As Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy make their Champions League debuts, SunSport lists the other English strikers to net against Europe’s elite competition
HARRY KANE and Jamie Vardy will become the latest English strikers to grace the Champions League.
The role of the centre forward is one which has substantially changed over the years.
But the Tottenham and Leicester frontmen are a throwback to a different era.
There have so far been 19 English strikers to score a Champions League goal.
Here, we take a look back at them.
Wayne Rooney — 30
He exploded on the scene with a hat-trick on his Manchester United debut, in a Champions League tie against Fenerbahce.
Rooney netted in the 2011 final, but will have to wait until at least next season for a chance to add to his tally.
Winner with United in 2008.
Andrew Cole — 18
Scored a hat-trick in a win away at Feyenoord in 1997.
Cole‘s most famous Champions League goal is probably the clincher in the 1999 semi-final win over Juventus.
Was a winner in the same year.
Peter Crouch — 13
Surprisingly high up on this list.
Crouch netted for a Liverpool and Tottenham.
His most famous goal would surely have been Spurs’ winner against AC Milan at the San Siro.
Michael Owen — 11
Scored hat-tricks for both Liverpool and United — as well as a goal for Real Madrid.
Owen was an unused sub as the Red Devils lost the 2011 final to Barcelona.
Theo Walcott — 11
One of only two English centre-forwards to net for Arsenal.
Walcott rarely played in the latter stage of the Champions League, but famously scored a delightful lob against Villarreal in the 2009 quarter-finals.
Teddy Sheringham — 9
Only played in the tournament for three seasons — but certainly left his mark.
Sheringham‘s stoppage time equaliser for United in their dramatic 1999 final victory will live long in the memory.
Alan Shearer — 7
A great striker, who didn’t feature on the biggest stage enough.
Shearer netted for Blackburn in 1995 and even a hat-trick for his beloved Newcastle in 2003.
Danny Welbeck — 7
Another who surprisingly has a Champions League hat-trick to his name.
Welbeck scored four times for United — and his treble against Galatasaray are so far his only goals for Arsenal.
Alan Smith — 6
Smith netted at the Bernabeu and the Olympic Stadium for Leeds.
But surely none felt as sweet as sweeping home a sensational team move in United’s 7-1 rout against Roma after returning from his horrific leg break.
Chris Sutton — 6
Netted twice in Celtic‘s famous 4-3 victory over Juventus in 2001.
Also scored in a defeat to Barcelona three years later.
Mike Newell — 4
Scored the fastest hat-trick in Champions League history in 1995 — which stood for 16 years.
Only featured in the competition in one season.
Emile Heskey — 4
His two goals in 2001-02 virtually took Liverpool through the second group stage phase.
Heskey scored twice in a 5-0 victory over Spartak Moscow in the following campaign.
The rest
Robbie Fowler — 2
Jermain Defoe — 2
Daniel Sturridge — 2
Gary Hooper — 2
Neil Mellor — 1
Rickie Lambert — 1