Newcastle United’s top 10 strikers of all time, ranked.
As the old cliche goes, they love a No.9 up in Newcastle and that’s because the club has had so many sublime ones in their storied history.
From the early decades of the 20th century to the modern age, Newcastle United have had some incredible strikers, even if the team around them wasn’t that good.
Here are the top 10.
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10 – Demba Ba
Perhaps a surprise inclusion on the list ahead of the likes of Tino Asprilla and Albert Shepherd, but it shouldn’t be forgotten how brilliant Demba Ba was for Newcastle.
Over two and a half seasons, Ba scored 29 goals in 58 games, forming a lethal partnership with Papiss Cisse.
Newcastle had gone a long time without much to celebrate and were in desperate need of a striker when Ba arrived in a bargain transfer and hit the ground running.
He was integral to Alan Pardew’s exciting side, going close to earning a Champions League spot in 2012, and still secured a return to European football with the Europa League.
Ba earned a big move to Chelsea in 2013, where he scored one of the Premier League’s most infamous goals after capitalising on Steven Gerrard’s slip.
9 – Callum Wilson
Callum Wilson had an anti-climactic end to life at Newcastle as injuries derailed his final year and he eventually left upon the expiration of his contract.
Yet, his contributions over five years should not be forgotten, as he was a rare piece of quality during some dire years on the pitch before thriving under Eddie Howe.
Wilson scored 18 goals in the 2022-23 season and became the club’s second-highest Premier League scorer (now third) with a tally of 47.
8 – Malcolm McDonald
Newcastle paid a club record transfer fee of £180,000 in 1971 to sign Malcolm McDonald, a player who had never even kicked a ball in the First Division before.
The pressure was immense on McDonald, but he answered all his doubters by bagging a hat-trick against Liverpool on his debut.
A brace in an FA Cup semi-final would send Newcastle to Wembley in 1974, where they would lose to Liverpool, but McDonald scored 121 goals in 227 games before his sale to Arsenal left fans enraged.
7 – Les Ferdinand
Newcastle spent a huge £6m in 1995 to bring in Les Ferdinand in the wake of Andy Cole’s departure, a risk that paid off massively.
Ferdinand’s 25 Premier League goals in the legendary 1995-96 season came within a whisker of securing Newcastle the title. The Magpies were famously 12 points clear before an agonising collapse allowed Man Utd to pinch the trophy.
The following year, Ferdinand wasn’t dismayed by the arrival of Alan Shearer and instead sparked a deadly partnership with him. Sir Les scored 50 goals in just 83 matches before he was sold in 1997.
6 – Len White
Replacing Jackie Milburn was a mammoth task for Newcastle but they somehow did it with ease thanks to Len White.
White had been at the club for years without pulling up many trees, but was given the spotlight and the famous No.9 in 1957, living up to its legacy.
He netted 153 goals in 269 games, becoming yet another folk hero on the terraces at St. James’ Park.
5 – Alexander Isak
Fans may not be quick to admit it in the wake of all the burned bridges, but Alexander Isak is easily among the best strikers to ever play for Newcastle.
In just three years, the Swede blasted in 54 Premier League goals to become the club’s second-highest scorer in the division, scored some sensational goals and got the winning goal that ended the decades-long wait for a trophy.
In the end, Isak tarnished his legacy by refusing to play and forcing through a £125m move to Liverpool in 2025.
4 – Hughie Gallacher
With a simply stunning 143 goals in just 174 games, he still has the best strike rate in the club’s history for a player who made more than 11 appearances at 0.82.
The Scotsman’s 39 goals in the 1926-27 campaign helped the Toon clinch the Division One title for a fourth time.
After going on to play for Chelsea, Derby County and other clubs, Gallacher scored 411 goals in just 565 games.
3 – Andy Cole
Isak wasn’t the first striker to break Newcastle fans’ hearts after scoring buckets of goals, as Andy Cole did the exact same thing years before.
Leading the line for Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers, Cole bagged a remarkable 64 goals in just 84 games as Newcastle set the Premier League alight.
Cole would move to Manchester United after just two years, going on to be the star striker as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side won the treble. He scored 264 goals across 599 career appearances and is in the Premier League Hall of Fame.
2 – Jackie Milburn
Another football legend to hail from Ashington, Jackie Milburn is one of just two strikers to have reached the 200-goal mark for Newcastle.
Originally a winger, Milburn’s brilliance in attack was unlocked following World War 2, and he dominated defenders for well over a decade.
His ruthlessness in front of goal fired Newcastle to three FA Cup triumphs in five years and, though he left the club in 1957 and died in 1988, every fan today still knows his legend.
A man who will never be forgotten on Tyneside.
1 – Alan Shearer
The best striker in Newcastle’s history is beyond doubt.
Local hero Alan Shearer somehow slipped through Newcastle’s net as a youngster and didn’t arrive until he had a Premier League medal to his name and was already the best striker in the country.
Yet, he somehow got even better and scorched his way to becoming the club’s top scorer ever with 206 goals. His 260 Premier League goals tally remains a record and he bagged 404 goals in his career in total.
Not only is he Newcastle’s best striker ever, he has a claim to being one of the game’s best strikers.
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