front of goal, and absolutely unbeatable in the air. After two years at Newcastle he moved on to Tottenham, where he spent six successful years before playing for West Ham, Leicester, Bolton and Reading.

Ferdinand was awarded the PFA players player award in 1996 and scored 5 goals for England gaining 17 caps.

Les Ferdinand GOALS

	MICHAEL OWEN	149 EPL GOALS
	Liverpool (1996-2004), Newcastle (2005-09), Man United (2009-12)

Michael James Owen was born on 14th December, 1979 in Chester, England. He is the son of a former forward of the 1970s, Terry Owen.

Michael Owen began his youth career in Liverpool in 1991. He progressed through the ranks and on his debut with the senior team in 1997, he scored. In his first full season in the English Premier League, he finished the season as the joint top-scorer with 18 goals.

Liverpool won a cup treble of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and the Football League Cup and Owen was awarded the Ballon d’Or. He went on to score 118 goals for the Reds in the Premier League.

In 2004, Owen moved to Real Madrid and was frequently used as a substitute. The following season, he returned to England to Newcastle United with the highest goals scored to number of minutes played ration in Spain.

He scored another 26 Premier League goals for Newcastle until he was picked up as a back-up striker by Alex Ferguson. To this day, he plays for Manchester United.

Michael Owen GOALS

Rest of the EPL 100 Club

2011-12 Premier League Topscorers

Golden Boot winners

The following table is a list of winners of the Premier League Golden Boot per season, detailing their club, goal tally, actual games played, and their strike rate (goals/games).

Key to symbols:

      ^† – denotes the award was shared that season
      ^C – denotes the club were also League Champions that season
      ^E – denotes the player also won the European Golden Shoe that season
      (x) – denotes multiple winners of the award and their running total
 

 
NOTE #1: Teddy Sheringham scored his first goal of the 1992–93 season as a Nottingham Forest player, while the remainder were scored for Tottenham Hotspur following his transfer in August 1992.
NOTE #2: From the 1995–96 season onwards, the Premier League was reduced from 22 teams to 20, reducing the number of games in a league season from 42 to 38.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The FA have slapped QPR midfielder Joey Barton with a 12-match ban following the temperamental midfielder’s sending off against Manchester City on the last day of the Premier League season. The Loftus Road captain is the latest in a long line of players to feel the wrath of the authorities; here are the top football bans in recent times.

Joey Barton – 12 matches

After being shown a red card for elbowing Carlos Tevez, Barton was found guilty of trying to knee Sergio Aguero and head-butt Vincent Kompany. These additional two charges of violent conduct, added to the dismissal, have resulted in a 12-match ban for the former Newcastle man, and put his career at the London club at risk.

Eric Cantona – nine months

The mercurial French attacker was given a nine-month worldwide ban from the game in 1995 after his famed kung-fu kick on Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons at Selhurst Park. The Manchester United forward was also ordered to complete 120 hours of community service after the shocking act.

Paolo Di Canio – 11 matches

Fiery Sheffield Wednesday forward Paolo Di Canio was on the sidelines for 11 matches after pushing referee Paul Alcock to the ground in September 1998. After being dismissed in a league fixture against Arsenal, the Italian pushed the official to the deck, and was also handed a £10,000 fine for the act of petulance.

Kevin Keegan and Billy Bremner – 10 matches

Keegan and Bremner were both on the sidelines for 10 matches after coming to blows in the 1974 Charity Shield between Liverpool and Leeds. The pair were involved in a fight on the hour mark of the game, and both dismissed.

David Prutton – ten matches

Southampton man David Prutton was given a ten-match ban for shoving referee Alan Wiley after his dismissal against Arsenal in the Premier League in 2005. The Saints midfielder was also handed out a £6,000 fine.

Paul Davis – nine matches

The Arsenal midfielder was given a nine-match ban for punching Glenn Cockerill in October 1998, breaking the Southampton man’s jaw. Davis was sent off and ordered to pay a £3,000 fine by the FA.

Billy Cook – 12 month ban

The Middlesbrough player was banned for a year in 1915 when he refused to leave the field of play after being sent off against Oldham; the game had to be abandoned with 35 minutes remaining.

Mark Bosnich – Seven months

The Australian goalkeeper was banned for seven months after testing positive for cocaine in 2003. Chelsea terminated his contract after the scandal.

Rio Ferdinand – eight months

The Manchester United defender failed to show up for a drugs test and was duly handed an eight match ban in September 2003.

Luis Suarez – eight matches

The Liverpool forward was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in a Premier League clash between the two in October 2011. After a drawn-out investigation the FA handed down an eight-match ban for the Uruguay international and gave him a £40,000 fine.

Edgar Davids and Jaap Stam – four months

The Juventus midfielder and Lazio defender had their bans for testing positive for banned substance nandrolone reduced from five months to four months in May 2001 and January 2002 respectively.

Dean Windass – six matches

The Aberdeen striker was effectively sent off three times in the first-half of a 5-0 defeat to Dundee United in 1997. Windass was dismissed for two bookable offences, abused the referee and ripped out a corner flag in the SPL fixture.

Roy Keane – five weeks

The aggressive Manchester United midfielder was handed a five-week ban in October 2002 for comments made in his autobiography concerning Alfie Inge Haaland. The Irishman was also fined £150,000.

Vinnie Jones – six months

The Wimbledon midfielder and now movie star Jones was handed a six-month ban in November 1992 and fined £20,000 for his comments glorifying football violence.

Ben Thatcher – eight matches

The Manchester City defender was banned for eight matches after a sickening elbow on Portsmouth’s Pedro Mendes. The Portuguese midfielder was knocked out cold and suffered a seizure after Thatcher’s challenge in August 2006.

