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The History of the Premier League Golden Boot

Since the Premier League era began in 1992, the Golden Boot has been the most coveted individual prize in English football.

Premier League

Since the Premier League era began in 1992, the Golden Boot has been the most coveted individual prize in English football. It marks the best striker of the season and has been won by some of the greatest forwards ever to grace the game.

Alan Shearer dominated the early years of the competition. He won the Golden Boot three times — twice with Blackburn Rovers and once with Newcastle United — and remains the all-time Premier League top scorer with 260 goals. His 1994/95 season at Blackburn, where he scored 34 goals as they won the title, remains one of the greatest individual campaigns in the league's history.

The foreign invasion of the late 1990s and 2000s brought new Golden Boot winners. Thierry Henry won the award four times, transforming Arsenal's attack with a combination of pace, technique and goals that English football had rarely seen. His 2002/03 season — 24 goals and 23 assists — was a masterclass of complete forward play.

Cristiano Ronaldo won the Golden Boot in 2007/08 with 31 goals for Manchester United, a season that also brought the Champions League and his first Ballon d'Or. Didier Drogba claimed it twice for Chelsea, proving that physicality and intelligence could be as devastating as pace.

Luis Suárez and Daniel Sturridge shared the award in 2013/14 as Liverpool came agonisingly close to the title. Mohamed Salah has won it three times for Liverpool, including a record-breaking 32-goal season in 2017/18.

The most recent chapter belongs to Erling Haaland, who obliterated records with 36 Premier League goals in his debut season at Manchester City in 2022/23 — a mark that may define the next generation of scoring benchmarks.

Think you know your Golden Boot winners? Play our Premier League quizzes on Scoric.

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