Choosing the 20 best Irish strikers in soccer history is trickier than it sounds. If you only consider international contributions, only one soccer player scored over 23 goals while representing the Republic of Ireland. We are factoring in club careers, rising stars, and goal-scorers in general.
Looking at Irish strikers over the past 100 years is quite eye-opening. While there has been a lot of talent, dozens of players performed for their club but could not do it on the international stage. In our eyes, the players who scored goals for the Republic of Ireland and consistently found the back of the net during the regular season deserve recognition. Below, we have listed the 20 best Irish strikers in soccer history.
20. Evan Ferguson
We know Evan Ferguson hasn’t achieved a huge amount for the Boys in Green yet. He only has four goals for his country but has unbelievable potential. Ireland fans hope he can develop into an elite striker in the mould of Harry Kane or Erling Haaland. The early signs were good when he broke through with Brighton in an unbelievable 2022-23 season. He scored 10 goals for the Seagulls and was their Young Player of the Year.
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Ferguson also won the FAI International Young Player of the Season in 2022. It’s fair to say that he has plenty to prove at international level. Other players might have more caps and goals than Ferguson but have a much lower ceiling. Ferguson is the bright light of Ireland’s future. Our soccer prediction is that he will come good on his talent and become one of the best Irish strikers ever.
19. David Connolly
The definition of a journeyman striker, David Connolly played for 13 clubs in his career. However, he always scored goals wherever he went. That’s why he never struggled to find a new home. Connolly earned 41 caps for Ireland with nine goals in an international career lasting over a decade. He was in the squad at the right time, including the 2002 World Cup. Sadly, he saw Iker Casillas save his spot kick in the decisive penalty shootout.
Connolly was always a dependable squad player. He provided another option off the bench for the likes of Robbie Keane and Niall Quinn. Indeed, he wasn’t the most prolific Irish striker, but he has a decent goal record compared to others. Many fans also appreciate his longevity. It’s difficult to commit to international football for so long, especially when you’re not a guaranteed starter.
18. Chiedozie Ogbene
Yes, Ogbene isn’t an out-and-out striker in the strictest sense. The Ipswich Town star is a utility player and coaches love him. He’s at his best on the right wing but can play at fullback. He even played as a forward under Stephen Kenny and that’s why he’s on this list. Irish fans love Ogbene because of his commitment. The Nigerian-born star leaves everything on the field. His work rate is immense, and he always shows desire, even when his teammates aren’t giving their best.
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Ogbene scored four goals in 24 appearances between 2021 and 2024 for Ireland. He’s proving to be one of Heimir Hallgrímsson’s most important players. He also showed his quality in the English Premier League with Luton and Ipswich. Some fans criticise him because of his lack of end product. Indeed, he doesn’t always make the right pass or cross, but he gives his best. In some ways, he’s the quintessential Irish footballer.
17. Dermot Curtis
Curtis is one of the oldest entries on this list. He played for the Republic of Ireland between 1956 and 1963. The Dubliner enjoyed a decent career with Shelbourne before moving to England. He became an Exeter City legend with 33 goals across two spells with the club. Meanwhile, he only played 17 times for Ireland but still managed almost a goal every two games. He scored eight for his country and has one of the most prolific records on this list.
He was also the first Exeter player ever to receive an international cap. Curtis isn’t higher on this list because he didn’t achieve much with Ireland beyond a decent goal return. However, he was a dependable player and gave a good account of himself when he appeared. Some believe that he didn’t receive enough opportunities.
16. Callum Robinson
Robinson is another forward who finds himself on this list by default. He hasn’t achieved a lot for Ireland but has a surprisingly decent goal record. Arguably, Ireland hasn’t seen the best of him because of his inconsistency at club level. Robinson was one of the most effective players of the ill-fated Kenny era. He earned 38 caps for Ireland with nine goals. There was a period where it looked like he was going to be a superstar for the Boys in Green.
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He snatched a brace against Azerbaijan in the World Cup qualifiers in 2021. Then he scored a hat trick against Qatar in the following game. This made him the first Irish star to score three goals in one game for his country since Robbie Keane in 2014. He was also the first to score in consecutive games for almost four years. It’s fair to say that Ireland had problems upfront since Keane’s retirement.
15. Billy Gillespie
Gillespie is a controversial inclusion on this list because he played under the IFA jurisdiction. However, he played for Ireland in the pre-independence period. Ireland won the British Home Championship in 1914. Gillespie scored an extraordinary seven goals against England. If that doesn’t warm the hearts of Irish fans, we don’t know what will. Ultimately, he scored 13 goals for his country and held the IFA record for 78 years.
The Donegal native had a long career in football. He made almost 450 appearances for Sheffield United and scored 127 goals. They won the 1924-25 FA Cup with the Ireland striker up front. Gillespie also managed Derry City for nearly a decade in the 1930s. He helped them to two City Cup wins. Many Ireland fans overlook Gillespie because of his IFA connection, but he deserves more recognition. This was a different era, but he still considered himself an Irish player, true and true.
14. Troy Parrott
Parrott is another young player with plenty to prove at the highest level. Fans put too much pressure on him when he was coming through at Spurs. He was prolific at youth level but struggled to shine in the Championship on various loans. But he found his feet in the Dutch Eredivisie. He had a successful loan spell with Excelsior before joining AZ Alkmaar in 2024. It was brave, but he admitted he felt more comfortable with the Dutch style of play. Soccer betting fans loved him in the Netherlands because he’s a goal-scoring machine.
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The Dubliner made his debut for his country in 2019. Many fans believe he should receive more opportunities than Adam Idah. He is still young and has plenty of potential to add to his five goals. It may seem like a stretch to put him on this list. However, he has already scored more goals than the likes of Noel Hunt, Leon Best, and Caleb Folan put together.
13. Kevin Sheedy
Some fans think Sheedy was another product of the Granny Rule. However, this isn’t true. He was born in Wales but held an Irish passport for his entire life. His father was a Clare native and playing for Ireland was Sheedy’s dream. Sheedy wasn’t a pure striker in the strictest sense of the position. He spent most of his career on the left wing but could play in a more central position when coaches required. The former Everton star earned 46 caps for Ireland and scored nine goals.
There’s no denying that some goals mean more than others. Sheedy will always have the record of being the first Irish player to score a World Cup goal. It’s one of the most iconic Irish footballing moments because it came against England. Gary Lineker put the old enemy ahead before Sheedy sent Ireland fans into euphoria. Sheedy also played at Euro 88 for his country.
12. James McClean
Yes, we’re technically cheating by including McClean on this list of strikers. However, he played in the number ten position several times under Stephen Kenny, so we’ll count him. Typically, a left-winger, McClean is one of the best Irish soccer players of the past decade. He won 103 caps and scored 11 goals for his country. He’s a polarising figure because some believe this shows how much Irish football has declined. However, there was a period when McClean’s pace made him an electrifying talent.
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He represented Ireland at two European championships under Trappatoni and Martin O’Neill. McClean also had the honour of captaining his nation several times. His most significant Irish goal was in the victory over Wales in 2017. This put Ireland in the World Cup playoffs. Even though they ultimately didn’t qualify, it was a tremendous moment for McClean and the team.
11. Clinton Morrison
Morrison is arguably the most underrated inclusion on this list. He is one of seven players to have scored nine goals for the Republic of Ireland. Other members of this random club include Roy Keane, Liam Brady, and Callum Robinson.
The main reason Morrison is this high on the list is because his goal against Iran helped Ireland reach the 2002 World Cup. He also scored a crucial equaliser against Croatia in the same campaign. Morrison was one of the greatest super-subs in Irish soccer history.
He didn’t play a minute in Korea/Japan but became a key cog during the Brian Kerr regime. Morrison fell out of favour in later years under Trappatoni. In 2008, he scored 11 goals in 14 games for Crystal Palace but didn’t receive a phone call. Morrison had more to give to his country. But he contributed enough to deserve a spot amongst the best Irish strikers.
10. Jonathan Walters
Starting off our list of the best Irish strikers is Jonathan Walters. The soccer icon made a name for himself during seven years at Stoke. From 2010 to 2017, Walters had dozens of iconic performances, including scoring the winning goals against Arsenal and Tottenham in the 2014-15 season. This season he became Stoke’s first Premier League hat-trick scorer.
Perhaps his best moment in a Stoke shirt came in the FA Cup against his former club Bolton. Walters carried the ball from his half and got 25 yards out before cutting inside to give himself a yard of space. From there, he unleashes a dipping rocket of a strike that bounces on its way past the goalkeeper. The goal had significant importance as it sealed Stoke’s first appearance in the FA Cup Final.
Walters was not a clinical striker. He had 495 professional appearances but only registered 94 goals in his 18-year playing career. His stats for the Republic of Ireland are impressive, finding the back of the net 14 times in 54 games for his country. Walters is currently in the all-time top 20 Irish goal scorers, one of the many reasons he is included in our list of the best Irish strikers.
9. Shane Long
Next on our list of the greatest forwards in Irish soccer history is Shane Long. Long has somewhat of a cult following amongst Irish soccer fans, as there was no doubt about the effort he would put in for his country. Looking at his professional career, he played 234 times for Reading in six years, scoring 56 goals. This secured him a move to West Bromwich Albion, where the striker made a name for himself. He scored 19 goals in 81 league games before a brief move to Hull in 2014. Later that year, Long moved to Southampton, where he played for the Saints for eight years.
During his time with the South Coast club, Long formed many formidable partnerships with other Southampton players. He provided two assists in three minutes to Sadio Mané, setting up the fastest-ever Premier League hat-trick. Even though Mané got a hat-trick inside three minutes, Long stole the Southampton Goal of the Season in the same match on May 16, 2015. He picked the ball up after some fantastic pressing at the halfway line. 35 yards from goal, Long unleashed a powerful strike to lob the keeper for the fifth goal of the first half.
Looking at Shane Long’s international career, he cemented himself amongst the top goal-scorers for Ireland. After playing 88 games for his country, Long netted 17 times in 14 years. His senior career stats hold him back from climbing even higher up our list of the best Irish strikers. Having played in 510 games, mainly across the Premier League and some in the Championship, you might expect Long to have bagged hundreds of goals. However, with 98 league goals to his name, other Irish strikers are more prolific than Shane.
8. Kevin Doyle
The eighth-best Irish striker in soccer history is Kevin Doyle. Doyle came from Wexford and had a short stint with St Patrick’s Athletic and Cork City before getting his break in Reading. Alongside fellow Irish forward Shane Long, Doyle scored 55 times in 157 games for the Royals. After moving to Reading in 2005, Doyle switched to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2009, making 164 appearances for the club. His last act before retirement was a couple of seasons in America with the Colorado Rapids.
Doyle is one of those players that had little expectation but continued to deliver. He looked like the real deal for Cork playing 76 times and scoring 25 goals. Even in his move to Reading, he looked sharp and dangerous. However, the big money transfer to Wolves came at the wrong time, and during that spell, Doyle picked up several injuries while playing for Ireland. The system at Wolves did not suit Doyle either, causing the goals and opportunities to dry up.
Doyle played in 62 games for his country and scored 14 times internationally. Once again, these are not the best stats for the striker, but he is still inside the top ten all-time Irish goal-scorers. Doyle played 11 times in the Republic of Ireland U21 squad, finding the back of the net seven times. That proves, as a youngster, he was right at the top of his game. Injuries and managers not fully utilising Doyle cost him a lot in his career. However, with 490 appearances and 128 goals, Kevin Doyle is one of the best strikers for the Irish international team.
7. Niall Quinn
Next up on the list of best Irish strikers is Niall Quinn. Unlike all the players above, Quinn spent his entire professional career between three teams. As a 6ft 4 inch striker, he was quite the target man and forged a successful senior and international career. He began in 1983 at Arsenal, where he remained for seven years. At that time, he only made 67 league appearances and scored 14 goals. After that came two six-year stints. First with Manchester City and then Sunderland. Quinn summed up his career in his autobiography, he said:
“I learned my trade at Arsenal, and became a footballer at Manchester City, but Sunderland got under my skin. I love Sunderland.” – Niall Quinn
At Manchester City, Quinn played in 204 games and scored 66 times. He had almost identical statistics for Sunderland, registering 203 league apps and 61 goals. That left him with a career total of 475 games played and 141 goals scored. Looking at his international statistics, Niall Quinn is the second-highest goal scorer for Ireland in the country’s history. He has 22 goals for the Republic of Ireland, only trailing Robbie Keane for the top spot.
Quinn played 92 times for Ireland, averaging 0.24 goals per game. He is one of those players many overlook when talking about Irish soccer legends, but that is why we have created this list. Niall Quinn is one of the greatest Irish soccer strikers of all time.
6. Jimmy Dunne
Looking back at the mid-1930s, one Irish striker stands out from the crowd. Jimmy Dunne was a forward who played from 1923 to 1942. During that time, he set multiple records and established himself as the first Irishman to challenge for English Soccer scoring records. The man played across five clubs, but his most successful stint came for Sheffield United.
During his time in Sheffield, Dunne scored 143 goals in 173 appearances. His 41-league goal season in 1930 remains the most league goals scored by an Irish player in an English League campaign. He also scored over 30 goals in three consecutive campaigns, an impressive feat even by today’s standards. Fans and players respected Dunne, describing him as:
“dangerous in the air (with) a short striding run which enabled him to retain his balance in quick moves near the goal” – All the Saints: A Complete Who’s Who of Southampton F.C.
What is more impressive is you need to consider the time when Dunne grew up. In Ireland, two international teams were operating, the IFA XI and FAI XI. Both associations claimed jurisdiction across the country, so Jimmy played for both international teams.
Looking at his appearances for the Football Association of Ireland, Dunne made 15 appearances and scored 13 goals. While that does not sound like an Irish legend, he is the 11th-highest goals scorer in the country’s history, with less than half the appearances of anyone around him. Who knows how far he could have gone if he had not split his international career between two countries. However, we can only judge him based on what he achieved. That being one of the deadliest Irish strikers ever.
5. Don Givens
Next up on our list of the best Irish strikers is Don Givens. His career began in 1969 with Manchester United. But, with no clear path into the first team, Givens moved to Luton Town in 1970. There were signs of a fantastic player picking up 19 goals in 83 games for Luton. He made headlines after joining Queens Park Rangers in 1972, helping them secure promotion to the English First Division in his first season. Not only did he keep QPR in the top flight of English football, but they put on some impressive title chargers.
Irish striker Don Givens started at Man United, made his name at QPR, and became a legend in Switzerland with Neuchâtel Xamax, winning their first-ever league title in 1986-87. pic.twitter.com/fwCiF84I3j
— MUNDIAL (@MundialMag) February 8, 2021
In 1978, he transferred to Birmingham City, where he helped the club into the First Division. However, his English career ended on a sour note after missing a penalty for Sheffield United. The miss caused Sheffield to drop into the Fourth Division for the first time. In the 1980s, Givens took his career abroad and played for Neuchâtel Xamax in Switzerland. He made 149 appearances and scored 34 goals before retiring.
We will always remember Givens on the international stage. He is the fourth-highest all-time Irish goal scorer. He played in 54 games for his country, registering 19 goals. Givens only trails Robbie Keane, Niall Quinn, and John Aldridge on the all-time leaderboard. Plus, when you consider he scored 147 career goals in 457 games, there can be no doubt over his credentials.
4. Frank Stapleton
If you are looking for the most prolific Irish goal-scorers, you are in luck. The next four players are the best strikers Ireland has ever seen. Frank Stapleton joined Arsenal in 1974. He wasted no time establishing himself on the team, consistently ranking as Arsenal’s top goal scorer. Stapleton helped Arsenal reach three FA Cup finals, winning one in 1979 against Manchester United. He managed 225 games for Arsenal across seven years, scoring 75 goals.
After impressing at Arsenal, Stapleton joined Manchester United and picked up two additional FA Cup victories. He played 223 times for Man Utd, scoring 60 times. That was the height of his playing career. After Manchester came several failed moves in the Netherlands and France. His return to English soccer was successful with Blackburn Rovers, but not at the levels we had seen before. He retired as a player-manager in 1995.
Stapleton was a member of the Republic of Ireland squad from 1976 to 1990. Few players in our list have 14 years of service under their belt, and only four have scored more goals for their country. He insisted on every contract having an international release clause, showing how much he bled for the green shirt. He was not the type of player to grab headlines with controversy and was quite a reserved figure. Whatever you think of Frank Stapleton, he would certainly help the national team if he was around today.
