It’s been a tough few years for Sunderland fans. Watching the club drop from the Premier League to League One was painful but ever since their move back to the English top tier and a massive European campaign, Sunderland are making headlines with a stellar season.
The Black Cats have had some genuine quality leading the line over the years. From the legendary strike partnerships of the late 90s to the modern-day heroes who kept the club in the top flight. Let’s take a look at the top five Premier League goalscorers in Sunderland’s history.
1. Kevin Phillips (61 Goals)
There’s no debate about who sits at the top of this list. Kevin Phillips is Sunderland’s Premier League goalscoring king with 61 goals in 139 appearances. He also chipped in with 18 assists during his time on Wearside.
The striker arrived from Watford in 1997 and immediately made an impact. His first season saw him net 35 goals in all competitions. But it was the 1999-2000 campaign that truly put him in the history books. Phillips scored 30 Premier League goals that season. That earned him the Golden Boot and the European Golden Shoe. He also secured a place in the PFA Team of the Year and was named the club’s Player of the Year.
His form earned him a call-up to the England national team in 1999. He went on to win eight caps for his country.
Talking about his love for Sunderland, Kevin Phillips said, “The club I’m sure most football fans associate me with is Sunderland. That was where I made my name and I’ve still got huge affection for that football club… The six years I had up there were awesome.”
He left for Southampton in 2003, but his legacy at Sunderland remains untouchable.
2. Jermain Defoe (34 Goals)
Second on the list is Jermain Defoe with 34 goals in 87 Premier League appearances. The England international arrived in January 2015 on a three-and-a-half-year deal.
His first goal came on his home debut in a 2-0 victory over Burnley. He went on to finish the 2015-16 season as Sunderland’s top scorer with 15 league goals and also picked up the club’s Player of the Season award.
Defoe’s England record of 20 goals in 57 caps shows his quality at the highest level. His former manager Harry Redknapp summed it up perfectly.
“He is certainly up there with the best. Rooney is the best front man, but Defoe is a terrific finisher.”
3. Darren Bent (32 Goals)
Darren Bent sits third with 32 goals in just 58 Premier League appearances for the club. That is a remarkable strike rate.
Sunderland signed Bent from Tottenham for £12 million in 2009. He hit the ground running, scoring 24 goals in 38 games during his first season. That tally represented 50% of Sunderland’s 48 league goals that campaign. He finished as the third top scorer in the Premier League for the 2009-10 season.
He scored on his debut, netting the only goal in a 1-0 win against Bolton and was named Sunderland’s Player of the Year that season.
His second season saw him score eight goals in 20 appearances before Aston Villa came calling. They paid a club record fee of around £24 million to take him south in January 2011.
4. Niall Quinn (29 Goals)
Fourth on the list is Niall Quinn with 29 Premier League goals in 129 appearances. The Irishman played 213 games for Sunderland in all competitions, scoring 63 goals.
He signed from Manchester City in 1996 for a club record £1.3 million. He helped Sunderland win the Championship in the 1998-99 season, scoring 18 goals in 39 games to earn promotion. His best Premier League campaign came in 1999-2000 when he scored 14 goals in 37 games.
Quinn formed one of the most prolific striking partnerships with Kevin Phillips. The pair scored a combined 194 goals in all competitions from 1997 to 2003. He also won Sunderland and North East Sportswriters’ Player of the Year awards in 1999.
Quinn made his final appearance against West Ham in 2002.
His love for Sunderland is evident when Quinn said, “I learned my trade at Arsenal, became a footballer at Manchester City, but Sunderland got under my skin. I love Sunderland.”
5. Kenwyne Jones (26 Goals)
Completing the top five is Kenwyne Jones with 26 Premier League goals in 94 appearances. The Trinidad and Tobago international made 101 appearances for Sunderland in all competitions. His best season came in 2008-09 when he scored 10 goals in 29 appearances.
He scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 home win over Reading and left for Stoke City for a club record fee of £8 million.
His former teammate Darren Bent spoke highly of their partnership.
“I played a lot with Kenwyne Jones and I felt he brought the best out of me.”
These five players gave Sunderland fans some incredible memories in the Premier League. Goals, celebrations, and moments that will live forever in Wearside folklore.
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