Joey Barton – 12 matches (again)

Barton was given a 12 match ban, later six of which were suspended, for assaulting Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo in training. Barton was charged with assault, given a four-month suspended jail sentence and fined £25,000.

Kolo Toure – six months

The Manchester City central defender was given a six-month suspension for failing a drugs test in March 2011. The Ivory Coast international later claimed that he has taken one of his wife’s diet pills.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Football truly is a global game, and the biggest teams have millions of fans throughout the globe. However the draw of the Premier League does not end with Joe Public, as numerous famous sportspeople from other disciplines follow the beautiful game.

Here is a list of famous athletes and personalities from the world of sport who have a soft spot for their favourite football club:

Lewis Hamilton (Formula One) – Arsenal

The Formula 1 driver is an Arsenal fan, with his favourite player Thierry Henry. Hamilton played football as a youngster, and was in the same youth team as Manchester United winger Ashley Young, but his allegiances lie with Arsene Wenger’s men.

Rafael Nadal (Tennis) – Real Madrid

The Spanish tennis star is an avid Real Madrid fan, and is often spotted watching Jose Mourinho’s men at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, Nadal has a 10% ownership of local team RCD Mallorca, and reportedly was offered the role of vice president, but turned it back. One of only a few non-football personnel allowed access to the Spanish national team’s dressing room after the European nation won the World Cup in 2010.

Ian Poulter (Golf) – Arsenal

Known for his eccentric dress sense, English golfer Ian Poulter wore an Arsenal shirt during his third round at the 2006 Abu Dhabi Championship. Other well known Gunners’ fans include boxer Audley Harrison and jockey Frankie Dettori.

Caroline Wozniaki (Tennis) – Liverpool

Former Women’s tennis world number one Carol Wozniacki is an avid Liverpool supporter, and wore a Reds jersey during her warm up at the 2011 Qatar Open. The shirt was signed by Anfield talisman Steven Gerrard.

Ian Bell (Cricket) – Aston Villa

England cricketer Ian Bell was born in the West Midlands, and is an Aston Villa fan. Despite this, the batsman still attended Coventry’s football school of excellence when he was younger.

Amir Khan (Boxing) – Bolton

British boxing champion Amir Khan is a passionate fan of his local team Bolton Wanderers. Khan is frequently seen wearing a Bolton kit, uses the club’s training facilities and got engaged to Faryal Makhdoom at the Reebok Stadium.

Sebastian Coe (Athletics) – Chelsea

Former athlete, politician and head of the London Olympic bid Sebastian Coe is a well-known Chelsea fan, and holds a season ticket at Stamford Bridge.

Ken Doherty (Snooker) – Manchester United

Irish snooker player Ken Doherty is a Red Devil, regularly attending Manchester United games. Doherty paraded his World Championships trophy at Old Trafford in front of 55,000 people. Also has a soft spot for Barnsley.

Lennox Lewis / Frank Bruno (Boxing) – West Ham

Boxing duo Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis both follow West Ham Untd, with the pair being spotted attending fixtures at Upton Park in the past.

Ricky Hatton (Boxing) – Manchester City

The British boxer always make his way to the ring for a fight with the Manchester City song ‘Blue Moon’ blaring in the background, and regularly attends games. Hatton stage one of his bouts at the City of Manchester Stadium back in 2008. Had a trial for the English Premier League club when he was a child.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Here’s a look at the most notable football family connections, past and present.

Fathers and Sons

The Ayews: Abedi Ayew, known more as Abedi Pele is considered the greatest player in Ghanaian history. He was a big part of Marseille’s success in the early 1990s, captained Ghana for six years, and scored 33 goals for his country. His sons, Andre and Jordan Ayew, are now both exciting young attackers at Marseille, and Andre, Jordan, and brother Ibrahim, who plays for Belgian side Lierse, have all represented Ghana at senior level.

The Bradleys: Bob Bradley coached the U.S. men’s national team from 2006 to 2011, and he’s coached his son at club (with the New York/New Jersey Metrostars in 2004 and 2005) and international level. Michael, a midfielder for Serie A side Chievo, has 63 caps and eight goals for the U.S., one of which was a dramatic equalizer against Slovenia in the 2010 World Cup.

The Chamberlains: Mark Chamberlain, a winger, earned eight caps for England from 1982-84 and starred for the likes of Stoke City and Portsmouth in his career. From early indications, it’s likely his son, exciting young Arsenal prospect Alex, also a winger, will earn many, many more than that.

The Cloughs: Father Brian is known as one of the greatest English managers of all time, primarily due to his success with Nottingham Forest, with whom he won the First Division in 1978 and back-to-back European Cup titles in 1979 and 1980. Clough also led Derby County to their first First Division title in 1972, and his son Nigel followed in his father’s footsteps by taking the reins at Derby in 2009 after managing Burton Albion for more than a decade.

The Forlans: Like the above, father Forlan was a defender, while his son has become a renowned attacker. Pablo Forlan, a defender, picked up 17 caps for Uruguay from 1966-76. His son, Diego, has suited up for the likes of Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan, won the Golden Ball at the 2010 World Cup, and has scored 32 goals for his country.

The Gourcuffs: Another French father/son duo is Christian Gourcuff and Yoann Gourcuff. Christian has had three spells as the manager of Lorient (1982-86, 1991-2001, and 2003-present), while Yoann, an attacking midfielder, is now at Lyon after stints at Rennes, AC Milan, and Bordeaux and has four goals in 28 appearances for France.

