Sport nationAlan Shearer, the Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer, recently praised the aerial ability of former Everton and Newcastle United midfielder Gary Speed, calling him one of the best headers of a football he’s ever seen.
“Speedo had the best leap I’ve seen. He was just under six foot. His leap and timing was unbelievable,” Shearer said on the Rest is Football Podcast with Gary Lineker and Micah Richards. [1]
Speed, who tragically passed away in 2011, donned the royal blue Everton strip for 59 appearances between 1996-1998, scoring an impressive 16 goals in the process. [1] His former teammate Dean Ashton once compared Speed’s leaping ability to that of Cristiano Ronaldo. “To watch him play as I grew up, I’ve never seen anyone leap so high and be so aggressive when they headed the ball,” Ashton said. “We talk about Ronaldo’s leap. Speed had one of those. He just hung there and headed it in.”[4]
Everton has had several other aerially dominant players come through their doors over the years. Duncan Ferguson, the hulking Scottish striker, netted 36 headed goals for the Toffees, with over 50% of his total goals for the club coming via his head. [2][5][11][14][19] Ferguson’s 25-year Premier League record for most headed goals was only recently broken by Tottenham’s Harry Kane last season. [14]
Duncan Ferguson scoring a header for Everton
Duncan Ferguson was renowned for his aerial prowess, scoring 36 headed goals for Everton. (Image: Getty)
Current Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is another player whose athleticism and ability in the air are among his strongest attributes. The 26-year-old has scored 19 of his 50 Premier League goals with his head so far in his young career. [3][6][9][12][15]
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring a diving header
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has already scored 19 headed goals in his Premier League career. (Image: Getty)
When discussing the best headers of a ball he’s seen, Micah Richards also named a former Everton player – Wayne Rooney. “I’d say Wayne Rooney. He could leap. I’ll go Wazza on that one,” Richards opined. [1] Rooney came through Everton’s academy before going on to become Manchester United and England’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Looking back at some of the other great headers of a football in Premier League history, Alan Shearer himself has to be near the top of the list. The legendary Newcastle number nine scored 46 of his record 260 Premier League goals with his head. [19] Les Ferdinand, another iconic Premier League striker, scored 40 headed goals out of his total of 149. [19]
But the player with the most headed goals in Premier League history is actually a surprising name – Peter Crouch. The 6 foot 7 inch striker used his height to great effect, scoring 53 of his 106 Premier League goals via headers. [19] That’s over half of his total tally in the competition.
Other notable aerial specialists to play in the Premier League include Dion Dublin (45 headed goals), Dwight Yorke (38), and Christian Benteke (31). [19] Tim Cahill, despite being under 6 foot tall, also scored an impressive 31 headed goals during his time with Everton, again showing the importance of timing and leaping ability over just pure height. [19]
Tim Cahill scoring a header for Everton
Tim Cahill scored many crucial headers for Everton despite his relatively short stature for a footballer. (Image: Premier League)
In the modern game, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema stand out as two of the finest exponents of heading. Ronaldo in particular is renowned for his incredible leaping ability that allows him to hang in the air and generate immense power.
Heading is a unique skill that requires a combination of physical attributes like leaping and neck strength, but also the timing, bravery and technique to meet crosses and attack the ball at pace. The Premier League has been blessed with some phenomenal headers of a football over the years, with the likes of Shearer, Ferguson, Ferdinand and Crouch cementing their legacies.
But as Alan Shearer pointed out, Gary Speed deserves a special mention as pound-for-pound one of the very best he played with or against. The former Wales international tragically passed away far too young, but his talent and the memories he created will never be forgotten by those who saw him play. Speed had a special gift when it came to scoring headed goals and at his peak, could out-jump far taller opponents with his sheer spring and desire to meet the ball first.
Heading may be a dying art in the modern game, with more emphasis on keeping the ball on the deck, but it remains one of the most important weapons for top strikers and a surefire way to bring fans to their feet. The sight of a forward rising majestically to power home a header is one of the most thrilling in football and these Premier League legends mastered it better than most.
Citations:
[1] https://theathletic.com/2966447/2021/11/26/alan-shearer-my-friend-speedo-10-years-on-through-the-eyes-of-those-who-knew-him/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLX-rLTU5Zs
[3] https://www.coachesvoice.com/cv/dominic-calvert-lewin-everton-sheffield-united/
[4] https://onefootball.com/en/news/alan-shearer-emotionally-remembering-his-friend-gary-speed-10-years-after-the-tragic-loss-34138436
[5] https://www.transfermarkt.us/duncan-ferguson/alletore/spieler/3239
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIbLZUn-Rlo
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkg8kwami-w
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJjcxDF5sls
[9] https://theathletic.com/2092784/2020/09/26/calvert-lewin-everton-header-england/
[10] https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2008/aug/01/speedpowerandtouchmakemod
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Ferguson
[12] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNBgeT1u6h8
[13] https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/gary-speed-charming-intelligent-personable-11595435
[14] https://www.premierleague.com/players/877/Duncan-Ferguson/stats
[15] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdMQ_ycyf4o
[16] https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gary-speed-signed-newcastle-19-12564787
[17] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHZQ6UVutJA
[18] https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/9387987.gary-speed—life-times-football-great/
[19] https://khelnow.com/football/premier-league-top-10-players-most-headed-goals
[20] https://www.premierleague.com/players/877/Duncan-Ferguson/overview
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