Key Takeaways
Rooney scored 30 goals in the Champions League for Man United, becoming one of the club's greatest legends.
Harry Kane leads with 34 Champions League goals; known for his record-breaking fire and prolific scoring.
Raheem Sterling's 27 Champions League goals in 84 games showcase his talent, despite room for improvement.
There isn't a player who doesn't dream of one day having the opportunity to play in the Champions League. Considered to be the most prestigious club competition, but also one of the most difficult in world football, it has been the scene of some of the greatest matches in history, as well as the showcase for some of the best football players of all time.
Among them were a number of English football stars, remembered for their achievements in front of goal. Today, GIVEMESPORT has decided to tell you all about them by listing the 10 most prolific players to have experienced the exhilaration of the great star-studded evenings.
|Top English Goal Scorers in Champions League History|
|Rank|Player|Goals|Appearances|
|1.|Harry Kane|34|49|
|2.|Wayne Rooney|30|85|
|3.|Raheem Sterling|27|84|
|4.|Paul Scholes|24|124|
|5.|Frank Lampard|23|105|
|6.|Steven Gerrard|21|73|
|7.|Andy Cole|18|48|
|8.|Phil Foden|18|57|
|9.|David Beckham|16|107|
|10.|Theo Walcott|15|59|
|---|
10 Theo Walcott
Goals in the Champions League: 15
Theo Walcott celebrates scoring vs Reading
UCL Appearances: 59
Club: Arsenal
Theo Walcott has certainly left his mark on an entire generation. Transferred to Arsenal from Southampton in 2006, he stood out for his inordinate speed, capable of catching the best full-backs in the UK off guard.
But to reduce him to just that would be to pay scant tribute to a player whose career speaks for itself, and who remains one of the best wingers to have played for the North London club. Under Arsene Wenger, Walcott has also proved himself to be a top-class goalscorer. His 108 goals for the Gunners, 15 of them in the Champions League, bear witness to this.
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9 David Beckham
Goals in the Champions League: 16
Manchester United's David Beckham celebrates after scoring the fifth goal against Tottenham Hotspur
UCL Appearances: 107
Clubs: Manchester United, Real Madrid
Of all the qualities that have enabled David Beckham to embark on a career that would be the stuff of dreams (Manchester United, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain), his free-kick ability is undoubtedly one of the most recognised.
It's a weapon that the ‘Spice Boy’ has been able to use in the league, in domestic cups and also in international competitions. In fact, seven of the 16 goals he has scored in his career have been scored in this way. A real trademark for a player who has gone down in history as one of the greatest English players of all time.
8 Phil Foden
Goals in the Champions League: 18
Phil Foden
UCL Appearances: 57
Club: Manchester City
At just 24, Phil Foden has one of the most impressive records of his generation. And of all the trophies he has already lifted, the Champions League is perhaps the most prestigious. In this competition, the 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season has already scored 18 goals in 57 appearances for Manchester City.
A more than positive statistical record for a player whose victims include Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and RB Leizpig. Foden is a real good luck charm for the Cityzens, who have conceded just once in a C1 match in which he managed to find the net - against Sporting CP (4-1) on 5 November last year.
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7 Andy Cole
Goals in the Champions League: 18
Manchester United's Andy Cole celebrates scoring against Ipswich Town.
UCL Appearances: 48
Club: Manchester United
Regarded as one of the greatest No9s ever to play for Manchester United, Andrew ‘Andy’ Cole is equally renowned for his achievements in the Premier League, where he is both the fourth-highest scorer (187 goals) and the sixteenth-highest passer (73 assists) in history, and in the Champions League.
A key figure in the Red Devils' conquest of the competition in 1999, he stood out in the second leg of the semi-final, scoring the goal that enabled them to overturn a Juventus side in a favourable position and book their place in the final. It was the high point of a European career marked by 48 appearances in the Champions League and 18 goals.
6 Steven Gerrard
Goals in the Champions League: 21
Steven Gerrard with the Champions League trophy
UCL Appearances: 73
Club: Liverpool
Ask Steven Gerrard to name his favourite Champions League goal, and he'll almost certainly refer you to the homeric final in Istanbul. It was a header that resembled a rallying cry, to which his team-mates responded with a single voice as they carried Liverpool to an improbable comeback against the great AC Milan.
It was an eternal moment that two decades have not allowed us to forget, nor will the next two - or any of the following ones, for that matter - erase it from the memories of Reds fans. It is not for nothing that the former England midfielder, the third most capped player in the history of the Mersey club (710 appearances), is nicknamed ‘Captain Fantastic’.
5 Frank Lampard
Goals in the Champions League: 23
Frank Lampard celebrates scoring for Chelsea
UCL Appearances: 105
Club: Chelsea
When people talk about Gerrard, they often associate his name with that of Frank Lampard. And while the two midfielders have never played for the same club, they have both left their mark on the history of English football. A legacy that their respective performances in the Champions League have undoubtedly served to legitimise.
Despite the fact that their careers in the most prestigious of competitions have not exactly been the same, there are a few similarities, including the fact that they both scored in a final and lifted the cup with the big ears. Not a bad record, isn't it?
4 Paul Scholes
Goals in the Champions League: 24
Paul Scholes named best Champions League players he faced
UCL Appearances: 124
Club: Manchester United
The beating heart of Manchester United's midfield, Paul Scholes has certainly left his mark on the Champions League.
Firstly, because of his record of achievements, having made a major contribution to United's success in 1999 and 2008; secondly, because of his role in the Red Devils' midfield, combining power, discipline and a clear vision of the game; and thirdly, because of the vital goals he has scored (24 in all), starting with the one that enabled United to eliminate Barcelona in the semi-finals of the 2008 edition. A player whose reliability and consistency are now recognised as one of the best English players of all time.
3 Raheem Sterling
Goals in the Champions League: 27
Raheem Sterling in action for Chelsea.
UCL Appearances: 84
Clubs: Manchester City, Chelsea
Raheem Sterling is a player who is just as talented as he is frustrating. And that's why he's in third place in the table, yet arguably only in third place. With a little more precision in the final touch, perhaps he would occupy the throne. Having said that, we have to admit that his record of 27 goals in 84 games is nonetheless quite respectable.
And at just 29 years of age, the England international (82 appearances, 20 goals) should have further opportunities to make it even more impressive. It is now up to him to seize the opportunities that the future will bring.
2 Wayne Rooney
Goals in the Champions League: 30
UCL Appearances: 85
Club: Manchester United
Of all the scenarios Wayne Rooney could have dreamt of when celebrating his Champions League debut, scoring a hat-trick was certainly one of the finest. It was a feat the young striker achieved at the expense of a Fenerbahçe side swept aside by the fury of an 18 year-old boy. But the Turks can rest assured: they would be far from being his only victims.
15 other teams would suffer the wrath of one whose destiny would lead him to become one of the Red Devils' greatest legends. One of those who win titles and recognition. One of those who make history.
1 Harry Kane
Goals in the Champions League: 34
Harry Kane celebrates after scoring in Arsenal 2-2 Bayern Munich
UCL Appearances: 49
Clubs: Tottenham, Bayern Munich
Unlike Rooney, Harry Kane had to eat his heart out before he too could experience the exhilaration of Europe's big nights. Until his 23rd birthday, to be precise. All the more impressive, then, to find him at the top of the table. Impressive, yes, but not surprising. For Kane is made of the kind of fire that burns when records are broken.
And he is no stranger to records - he is also the Three Lions' all-time top scorer. And while, despite his 34 goals, the Bayern Munich player will certainly never be a credible rival to break Cristiano Ronaldo's mark, he does intend to continue writing his legend. And there is no doubt that he will succeed.
All statistics per Transfermarkt - correct as of 06-12-2024.