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Over the years the Premier League has been home to some of the greatest strikers in the game.
Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Didier Drogba, and many others have set stadiums alight with their goals many times.
One of the most important attributes of all these legends is their blistering pace, which has troubled many top defenders of the Premier League era.
Yes, there are many forwards who have used tricks and skills to make a fool out of defenders.
But, nothing beats the adrenaline rush of watching a pacey forward running at top speed towards the defence.
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Speed is one of the crucial reasons why counter-attacks are so thrilling to watch.
The Premier League has also seen some of the fastest players trampling the pitches in the country. Let's have a look at the top five fastest strikers currently playing in the Premier League.
#5: Romelu Lukaku
Club: Manchester United
No wonder this man is a wonder to watch when it comes to scoring goals. Paul Pogba can never be thanked enough for convincing the Belgian to join him at Old Trafford.
Romelu Lukaku has clocked a speed of 34.56 km/hr in 2017 and is the fifth fastest striker in the Premier League.
Lukaku was in red-hot form for Everton after scoring 25 goals and finish behind Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero in the Golden Boot race.
The Belgian as efficiently replicated his form for United this season, having scored 7 goals in 7 games for the Red Devils.
The Belgian has a penchant for scoring goals and will be a crucial player to watch under Jose Mourinho this season
#4: Joshua King
Club: Bournemouth
Bournemouth hitman Joshua King makes the list as the fifth fastest forward to play in the Premier League.
The ex-Manchester United youngster clocked a speed of 34.70 km/hr in 2017.King is an efficient striker of the ball and an important player to have for Bournemouth in big games.
From late February to March 2017, King scored five goals in three Premier League matches, including an equalising goal on his return to Old Trafford, and concluding with a hat-trick in a 3–2 home win over West Ham despite missing a spot-kick in the first ten minutes of that match.
He became the sixth Norwegian player to score three goals in the Premier League.
#3: Jamie Vardy
Club: Leicester City
Jamie Vardy took the Premier League by storm in season 2015-16, after scoring 24 goals for Leicester City that season.
The 30-year-old striker was the most pivotal figure in Claudio Ranieri's title-winning campaign.
While Leicester City won their first ever Premier League title, Vardy was already a top transfer target for league heavyweights in England.
Vardy is a terrific speed-demon who is very hard to handle on the counter-attack. To top it, he has sublime finishing skills making him an efficient goal poacher.
He is also regarded as one of the fastest players in the league after clocking a speed of 35.10 km/hr last season.
#2: Marcus Rashford
Club: Manchester United
Marcus Rashford needs no introduction these days. The nineteen-year-old has already become one of United's brightest youth prospects for the future.
The young English international was the second fastest striker with an amazing speed of 35.21 km/hr.
At his age, Rashford has already announced himself as a big-game player after scoring versus champions like Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Also read: Marcus Rashford: A bright start to a promising career
Rashford is a versatile prodigy for United, and has an electric pace. Like Vardy, this youngster is equally a threat on the counter attacks thanks to his blistering pace.
Rashford proved to be extremely influential last season, scoring 5 goals and an assist in 32 league games for Manchester United last season.
#1: Shane Long
Club: Southampton
Southampton's Shane Long makes it to the top of the pile with a clocked pace of 35.31 km/hr.
Although the 30-year-old scored only 3 goals and an assist in 32 games last season, It is no secret that Long can be extremely dangerous thanks to his electric speed.
The Irishman has become apt at giving the defenders quite a scare following his terrorizing runs in the final third.
The pacey forward also holds the top position in the fastest players in the league, apart from being the fastest striker.