The Djorkaeffs: Father Jean had a long career as a defender from the late 1950s to the mid 1970s, earning 48 caps for France and having spells at Lyon, Marseille, and PSG. His son, Youri, made his reputation as a great attacker, starring for AS Monaco, PSG, and Inter, among others, and earning 82 caps for France from 1993-2002.

The Koemans: Martin Koeman had a very respectable career as a footballer and earned a cap for the Netherlands, but his sons Ronald and Erwin are his biggest contribution to Dutch football. Ronald, now the manager of Feyenoord, starred for Barcelona from 1989-95 and for his country for more than a decade, and he’s completed the unique feat of both playing for and managing each of the Dutch ‘Big Three’ of Ajax, Feyenoord, and PSV.

Ronald also has the distinction of scoring more goals than any other defender in football history, with quite a few of his nearly 200 career goals coming from free kicks and long range shots, of which he was a master.

Older brother Erwin, a midfielder, starred for FC Groningen and PSV in his career and was capped by his country 31 times, and like his brother, he went into management, with his most notable stints being with Feyenoord and the Hungarian national team. Like a set of brothers below, the Koemans were both part of a major international tournament-winning side, as they were in the Dutch squad that won Euro 1998.

The Maldinis: Cesar Maldini recorded more than 400 appearances for AC Milan from 1954-66 and earned 25 caps for Italy between 1962-68 before going into management, managing his old side twice and Italy from 1996-98. Like his father, son Paolo, starred as a defender, and he spent his entire career with AC Milan, racking up more than 900 club appearances and 126 more for his country before retiring in 2009. Both father and son captained Milan to a Champions League title, Cesare in 1963 and Paolo in 2003.

The Reinas: Father Manuel was a goalkeeper for Barcelona (1966-73) and Atletico Madrid (1973-80), and he earned five caps for Spain. His son, known to most as Pepe, started out at Barca before moving on to Villarreal and then Liverpool, where he’s been #1 since arriving in 2005. The son hasn’t won a league title, which his father did with Atletico in 1977, but he has winners‘ medals from Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.

The Wrights: Ian Wright was a star striker for Crystal Palace and Arsenal in the 1980s and 90s, and he scored more than 300 goals in his career. His total of 33 England caps has been eclipsed by his adopted son, QPR winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, who has 36 caps and had two stints at Manchester City sandwiched around a spell with Chelsea, who bought him from City for £21m in 2005 and sold him back to City three years later for £8.5m.

Another of Wright’s sons, Bradley Wright-Phillips, who began his career at Manchester City, is now a star striker for League One side Charlton, while his cousin Jermaine, a well-traveled midfielder and defender who had stints with the likes of Ipswich, Leeds, and Southampton, retired from the game last year.

Brothers

The Charltons: Older brother Jack, a defender, spent his entire playing career with Leeds United, and he went on to take the Republic of Ireland to unseen heights as manager from 1986 to 1996, leading them to Euro 1988 (their first major international tournament), the quarterfinals of the 1990 World Cup, and the second round of the 1994 World Cup.

Younger brother Bobby, an attacker, spent the majority of his career with Manchester United, surviving the Munich disaster to set club records with 758 appearances (since broken by Ryan Giggs) and 249 goals.

Both brothers also starred for England and were part of the World Cup-winning side in 1966, and Bobby, who was capped 106 times, remains England’s all-time leading scorer with 49 goals. The two brothers were barely on speaking terms for quite some time, but it appears that any fences have since been mended.

The Da Silvas: Twin brothers Fabio and Rafael are both defenders for Manchester United. Fabio, who can play in either full-back slot or in midfield, has two senior caps for Brazil, while Rafael, who’s most at home at right back, has garnered more experience with United thus far.

The De Boers: Twins Frank, a defender, and Ronald, a midfielder, played together at five clubs during their career (Ajax, Barcelona, Rangers, Al-Rayyan, and Al-Shamal) and were regulars for the Dutch national team, with Frank picking up 112 caps and Ronald 67. Since retiring in 2006, Frank has gone into management and has managed Ajax since 2010, leading the club to the Eredivisie title last season.

The Laudrups: This Danish attacking duo was as talented as any set of brothers in any sport, as both were named in Pele‘s list of the 125 greatest living footballers in 2004. Older brother Michael, who starred for the likes of Juventus, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, is Denmark‘s greatest-ever talent. But Brian, who played for Bayern Munich, Rangers, and Ajax, has something his brother doesn’t have – a winners‘ medal from Denmark‘s Euro 1992 triumph, which Michael wasn’t a part of due to conflicts with the coach.

The Nevilles: Both Gary and Phil were integral to United’s success over the last two decades. Gary, capped by England 85 times, was one of the best right backs in United history and spent his entire career at the club before retiring last year to go into punditry. The versatile Phil, who picked up 59 England caps, moved to Everton in 2005, where he’s currently captain.

Socrates and Rai: Socrates, who died in December at the age of 57, is one of Brazil’s all-time greats, and the towering attacking midfielder scored 22 goals for Brazil in 60 appearances. Unfortunately, he never tasted World Cup glory, unlike his younger brother, also an attacking midfielder.

Rai, who starred at PSG in the 1990s, scored 17 goals in 51 appearances for his country, and was part of Brazil’s World Cup-winning squad in 1994.

The Toures: Brothers Kolo, previously of Arsenal, and Yaya, previously of Barcelona, have been together at Manchester City since Yaya joined in the summer of 2010. Both are key players for the Ivory Coast national side, and they also have another brother, Ibrahim, who plays professionally.

Cousins

Edin Dzeko and Emir Spahic: Manchester City and Bosnia striker Dzeko is first cousins with Sevilla center back Spahic, who’s the captain of Bosnia’s national side.