3. Tony Cascarino
The third-best Irish striker of all time is Tony Cascarino. Interestingly, is absent from our list of the 25 best Irish soccer players of all time, so we might have to update that article. Anyway, his professional career began at Gillingham, where he established himself as a lethal finisher. In 219 appearances, Cascarino racked up 78 goals. Next came a stint at Millwall with 105 apps and 42 goals, before a disastrous transfer to Aston Villa. After a year, he moved to Celtic but was equally unhappy in Scotland.
When he moved back to England, Cascarino joined Chelsea for two years but had several injury setbacks. As a free agent, he moved to Marseille and became the Ligue 2 top goal scorer. Marseille was being investigated for match-fixing and was denied promotion. But after a second 30-goal season, he achieved promotion with the French Club, scoring 61 goals in 84 games. He had a four-year stint with Nancy where he became the oldest player in Ligue 1 to score a hat-trick and helped Nancy achieve promotion back to the French top flight. He recorded 44 goals in 109 games before retiring.
Cascarino was a goal scorer, and he did that wherever he went. He played 89 games for his country, scoring an impressive 19 times. That puts him level with Frank Stapleton, another one of the best Irish strikers of all time. Tony Cascarino might have left English soccer a damp squib, but he left Irish and French soccer as a legend.
2. John Aldridge
Next on our list of the best Irish strikers of all time is John Aldridge. Players like Aldridge often need no introduction, but we will give him one. He was a serial winner, including the Welsh Cup at Newport, the English First, Second, and Third Division with Oxford and Liverpool, plus the FA Cup in 1988-89. He is exactly the type of player Ireland needs more of, as he was an incredible finisher.
His career began in Newport County, making 170 league appearances and scoring 70 goals from 1979 to 1984. After that came Oxford, where he caught headlines for winning the third and second division. He scored 72 goals in 114 appearances for the U’s. Next came Liverpool, where he scored 63 times in two years before moving to Spain. He had a fantastic scoring record for Real Sociedad and was the first non-Basque signing in decades. The last club of his career was Tranmere Rovers, where he played in over 240 games and found the back of the net at least 138 times.
Aldridge was a goal scorer. He had a sensational goal-to-game ratio no matter where he played. His Republic of Ireland career was also successful, finishing one goal behind the previous record scorer Frank Stapleton. Depending on where you get your statistics from, Aldridge is the third or fourth top scorer for his country. Either way, you cannot doubt his scoring ability and a few players on our list have been as successful as John Aldridge.
1. Robbie Keane
Robbie Keane is the best striker the Republic of Ireland has ever seen. He has the record for the most appearances for his country and is almost 40 goals clear of second on the all-time scoring leaderboard for Ireland. He played in 146 games for Ireland between 1998 and 2016, finding the back of the net on 69 occasions. It is unlikely we will ever see this international record beaten.
His professional career began in 1997 with Wolves before a move to Coventry City. Keane then ended up at Inter Milan, where he did not fit in the Italian side. After a move to Leeds, Tottenham Hotspur saw some potential, and he made the big move and flourished at White Hart Lane. His performances got him a dream move to Liverpool, but once again, he couldn’t find a way into the team.
Liverpool sold him back to Tottenham, before several loan moves and a transfer to the LA Galaxy. He was a force to be reckoned with in the United States, scoring 83 goals in 125 appearances. He had one last move to the Indian side ATK before retiring and becoming a soccer coach.
Keane was a superb talent and is the fifth top goal scorer for Tottenham Hotspur with 122 goals in 306 games. He is the record goal scorer for Ireland, and nobody can doubt his commitment to his country. Sure, a couple of his big-money moves did not work out, but in the teams where he fit in, he was a focal point. He scored incredible goals for Spurs and bossed the MLS for five years. The best Irish striker ever is Robbie Keane.
Conclusion
Now you know the best Irish strikers of all time and hopefully some new names to idolise. If you are feeling patriotic still, why not check out our list of the best Irish soccer players of all time? We are also keeping a close eye on the League of Ireland Premier Division plus the action in the First Division. Check back here for weekly soccer predictions!
