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Football in England is fiercely competitive and taxing, much more so than in many of Europe's top leagues. The reason behind this is that clubs have to play in at least three different domestic competitions, as opposed to two in most other leagues.
Teams in the German Bundesliga play only 34 league games and the DFB Pokal every season. In Spain and Italy, too, there are only two competitions domestically. France also had three domestic competitions before the Coupe de la Ligue was abolished in 2020, leaving England as the only one of the top five leagues with multiple cup competitions.
This fierce competition is what has attracted many of the world’s finest footballers, and forwards in particular, to the English game. English clubs have always recruited only the best to help them achieve success in these competitions, and the easiest way to succeed is to score goals and win matches.
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So without further ado, here are the five players who have found the net the most number of times in English football in the 21st century.
#5 Harry Kane (194)
Widely regarded as one of the finest strikers of his generation, it's no surprise that Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane is part of this list. The England captain is rated as a highly prolific striker, and his numbers back up this fact.
Kane has scored 194 times in the three domestic competitions since making his senior debut in English football. The 28-year-old striker has notched up his tally in only 310 total appearances. He has scored 171 times in the Premier League in 265 appearances, 16 times in the FA Cup in 24 appearances and seven times in the League Cup in 21 appearances.
Kane is yet to win any of the domestic competitions he has featured in for Tottenham Hotspur despite his incredible record. The Tottenham Hotspur man will be hoping to change that stat soon.
#4 Jermaine Defoe (204)
Jermaine Defoe is undoubtedly a Premier League cult hero. The Englishman has featured for a number of different Premier League sides, including West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Portsmouth.
Defoe has managed a total of 204 strikes in the English top-flight and cup competitions so far in his career. The striker managed to reach this tally in 570 games for his various clubs. He scored 163 times in 496 Premier League appearances, 19 times in 37 FA Cup matches and 22 times in 37 appearances in the League Cup.
Defoe, now 39, recently returned to Sunderland, who are currently in the third tier of English football. The Englishman was part of the Tottenham Hotspur side in 2008 that won the club's last major honor.
#3 Sergio Aguero (215)
Retired Argentine goal machine Sergio Aguero is an icon of the English game. The striker featured for only Manchester City in England and achieved great success in his ten years at the club.
Aguero joined City as a highly-rated forward from Atletico Madrid and spearheaded their success over the next decade. Aguero scored a total of 215 goals in the major English competitions in his time at the Etihad Stadium. He managed this tally in only 319 appearances for Manchester City. Aguero scored 184 Premier League goals in only 275 appearances in the competition, 20 goals in 22 FA Cup appearances and 11 goals in 22 League Cup appearances.
Aguero is the highest-scoring foreigner in English Premier League history. He scored the goal that sealed City's first-ever Premier League title, an ended up winning a dozen domestic titles. He won the Premier League five times, the FA Cup once and League Cup six times.
#2 Frank Lampard (221 goals)
Arguably the most complete midfielder of his generation, Frank Lampard lit up the English game for many years. The former midfielder enjoyed an illustrious career as a player with West Ham United, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Lampard scored 221 Premier League and cup goals in his playing career, putting him at second on the all-time list of goalscorers. He is the only midfielder to make this list, and he achieved the feat in 720 appearances. Lampard scored 177 Premier League goals in 611 appearances in the competition, 27 goals in 68 FA Cup appearances and 17 goals in 41 League Cup appearances.
Lampard is the top-scoring midfielder in the history of the Premier League and is also Chelsea's club record goalscorer. The former midfielder won the Premier League three times, the FA Cup four times and the League Cup twice.
#1 Wayne Rooney (238 goals)
Retired English forward Wayne Rooney is a veritable English football legend. The forward was brilliant in his days as a player in the Premier League with Manchester United and Everton.
Rooney scored 238 goals in 568 appearances in English competitions since making his debut as a 16-year-old for Everton. The former forward scored 208 times in 491 Premier League appearances, 23 goals in 49 appearances in the FA Cup and 7 goals in 24 League Cup appearances.
Rooney won the FA Cup once, the League Cup four times and the Premier League five times. The Englishman scored the highest number of goals domestically in the 21st century. He is also the club record goalscorer for Manchester United.