Alex Song and Rigobert Song:Arsenal and Cameroon midfielder Alex Song is the cousin of legendary Cameroonian defender Rigobert Song, who recorded 138 caps for his country between 1993 and 2010.

Same Family, Different Countries

The Boatengs:AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng and his brother Jerome, a defender for Bayern Munich, were born and raised in Germany and both rose through the ranks in Germany‘s youth system. But while Kevin opted to play for Ghana, their father‘s native country, Jerome stayed with Germany. And the two faced off in the 2010 World Cup group stage, the first time two brothers had been on the pitch for opposing teams in an international match.

Marcos Senna and Marcos Assuncao: Longtime Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna was born and raised in Brazil and played there until he was well into his 20s, but he ended up recording 28 caps for Spain. Meanwhile, his cousin Marcos Assuncao, who played for AS Roma and Real Betis at one point in his career, earned 11 caps for Brazil, all from 1998-2000.

Mazinho and Thiago Alcantara: Mazinho picked up 35 caps for Brazil between 1989 and 1994 and was part of Brazil’s World Cup-winning side in 1994. However, his son, Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara, pledged his allegiance to Spain and has already picked up three senior caps.

Luka Modric and Mark Viduka:Tottenham and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric is a distant cousin of former Celtic and Leeds striker Mark Viduka, who captained Australia at the 2006 World Cup.

Multiple Generations, Relations by Marriage, and More

Diego Maradona and Sergio Aguero: Little Benjamin Aguero isn’t even three, but there are already high expectations for his future, due to his wonderful bloodlines. His father is Manchester City and Argentina star Sergio Aguero, and his mother, Aguero’s wife Giannina, is the daughter of none other than the Diego Maradona.

Along with taking his daughter, Aguero also took his future father-in-law’s record as the youngest debutant in the Argentine top flight when he debuted for Independiente in July 2003 at the age of 15 years, 35 days.

The Ferdinands: Brothers Anton and Rio Ferdinand have made their name as defenders, with Rio being a longtime stalwart for Manchester United and England, but their cousin Les, whose career included spells with QPR, Newcastle, and Tottenham, is known as one of the best strikers of the Premier League era, with 149 career Premier League goals.

Javier Hernandez, Javier Hernandez Gutierrez and Tomas Balcazar: Rio’s United teammate, striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, became the third member of his family to represent Mexico at the World Cup when he did so in South Africa in 2010, following in the footsteps of his father, Javier Hernandez Gutierrez, who represented Mexico at the 1986 World Cup, and his grandfather, Tomas Balcazar, who represented Mexico at the 1954 World Cup.

The Fergusons: Peterborough United manager Darren has followed in the footsteps of his father, legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. Darren started his career at United and played for his father in the early 90s, while Sir Alex’s brother Martin is presently United’s chief European scout.

The Redknapps and the Lampards: Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is the father of former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie, who was capped 17 times by England and is now a pundit for Sky Sports, and his nephew is Chelsea star Frank Lampard, who started his career under his uncle at West Ham. Lampard’s father, Frank Lampard, Sr., was teammates with Redknapp at West Ham in the 1960s and 70s, and his late wife was the sister of Harry Redknapp’s wife Sandra.

The Vladimir Weiss’s: The name Vladimir Weiss is a big part of Czechoslovakian/Slovakian football’s past and present. The first was a center back the Czechoslovakian team that won the silver medal at the 1964 Olympics. His son Vladimir, a midfielder who earned 31 caps for Czechoslovakia/Slovakia from 1988-95, is now a manager and led Slovakia to the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup. On that team was grandson Vladimir, a talented young winger and a highly-rated Manchester City prospect who’s currently on loan at Espanyol.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

When players are being taught the basics of the game as youngsters, one of the key messages is to play until the final whistle. If your team goes a couple of goals down more often than not the result will not be in your favour, but sometimes the spectacular can happen.

Following Manchester United’s recovery from three goals down to get a 3-3 draw against Chelsea recently, here are football’s ten greatest comebacks:

Liverpool vs AC Milan

Liverpool fans travelled to Istanbul for the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan with great expectations. However after seeing their side slip to a 3-0 half time deficit, not even the most ardent Merseyside supporter could have imagined their team’s comeback. Goals from Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and Xabi Alonso brought the game back level, and The Reds claimed victory in the eventual penalty shoot out.

Tottenham vs Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side found themselves 3-0 down at the hands of Tottenham in September 2001, with goals from debutant Dean Richards, Christian Ziege and Les Ferdinand giving the White Hart Lane hosts a comfortable lead. However a Spurs capitulation and strikes from Andy Cole, Laurent Blanc, Ruud van Nistlerooy, Juan Sebastian Veron and David Beckham saw United win 5-3.

Tottenham vs Manchester City

Tottenham found themselves three goals to the good once more in February 2004, this time against the Blue side of Manchester. Ledley King, Robbie Keane and Christian Ziege (again) had Spurs in a dominant position, and Joey Barton had been sent off for City. Despite this, the ten-man visitors rallied in the second period and goals from Sylvain Distin, Paul Bosvelt, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jonathan Macken gave City an unlikely win.

Cheltenham vs Burton Albion

Cheltenham fans won’t forget March 13th 2010 any time soon, as their side came back from losing 5-3 against Burton Albion with five minutes remaining to win 6-5. A Justin Richards strike and two late goals in the dying minutes by Michael Pook saw The Robins record a memorable victory.

