Legendary Players
The English League Cup may not carry the same prestige as the FA Cup, nor does it boast an equally rich history, but it holds significant value for many managers. For Jürgen Klopp, the League Cup was his final trophy with Liverpool in 2024, where he expressed immense joy as several youngsters played pivotal roles in the final.
Critics who dismiss the competition’s importance only need to recall the euphoric celebrations by Newcastle United after they ended a 70-year domestic trophy drought by securing the League Cup last season. Esteemed coaches like José Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Pep Guardiola have all taken the League Cup seriously, each winning it four times. Many young players have debuted in this competition, but who are the top goal scorers in League Cup history? Let’s take a closer look.
The Record Goal Scorers in the English League Cup
Since its inception in 1960, