Since the turn of the millennium, the English Football League has been home to a dazzling array of attacking talent.
From lethal poachers to tricky wingers and complete centre-forwards, the EFL has consistently provided a platform for strikers to make their name—or resurrect a fading one. Some lit up League Two with a prolific season before climbing the ladder, others became cult heroes for years of service in the Championship or League One. What unites them is a lasting legacy of goals, moments, and influence.
Obviously, if we were to do an EFL all-time list, we’d be looking at Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney, but for a more modern era, we’ve got a different approach. This list celebrates the very best attackers to grace the EFL since 2000. It considers not only goals and assists, but also longevity, influence on their clubs, and their ability to define an era. Whether they fired teams to promotion or struck fear into defenders for over a decade, these ten players are among the most iconic forwards the league has seen.
10. Ross McCormack
Ross McCormack was one of the most consistent and prolific forwards in the Championship during the 2010s, known for his sharp movement and lethal finishing. After early spells with Rangers and Motherwell, McCormack arrived in the EFL with Cardiff City in 2008, where he quickly established himself as a clinical operator. However, it was with Leeds United and Fulham that he truly hit his stride.
McCormack netted 58 goals in 158 games for Leeds, including a standout 2013–14 campaign where he scored 29 league goals to finish as the Championship’s top scorer. His performances earned him a then-record £11 million move to Fulham, where he again topped their scoring charts with 42 goals in 100 appearances.
Despite his career tailing off after a big-money transfer to Aston Villa, McCormack’s tally of over 120 Championship goals underlines his importance. A technically astute forward, he was both a provider and finisher, and remains a benchmark for second-tier strikers.
9. Robert Earnshaw
Robert Earnshaw’s electric pace and instinctive finishing made him one of the most exciting forwards to watch in the Football League. He first came to prominence at Cardiff City, where he helped fire the club up the divisions in the early 2000s. Earnshaw hit 35 goals in all competitions during the 2002–03 campaign, including 31 in the league—still a club record for a single season.
The Welsh international was a reliable goalscorer across multiple EFL clubs, including Norwich City, Derby County, Nottingham Forest, and a second spell at Cardiff. In total, he scored over 200 career goals, with the majority coming in the Championship and First Division era.
Earnshaw holds the unique distinction of having scored a hat-trick in the Premier League, all three divisions of the Football League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, and at international level. His movement, sharp acceleration, and knack for being in the right place at the right time made him a nightmare for defenders at every level.
8. Grant Holt
Grant Holt was the epitome of a traditional centre-forward with a modern edge—physical, relentless, and with a real eye for goal. His EFL journey began with stints at Rochdale and Nottingham Forest, but it was at Norwich City where he truly left a lasting legacy. Signed from Shrewsbury Town in 2009, Holt spearheaded back-to-back promotions with the Canaries, firing them from League One to the Premier League.
In the 2009–10 campaign, Holt netted 30 goals in all competitions, finishing as League One’s top scorer and earning the club’s Player of the Season award. He followed that with 21 goals in the Championship the next year, again collecting Player of the Season honours. Across four years at Carrow Road, Holt scored 78 goals in 168 games.
Known for his hold-up play, aerial dominance, and leadership, Holt was a complete forward who could bully defences and deliver in big moments. His rise from the lower leagues to the top flight remains a benchmark for aspiring EFL strikers.
7. Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney’s transformation into one of the EFL’s most feared forwards was years in the making. After learning his trade through loans from Newcastle United, it was at Peterborough United where he blossomed, scoring 40 goals in 76 league appearances across two seasons and earning the League One Player of the Year award in 2019–20.
Toney’s 24-goal haul in his first League One season was followed by an even better 26 the next year, prompting a move to Brentford in 2020. There, he shattered the Championship record for most goals in a single season under the modern format, scoring 31 goals during the 2020–21 campaign as the Bees secured promotion via the play-offs.
His blend of strength, intelligence, and unerring accuracy from the penalty spot made him almost unplayable in the second tier. Toney’s EFL career represents a textbook example of progression through the pyramid, culminating in a seamless step up to the Premier League.
6. Bobby Zamora
Bobby Zamora made his name as one of the most prolific forwards in the lower leagues before going on to enjoy a long and successful career in the top flight. It was with Brighton & Hove Albion in the early 2000s that Zamora became a household name in EFL circles, scoring 77 goals in 130 appearances and firing the Seagulls to two successive promotions from Division Three (now League Two) to Division One (now the Championship).