Bayer Uerdingen vs Dynamo Dresden

Going back to 1986, Dynamo Dresden had beaten Bayer Uerdingen 2-0 in the first leg of a German cup tie, and were again winning 3-1 at half time in the second leg to give them a seemingly unassailable 5-1 aggregate lead with 45 minutes to play. However Uerdingen hadn’t read the script and scored six unanswered goals in the second half to record a historic 7-5 aggregate win.

Deportivo La Coruna vs AC Milan

After a commanding 4-1 win at the San Siro, Carlo Ancelotti’s AC Milan side looked destined for the 2004 Champions League semi finals. However Deportivo had other ideas, as Walter Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valeron, Alberto Luque and Fran all scored at the Riazor to send the Spaniards into ecstasy in a 4-0 win.

Mancheter United vs Bayern Munich

Forever etched into Manchester United fans’ memories, the 1999 Champions League final must go down as one of the best comebacks of all time. With a 1-0 deficit to overcome and the game in injury time, substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both found the net in stoppage time to give the Englishmen a 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou.

Fulham vs Juventus

Fulham’s first ever appearance in the Europa League in 2010 was an eventful one, and they met Italian giants Juventus in the round of 16. After a 3-1 defeat in Turin, both sides had scored at Craven Cottage to given Juve a comfortable 4-2 aggregate advantage. However a Bobby Zamora strike, a brace from Zoltan Gera and an 82nd minute winner from Clint Dempsey gave The Cottagers an unforgettable 5-4 aggregate victory.

Chelsea vs Arsenal

Tore Andre Flo and Dan Petrescu had given Chelsea a 2-0 lead against Arsenal back in 1999, and the Stamford Bridge club looked comfortable amongst their fans chants of ‘we want five’. However Arsene Wenger threw on Nigerian striker Nwankwo Kanu, who duly scored a hat-trick to give the Gunners a 3-2 win in wet and windy conditions.

Metz vs Barcelona

Back in the 1984 European Cup Winners Cup, Spanish giants Barcelona had a 5-2 aggregate lead over French opponents Metz after a 4-2 victory in the away leg and an early goal at the Camp Nou. However, the Stade Municipal outfit scored four goals to record a 5-4 victory over the Catalans, with Zvonko Kurbos grabbing a hat-trick to ensure we are talking about him over 25 years later.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Club rivalries are passed down through the generations; every Spurs fans knows that Arsenal are the enemy, Barcelona look at Real Madrid with contempt, whilst River Plate and Boca Juniors fans were born to fight each other.

However player rivalries also exist in the game, as team-mates fallout, international selection decisions breed derision and players clash against each other on the pitch.

Here are Soccerlens’ top player rivalries:

Patrick Vieira & Roy Keane

In the late 1990′s and early 2000′s Arsenal and Manchester United battled for Premier League superiority, and the rivalry between the country’s two best teams at the time threatened to boil over. This rivalry has epitomised by the on-field (and in-tunnel) confrontations between each club’s combative midfielder, captain and leader.

A great spectacle for the onlooker and two never-say-die and talented footballers who refused to take a backward step.

David Batty & Graeme Le Saux

Two fiery characters on the pitch, Batty and Le Saux came to blows at Blackburn when the side were losing against Spartak Moscow in the Champions League in 1995. Le Saux threw a punch at the combative midfielder during play, and the pair were later disciplined by the club.

Santaigo Canizares & Roberto Ayala

Part of the Valencia rearguard in the late 1990′s and early 2000′s, goalkeeper Canizares and centre back Djukic openly hated each other. Despite excelling in Spain and on the continent, the pair did not talk at all off the pitch, despite playing for the Mestalla-based club together for five years.

Joey Barton & Newcastle United/Karl Henry/Gervinho/Bradley Johnson/The World

Arguably one of the most argumentative and controversial characters in the modern game, Joey Barton has personal grudges and gripes with half the Premier League. Whilst at Manchester City he was found guilty of assaulting team-mate Ousemane Dabo in training, and handed a four-month suspended prison sentence.

He hit out at former employers Newcastle United after being shipped on and has been caught up in altercations with Gervinho, Bradley Johnson and Karl Henry all this season; Barton’s rivalries are literally too long to list.

Pele & Maradona

Two of the best players to have every played the game, Pele and Maradona’s dislike for each other stems around the fervour of the Brazil-Argentina rivalry.

The debate rages on to who the best player to every play the game is, with these two leading contenders, and they have publicly slated each other in the media over the years. Nowadays the rivalry is based on the merits of their countrymen, as Pele looks for a Brazilian superstar (latest one is Neymar) who can rival the brilliance of Argentina’s Lionel Messi.

Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi

The two best active players in the game, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have fought it out for Ballon d’Or accolades and superiority in Spain and the continent for Real Madrid and Barcelona over the last five years. The pair face each other directly on a regular basis in El Clasico fixtures, and although there isn’t much venom in their personal battle, it is a great rivalry between two superb competitors.

Luis Suarez & Patrice Evra

One of the talking points of the season, Liverpool and Manchester United’s hatred for each other was taken to another level when Luis Suarez racially abused Patrice Evra in October’s 1-1 draw. The Uruguayan was banned for eight games, only to return and refuse to shake Evra’s hand the next time the teams met.

Andy Cole & Teddy Sheringham

Cole has spoken of his hatred towards former club and international team-mate Sheringham on numerous occasions. In 1995, Cole made his England debut by coming off the bench in a friendly against Uruguay, replacing Sheringham.

To Cole’s surprise, Sheringham refused to shake his hand or offer any support, and a 15-year-feud ensued. The pair played together in attack for Manchester United on countless occasions, but did not talk off the pitch.

John Terry & Wayne Bridge

Another refused handshake, this time by Wayne Bridge on John Terry. The Chelsea skipper had a four-month affair with team-mate and friend Bridge’s girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel; Bridge later went on to quit international football over the scandal and was sold by Chelsea.

