Lone Wolves: 7 strikers who feasted on fearless individuality

One of the greatest sights in world football is a well-constructed goal. When the ball rustles the back of the net at any stage in a match, it is normally a terrific moment where pulses race and roars reach a crescendo.What makes it all the better is when it happens after a particularly stylish pivot or pirouette, but the ultimate is normally when one of footballs mavericks puts the finishing touch past the goalkeeper. These strikers are what make the sport such a thrill-ride for so many; the performers who feed off pressure at the highest reaches and who shirk little of the responsibility that comes with such a rigorous role.Throughout recent history, there have been some quality players to take up the mantle, so we take a look at some of the finest.

#1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Sometimes, the internet love-in with Zlatan Ibrahimovic can be a bit overbearing, but then the sublime Swede will produce a moment of otherworldly magic to make it all seem worthwhile. He’s just that sort of footballer, and he has bags of personality to back it all up.

Leading the line with expertise for both club and country, his penchant for playing with perfection time and again has led to him becoming one of the best strikers in world football - and one of the most recognised.

Watching the way he oozes technical brilliance in and around the 18-yard box really is a joy to behold, but it’s his unwavering confidence in himself that is the icing on the Zlatan cake, because it’s undoubtedly his biggest strength, and a crutch that enables him to be his own player when it matters most.

After all, he has played for some of the best teams on the planet, something which just goes some way to illuminating how much of a power player the 33-year-old truly is.

#2 Neymar Jr.

Part brilliant playmaker, part enigmatic maverick; Neymar is one of those forwards who treads a fine line and yet still manages to take home his share of winnings as well as widespread adulation from the fans. When the Brazil international is not proving as effective as possible to grab goals and assists for his teammates, he can slip into the controversy of show-boating and immaturity a little too much.

Attracting the ire of some competitors, though, he often overdoes it, as we all saw when Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final in 2015. With the match all but done and dusted, the cheeky Brazilian attempted one too many tricks and flicks near the corner flag when he would have been better off setting up a chance. Again, in the Copa America he got in trouble when some petulant behaviour against Colombia earned him a suspension.

The truth of the matter is that, often, the ugly side of his game gets swept under the carpet because he is just so good at distracting us with consistently otherworldly skill and clinical performances.

With Barcelona, he formed part of one of the most formidable attacking tridents the world has ever seen alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez as MSN dominated Europe and Spain to grab 122 goals in the treble-winning season.

He is a world-class striker, and it has always been hard to ignore that fact.

#3 Luis Suarez

Tenacious, competitive and downright incredible – Luis Suarez is more than a handful for defenders and referees on his day. What’s more, his day seems to come around a bit too regularly for those attempting to control him. The reason? He makes it happen for himself.

Everyone knows football has laws, but the ex-Liverpool goalscorer has a track record which suggests he doesn’t care much for them at the best of times. Sure, it has made him more than a few enemies down through the years, but it has also helped him forge his own path away from the restrictions.

Forcing his way selfishly into Barcelona’s plans at the Camp Nou, he, like Neymar, quickly became a key member in a tremendous scoring machine. But it has been his capacity to take a game by the scruff of its neck on his own that has set him apart from so many other competitors.

Who can forget the way he tore PSG’s defence apart in the Champions League last season? When Messi was out injured, it was interesting to see that he was capable of digging deep into the reservoir of strength he knows so well to help the Blaugrana fight on so many different fronts.

#4 Romario

Once heralded as one of the most controversial footballers to play the game, Romario has been as enigmatic as they come, and he was never afraid to be so. The famous ex-Brazil international hit the nail on the head when he mused the following: "Strikers are egotists, selfish. We have to be."

It perfectly sums up the playing philosophy he engaged in throughout the late '80s and early '90s, because he regularly rampaged forth with the singular task of increasing his personal tally of career goals. When the whites of the goal-frame met the whites of his eyes, there was normally only one conclusion – despair for the opposing goalkeeper.

