by Jamie Frier

Created on: February 27, 2007   Last Updated: April 27, 2007

Widely recognised as the best striker ever, Edson Arantes Do Nascimento (Pele) would be top of most people's lists of best striker ever. He scored an amazing 1280 goals in 1360 games. That works out to be approximately one goal every 1.06 games. That is an astonishingly consistent record, especially for over 1,000 games. He has scored 92 hat tricks and 96 international goals.

This is an astonishing record but not even Pele has scored as many goals as his compatriot Artur Friedrich who scored over 1,300 goals in his career which spanned a greater number of games at a lower level but nevertheless is a great record.
The late Ferenc Puskas was also recognised as one of the best strikers in a golden age of football. With 84 goals in 85 international games (A goal every 1.011 games) and 211 goals in 234 games (A goal every 1.011 games again)in league football, Puskas has a better goals per game ratio than Pele, although it was over fewer games. What makes this achievement even more amazing is Puskas was solely left-footed. Pele scored goals with his right foot, left foot, head and any other part of his body that wished to join in. Puskas scored the majority of his goals with his left foot and it is quoted that 'he would juggle the soap in the shower after a game with his foot. It was as if his foot was a third hand'. Pele was more of an all round goal scoring great but Puskas is up there for sheer number of goals scored with only one foot. Puskas never shirked the big stage either. His seven goals in two European Cup finals showed that he had the temperament for the big stage and if a mark of true greatness is how one copes with big matches, then Puskas is up there with the best of them.
A mention has to also go to Brian Clough. He had a remarkable goal scoring record of 204 goals in 222 games. Admittedly these were in the second tier of the English football league but a goal every 1.088 games is not a ratio to be sniffed at. As always there is a great story attached to Cloughie and once a young winger complained to the manager saying that Clough knocked him off the ball in front of an open goal and scored himself. When the manager asked Clough why he didn't let the winger score the goal, Cloughie simply replied 'I'm better than it than he is'. Pure Cloughie!
Pele has gone down in history as the greatest striker of all time and i believe, rightly so. He scored goals form all over the pitch, could pass, dribble, he had good pace, a bag full of tricks and a deadly finish with either foot or his head. Puskas is not far behind but the little man from Brazil has the edge.

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