Jerome Boateng & Kevin-Prince Boateng

Brothers Jerome and Kevin-Prince Boateng fell out in 2010 after the latter injured the prior’s international team-mate Michael Ballack in a club fixture between Portsmouth and Chelsea. After a heated war of words in the media, the pair went on to settle their differences over a year later.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Ownership of a horse is a sign of wealth and affluence, with modern day footballers some of the richest people in sporting circles both in the United Kingdom and further afield.

With the money attached to horse racing and betting, leading figures in football stand to make more money than their already inflated wages. The thrill of seeing a horse you own win a big race is something difficult to rival, with the time and money invested generating a winning buzz.

Despite this, horse racing has been a curse to some footballers, who have splurged their wages on betting, and lost. Here are some of the main footballing figures involved in horse racing.

Sir Alex Ferguson

The Manchester United manager’s only passion is not just the beautiful game, as the Scottish coach has been heavily involved in the world of horse racing for quite some time. The legendary coach fell out with Red Devils’ key shareholder John Magnier over the ownership of horse Rock of Gibraltar back in 2003, with the conflict eventually settled out of court.

Ferguson has owned a raft of winning race horses, some of which have ran at the Grand National; his latest major victory was Harry the Viking’s triumph at Doncaster at the end of 2011.

Michael Owen

Former England forward Michael Owen and his wife Louise have a key interest in horses and horse racing, with the pair owning and keeping a number of the animals at Lower Soughton Manor in Flintshire, North Wales. Owen’s race horses are trained by Tom Dascombe and his proudest day in the sport was Brown Panther’s win at Royal Ascot in 2011, which reduced the Manchester United striker to tears.

Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman

The former Liverpool players own a number of horses through their joint company, The Macca and Growler Partnership. The Merseyside duo’s main success was with Seebald, which won the 2003 Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Celebration Chase. Some of the pair’s horses have been ridden by leading jockey Tony McCoy, and the venture has increased both football men’s considerable wealth.

Joe Cole

The attacking midfielder has an interest in horse racing and has four race wins in his ownership career. Frequently seen at race venues with wife Carly and daughter Ruby, the now Lille playmaker will find it more difficult to organise affairs on the paddock whilst he is playing in France.

Wayne Rooney

The England forward has followed club team-mate Michael Owen in buying a racehorse, which will be trained by Tom Dascombe also and stay at Owen’s stables. Rooney’s wife Coleen is a regular attendee at the races, and has been pictured at the Grand National for the last couple of years.

Footballers and Betting

The issue of footballers and gambling is one that rears its ugly head on a semi-regular basis, and generally the players’ vice is horse racing. Former Liverpool and Scotland defender Dominic Matteo admitted to spending over £1 million on betting on the races, whilst the likes of John Terry, Wayne Bridge, Scott Parker, Keith Gillespie Michale Chopra, Matthew Etherington, Steve Claridge and Paul Merson have all admitted losing huge sums of money in racing betting.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Despite the allure of horse racing amongst spectators, punters and race-goers alike, nothing beats a Saturday afternoon and a game of football. Horse racing is building in popularity and, especially with the betting on bigger races, is becoming a main sport in British society. That said, it has a long way to go to match the following of football; here’s ten reasons why the beautiful game is the superior sport.

Pinpoint tactics

With horse racing it’s pretty simple. Man gets on horse, horse runs and jumps. That’s it. With football the most subtle changes in tactics can change the game’s outcome. Will it be 4-4-2 or 3-5-2? Two up front or five in midfield? Bit more sophisticated than run and jump.

The characters on the touchline

The modern day football manager is a perplexity of clichés, angry rants and baffling statements; all rolled into one it makes for a hilarious watch. Ian Holloway, Neil Warnock and Harry Redknapp are a few who have entertained us over the years with their thoughts on the beautiful game.

The goals

There is nothing quite like seeing your team score a well worked goal, or your striker driving one home from 30 yards. The bicycle kick, diving header, backheel volley; the options are endless – and they make for great viewing.

The 50-50 challenge

In horse racing a jockey’s will to win can be judged by a small man hitting a large defenceless animal with a stick. In football, the midfield battle is pulsating viewing, as Scott Parker, Steven Gerrard and the like put body and soul on the line to win the ball and the match for their team.

The skill

Ronaldinho’s flip-flop, the Cruyff turn, Denilson’s stepover, Jay Jay Okocha’s heel flick; football has seen some phenomenal feats of skill over the years. Whether it’s a sprightly winger skipping past a full back or a cultured midfielder nutmegging an opponent, the ability of the modern day football is quite something else.

Last minute winner

One of the most exciting things about horse racing is a neck-and-neck finish, but what about a last-gasp winner? Sheringham and Solskjaer for United in the Champions League final, Collymore in the Liverpool vs Newcastle 4-3 epic or Beckham’s free kick against Greece – just thinking about them gives your average football fan goosebumps.

The atmosphere

The atmosphere of a packed Premier League venue is second to none, but travel around the world to watch football and you will notice one common feature; the passion of the fans. Whether its La Bombonera or Bramall Lane, the supporters’ love for the game and their team is awe-inspiring.

Different tournaments

The Premier League is great viewing and most football fans would be content with watching their chosen side battle it out against the other 19 teams in the division. Throw into that European leagues, Champions League, World Cup, FA Cup and you have a concoction of varying football excitement.

Transfer window

Ah, the transfer rumour. How good is it when your team signs a new player? The endless speculation over players’ futures may well be infuriating for the managers, but it makes for a great soap opera for us fans. Last day of the window, unexpected moves, deadline deals; it’s great stuff.