His finishing, especially in tight spaces, and ability to score from all angles made him unplayable at times. A move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2003 didn’t quite work out, but Zamora bounced back with West Ham United and later Fulham, achieving significant success in the Premier League.
Still, his EFL legacy is rooted in that golden spell with Brighton. Few players were as feared across the lower tiers in the early 2000s as Zamora, whose goalscoring touch was matched by his charisma and connection with the fans.
5. Britt Assombalonga
Britt Assombalonga’s name has long been synonymous with raw pace, power, and a nose for goal. His breakthrough came at Southend United during a prolific loan from Watford, but it was at Peterborough United where he first truly caught fire, scoring 23 goals in all competitions in 2013–14.
That earned him a big-money move to Nottingham Forest, where he justified his fee immediately, netting 15 goals in just 29 league games in his debut Championship season before injury struck. Despite missing most of the following campaign, he returned with a vengeance and racked up 30 more goals across two further seasons.
In 2017, Middlesbrough made him the most expensive signing in their history at £15 million. He went on to score 47 goals in 161 league appearances for Boro, often carrying the attacking burden. Assombalonga’s consistency and explosiveness over several years in the second tier firmly places him among the EFL’s elite forwards of the modern era.
4. Jordan Rhodes
Jordan Rhodes has been one of the most prolific goalscorers in EFL history, especially in the Championship, where his poaching instincts and clinical finishing made him a nightmare for defenders. After early stints at Ipswich Town and Brentford, it was at Huddersfield Town where he truly exploded, scoring an incredible 87 goals in just 148 games. His 36 goals in the 2011–12 League One season helped the Terriers to promotion via the play-offs.
Rhodes then moved to Blackburn Rovers in 2012 for a reported £8 million and continued his red-hot form, scoring 83 goals across three and a half seasons. His consistency saw him earn further moves to Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday, and Norwich City, although his goal returns began to taper off slightly in later years.
With well over 200 career goals, the vast majority coming in the EFL, Rhodes is a quintessential number nine. Though his form fluctuated later in his career, his golden period across two divisions cemented his place among the elite.
3. Lee Trundle
Lee Trundle wasn’t just a goalscorer—he was an entertainer, a showman, and a cult icon in the Football League. While his EFL journey began relatively late, it was at Swansea City where he became a phenomenon. Signed from Wrexham in 2003, Trundle hit the ground running, dazzling fans with audacious skills and finishing ability. He scored 78 goals in 146 league appearances during his first spell at the club, helping them climb from the third tier to the Championship.
Known for his signature turns, flicks, and long-range strikes, Trundle was more than just a marketing dream—he delivered on the pitch. His performances earned him a high-profile £1 million move to Bristol City in 2007, a then-record sale for Swansea.
While he never hit the same heights again, his impact was already made. Trundle became the face of Swansea’s rise and a legend in South Wales. Few EFL forwards have ever combined flair and end product quite like him.
2. Aleksandar Mitrović
Aleksandar Mitrović was a force of nature in the Championship—one of the most dominant strikers the second tier has ever seen. Signed permanently by Fulham in 2018 after an initial loan spell from Newcastle United, the Serbian forward quickly became the focal point of the Cottagers’ promotion ambitions. Across multiple Championship campaigns, he was simply unplayable, bullying defenders with his strength, aerial presence, and ruthless finishing.
Mitrović’s most iconic season came in 2021–22, when he shattered records with 43 goals in 44 league matches—a new Championship benchmark since its rebranding in 2004. That remarkable haul helped Fulham to the title and promotion back to the Premier League.
In total, he scored 97 goals in just 157 Championship appearances for the club. His combination of physicality and technical quality set him apart, and his performances often made the difference in tight promotion battles. Mitrović didn’t just score goals—he defined a generation of Fulham dominance in the second tier.
1. Billy Sharp
No one embodies the spirit of the EFL quite like Billy Sharp. A relentless goalscorer, a leader, and a talisman for multiple clubs, Sharp’s legacy is built not only on numbers but on moments and meaning. With over 130 Championship goals to his name and more than 250 in English league football, he stands as the EFL’s greatest poacher of this century.
Sharp began making his mark with Scunthorpe United, where he scored 53 goals in 82 games. He then returned to his boyhood club Sheffield United, where he cemented his legendary status. Across three spells with the Blades, he became club captain and led them from League One all the way to the Premier League, scoring crucial goals in every division along the way.
His career also included prolific spells at Doncaster Rovers, Southampton, and Leeds United. Beyond the statistics, Sharp was known for his movement, composure, and leadership qualities that lifted those around him. He’s not just the best EFL striker of the century—he’s one of its defining figures.