Though there have often been question marks over the legitimacy, or indeed worth, of his so-called 1,000-plus goal haul, it is still difficult to deny that he was a prolific marksman during his playing days, considering he netted 524 goals in Brazil with Flamengo and Fluminese, over 200 goals for Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven as well as a further 55 international strikes.

A strong-headed figure with a fiery attitude, he had the skills to back it all up. Fond of lobbing the goalkeeper, it was undoubtedly his most-loved of finishes, something which really summed up his penchant for injecting games with his unique panache.

#5 Diego Costa

If footballers were food, Diego Costa would be marmite. A schismatic character, he has split opinions quite dramatically since arriving in the Premier League, something which has helped its entertainment value skyrocket.

His debut season in England was a veritable success and it proved his ability to meld into Jose Mourinho’s system as he grabbed 20 goals – just one of which came from the penalty spot.

As the spearhead to the Blues’ attack, it allowed him the chance to bring his distinctive flair to the setup; something the ‘Special One’ was keen to give him licence for. Effectively, he was the Pensioners’ battering ram, unafraid to spark controversy or collide with adversaries.

Not only did it allow him to link up with his fellow attackers and give the double-pivot a strong striker to work with, it also enabled the 27-year-old to bring his physicality, strong mentality and clinical finishing to the fore.

So far, the 2015/16 campaign has not worked out so well for him or his team, especially after he started the season overweight and he will obviously be eager to get back to speed sooner rather than later.

#6 Eric Cantona

A Premier League icon and a legend of the beautiful game, Eric Cantona is often held in the highest esteem by so many in the modern sphere, which is why he was recently inducted into the national football hall of fame. His uninhibited, unique and undulating skill all remain a joy to behold, even to this very day.

Indeed, this is despite the fact, the Frenchman didn’t score as many league goals as one might suspect. With 70 to his name, the player dubbed Le Roi (The King) bagged his fair share of goals throughout his career.

But he is perhaps not as prolific as some less illustrious names. In fact, the likes of Chris Armstrong, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Darren Bent have scored more league goals than he – which is somewhat surprising, to be frank - although he did retire at 31.

In fact, he would say years later: "When you quit football it is not easy, your life becomes difficult. I should know because sometimes I feel I quit too young. I loved the game, but I no longer had the passion to go to bed early. Not to go out with my friends, not to drink, and not to do a lot of other things – the things I like in life."

Nevertheless, he captivates the imagination far more than these players have ever done, which is a massive part of the former Manchester United star’s appeal. Unafraid to be the centre of attention on, or indeed off, the field of play, he was always a player who knew how to conjure moments of madness and genius from absolutely nowhere.

Although it often landed him in hot water, it also gave him the ability to excite and inspire in some of the most jaw-dropping ways.

#7 Mario Balotelli

Contentious and more than a little bit eccentric, it’s fair to say that Balotelli is as divisive a footballer as they come. Leading a Jekyll and Hyde existence at the best of times, the Italian striker has constantly switched back and forth between his mad streak and his genuine genius throughout his career to date.

Fluctuating between two conflicting states, it’s been easy to see why he hasn’t reached the heights so many expected he would when he was selected as a winner of the Golden Boy award all those years ago back in 2010.

Once lauded as the next best thing in European football, he relied on an innate class to light up the game with touches of outstanding skill as well as scoring more than his fair share of goals with both Inter Milan and A.C Milan. Since then, though, he has regressed after a number of months in the doldrums.

Currently attempting to play his way back to a skilful level of performance with AC Milan in Serie A, many have discussed his transfer away from Liverpool as a sign that he is on a downward spiral – however, that neglects to consider the fact that certain strikers get better with age.

Indeed, if Balotelli has proven anything as a world-class footballer to date, it has been that he rarely heeds the expectations of normality. He has never feared what people say and think about him; perhaps that will prove his reinvigorating grace in the months and years to come.