The celebrations

Whether it’s Jurgen Klinsmann’s dive, Fabricio Ravanelli pulling his shirt over his head or the Alan Shearer put your hand in the air and run, footballers have great celebrations after scoring a goal. Frankie Dettori jumping off a horse just doesn’t cut it with me.

Also See:

10 Reasons why Football is better than Cricket
Five Reasons why Football is better than Formula One

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Contrary to popular belief, not all athletes have air or rocks for brains. In fact, there are quite a lot of athletes who defy the stereotype. For example, the late Brazilian legend Socrates earned a medical degree during his playing career, and after retiring, he made full use of the degree.

There are also a number of footballers who are knowledgeable about and care for the environment, about keeping the world clean and keeping themselves clean as well. Below are a few of the most notable examples.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto

The Tottenham defender loves his cars and has quite a few, including six classic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500s. He previously drove a Bentley, and he currently rolls around in an Audi A1, but the France-born Cameroon international used to drive the cute, compact, environment-friendly Smart Car. It was almost as much an economical decision (not that he has to worry about pinching pennies though) as it was an environmental one, but it’s a good deed nonetheless.

Also noteworthy is the fact that Assou-Ekotto is a supporter of the United Nations Millennium Campaign, which has goals to end global poverty by 2015 and to provide fresh drinking water for all, and he also made a large contribution to the London Evening Standard‘s Dispossessed Fund, which aims to fight poverty in London.

David James

The former England #1 keeper, who’s still going strong at 41 with Championship side Bristol City, has long been one of football’s unique personalities. There’s the many hairstyles he’s had over the years, some more of a hit than others. There’s his extremely well-written and insightful regular column for The Observer, in which he covers many subjects, from football, to life as a footballer, to life in general.

And he was also an environmental nut before some others in his profession jumped on the boat, with this article summing up his vast interests and endeavors quite well. And as with some of his hairdos, not all of his environmental experiments were a success.

Gary Neville

When it comes to Earth-loving footballers, it’s hard to top Gary Neville. The former Manchester United and England defender, who’s now on the other side of the screen for Sky Sports, gained a wealth of attention two years ago when it was revealed that he had applied for planning permission to build an eco-friendly home in rural Lancashire.

Unfortunately for Neville, that attention wasn’t all positive. Initially, he was given the go-ahead, but after objections from locals, his application was rejected at the final hurdle. But as the saying goes, it’s the thought that counts.

While his house plans didn’t come to fruition, he did have what was described as the most environment-friendly match in English football history when he had his testimonial against Juventus in May of last year. At his request, everything at Old Trafford that night was powered by 52 windmills across the UK, thanks to a firm named Ecotricity.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

There are many, especially those who don’t have very much of an interest in sport, who think that top athletes are overpaid to do nothing more than ‘play a game’. However, there are many like Lionel Messi, Tom Brady, Derrick Rose, and others who are the best or among the best in their respective sports that look like they at least somewhat deserve the high salaries that they receive.

On the other hand, there are others who, well, don’t.

In some cases, the talent is there, but the production isn’t whether due to injury, lack of effort or confidence, or personal distractions, or other reasons, and in others, the talent may not be what it was or seemed to be at one time.

Here’s a look at ten footballers who top the list of well-paid disappointments. Not long ago, this list would have included Fernando Torres, but it’s hard to criticize the man after the week he had, and the likes of Diego, who’s been a vital part of Atletico Madrid’s run to the Europa League final, and Wesley Sneijder, whose form has picked up under new Inter manager Andrea Stramaccioni, also get a pass.

David Bentley, Tottenham

At one point, it looked like David Bentley was set for a big future with club and country. Unfortunately, his career has tailed off dramatically since his move to White Hart Lane.

Two excellent seasons at Blackburn Rovers saw Tottenham splash out £17m for the former Arsenal prospect in the summer of 2008. Has he repaid the investment? Not even close. An argument could be made that he’s never really been Harry Redknapp’s cup of tea, but he also hasn’t been fantastic, minus a few flashes.

After an unimpressive loan spell at Birmingham City in the second half of last season, he went on loan to Championship side West Ham early this season. However, that stint would last only two starts and three substitute appearances before he was ruled out for several months due to knee surgery.

At 27, there’s still some time to get his career back on the right path and maybe even get back into the England picture, but the last few years don’t offer much encouragement for the future.

Wayne Bridge, Sunderland

Bridge was one of the first new faces of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea and was a regular starter early on. But for much of the last several seasons, he’s rarely been a regular starter, first at Chelsea, then at Manchester City, where he moved for £10m in January 2009.

After a loan stint at West Ham in the second half of last season, it seemed a given that he’d leave City last summer. However, he remained there, making only a solitary Carling Cup appearance before a January loan move to Sunderland. The perfect move, right? Not quite. Instead of establishing himself as a regular for the Black Cats, he’s made only three starts in almost three months.

He’s still carved out a respectable career, which includes 36 caps for England, and he’s set for life if he’s managed his money well. Still, one can’t help but look at his career and wonder if it‘s been what it could or should be.

Andy Carroll, Liverpool

At some point in the future, Andy Carroll could be worth £35m and high wages.

At present, however, he is not. The promise is certainly there, as shown by his back-to-back late winners against Everton and Blackburn this month. But the investment was too much, too soon for someone who hadn’t quite matured enough as a player or a person. And a return of only eight goals from more than 40 appearances this season wouldn’t quite cut it, even if his price tag was £15-20m smaller.

He turned 23 only in January, so he has time on his side, along with great talent and potential. But right now his paycheck is 75% potential and 25% production, at best.

