Aston Villa have graced the Premier League for many years, and their list of goalscorers is remarkable, with their top scorers throughout history all coming before the 1950s.
5. Eric Houghton (170 goals in 392 games)
Houghton signed for Aston Villa when he was just a 17-year-old, and went on to play for Villa for 19 years. Apart from playing in regular football seasons, he also played in wartime matches, which would bring his goal total up to around 200 goals.
Houghton became known for having one of the hardest shots in the country, scoring 58 penalties and scoring from around 30 direct free-kicks.
Unfortunately for Houghton, the only title to his name at Villa was the 1937/38 Second Division title.
4. Joe Bache (185 goals in 474 games)
Bache started his football career relatively late, signing a contract with Aston Villa when he was already 20, and went on to play for the club between 1900 all the way to 1914.
He was a very prolific striker, always racking up impressive numbers in the Football League, and he was crucial to winning the First Division in 1909/10 and the FA Cup twice in 1904/05 and 1912/13.
He eventually joined South Wales club Mid Rhondda, after he had completed military service during the First World War, and then went on to play one season for Grimsby Town.
3. John Devey (187 goals in 308 games)
One of Aston Villa's earliest heroes, Devey had a magnificent period at Villa, the club where he spent 11 seasons at, captaining them for eight years.
During that period, Devey went on to win five First Division titles in 1893/94, 1895/96, 1898/99 and 1899/00, as well as two FA Cups in 1894/95 and 1896/97, making him one of Villa's most decorated players ever.
A captain that led by example when it came to scoring goals.
2. Harry Hampton (242 goals in 373 games)
Hampton joined Aston Villa from Wellington Town on a professional contract for £120 in April 1904, and went on to be known as "The Wellington Whirlwind" for his great speed and goalscoring ability.
Hampton went on to spend 16 seasons at Villa, and contributed very heavily in terms of goals. He scored both of the crucial goals in the 1905 FA Cup final against Newcastle United, and once he even scored five of Villa's goals in a 10-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday.
Hampton won one First Division title in 1909/10, and three FA Cups in 1904/05, 1912/13 and 1919/20, before leaving for arch rivals Birmingham City in 1920.
1. Billy Walker (244 goals in 531 games)
Being a Villa man for all of his career, Walker is considered to be one of the greatest ever players to play for the club.
Walker spent 19 seasons at the club, winning one FA Cup title in 1919/20, as he unfortunately started his Villa career right after the club's most successful period.
To this day, he is still the only player to have ever scored a hat-trick of penalties in a Football League game, completing this feat against Bradford City in 1921.
Comentários