Stewart Downing, Liverpool

If you were to cast a vote for the worst summer 2011 Premier League transfer, Downing would almost certainly top the list.

Downing is a quality player, but it’d have taken a lot for him to justify the £20m that Liverpool paid Aston Villa for him last summer. And thus far, it’d be a stretch to say he’s paid even a tenth of that investment. With only three league games left, Downing has yet to record a single league goal or assist. Zero, zilch, nada, nil. He has delivered two goals and an assist in Liverpool’s run to the FA Cup Final, but no matter how you shake it, he has been a tremendous, tremendous disappointment.

Edin Dzeko, Manchester City

Over the last few years, City have spent quite lavishly, to say the least. Some of their investments have panned out, and some haven’t.

Thus far, their £27m investment on Dzeko hasn‘t panned out as perhaps expected. After only six goals in 21 appearances last season after joining from VfL Wolfsburg in January 2011, he had a torrid start to this season, matching that total in his first three matches. But he hasn’t been able to keep it up, scoring only three goals in his last 19 league appearances after notching 10 in his first nine. Dzeko is no doubt a fine striker, but the presence of Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli, and Carlos Tevez certainly don‘t give one much margin for error, and there’s a high chance he leaves the club in the summer.

Andre-Pierre Gignac, Marseille

Where, oh where, to start with Monsieur Gignac? His long-term weight issues? The disrespectfulness to his manager that earned him a few days with the reserves earlier this season? Or his lack of goals?

To be frank, Andre-Pierre Gignac has had all of one great season, the 2008/09 campaign in which he scored 24 league goals for Toulouse. So it could be said that the £13m Marseille paid for him in the summer of 2010 was a bit much, especially when you consider PSG were able to land Kevin Gameiro this past summer for just a little more than £9m.

Gignac was a Marseille supporter since childhood, so this was supposed to be a dream move. But to this point, he‘s been a colossal nightmare. Last season, he netted 12 goals in all competitions, but he never found any consistent form. This season, he’s been downright atrocious. In more than 20 appearances – most of which have been from the bench – he’s scored only once, in a Coupe de la Ligue win over Lens in October.

Along with a failed last-minute move to Fulham in the summer, Gignac reportedly turned down a January move to Everton, saying he’d only leave Marseille for a club like Manchester United. However, he needs to do far better to have a chance at such a club. If he doesn’t step it up soon, he’ll end up low on salary and high on regret.

Yoann Gourcuff, Lyon

When Lyon forked out £18m for Gourcuff in August 2010, they were likely expecting more seasons like the two impressive campaigns he had for Bordeaux. To date, he’s fallen well short.

Last season, Gourcuff scored only four goals and notched five assists in 36 appearances for Lyon. This season, injuries prevented him from debuting until October, and an adductor injury in February against APOEL sidelined him until recently. When he has been on the pitch, he hasn’t delivered, producing only one goal and one assists in all competitions.

With all of the high fees that Lyon have received for star players over the last several years, their finances won’t be hurting if they have to take a sizable hit on Gourcuff. Still, Jean-Michel Aulas will be hoping that the former AC Milan starlet can at least somewhat show why he commanded such a high fee two summers ago.

Stephen Ireland, Aston Villa

Three seasons ago, Stephen Ireland looked like one of the English Premier League’s rising stars, as he was in stellar play-making form for Manchester City.

But City’s lavish spending, a dip in form, and the arrival of Roberto Mancini the next season brought his ascension to a screeching halt. He moved to Aston Villa as part of City’s move for James Milner in the summer of 2010, but he was dropped a few months into the season, and then-manager Gerard Houllier publicly called him out for a lack of all-around effort.

Ireland moved to Newcastle United on loan in January 2011, but he didn’t debut until mid-April and made only two sub appearances before a season-ending ankle injury. He’s returned to the Villa fold this season under Alex McLeish and has shone in spots, but he’s also had his bad moments, like telling McLeish to ‘fuck off’ during a February defeat at Newcastle.

He has the talent to be a difference-maker in Villa’s push to avoid the drop and delivered a quality performance against Sunderland a week ago. But if they fail to stay up, his high wages make it highly likely that he’ll be on his way out in the summer.

Jermaine Jenas, Tottenham

You never like to kick a man when he’s down, but Jenas has not been what he could be.

Jenas used to be a fairly regular scorer and provider, but since the start of the 2009/10 season, he has all of one goal and notched only a few assists. Spurs loaned him out to Aston Villa at the end of last August, and he didn’t make his debut until November due to thigh and Achilles issues. After two substitute appearances, he made his first Villa start at home to Manchester United in early December… and lasted a little more than an hour before being stretched off with what proved to be a season-ending Achilles rupture.

Worse yet for Villa, they’ve reportedly been stuck paying his wages, which are £45k per week, for the duration of the season. That means that they’ll fork out more than £1m in wages for someone who played less than 120 minutes of football for them. Ouch.

Luca Toni, Al Nasr

For several years, Toni was known as one of Europe’s deadliest strikers, banging in more than 150 goals for Palermo, Fiorentina, and Bayern Munich in a six-season stretch. But as his career winds down, he’s been getting paid a lot to do very little.

Last season, he joined Genoa on a free transfer from Bayern, and he scored only three league goals in 16 appearances before moving to Juventus for free in January 2011. That move didn’t pan out so well, as he scored only twice in 14 league appearances in the second half of last season. This season, he didn’t feature at all for Juve in the first several months of the season, so it wasn’t a surprise to see him depart in January. But he hasn’t been as much of a hit for UAE side Al Nasr thus far as they might have hoped for, with only four goals from his first 10 appearances.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News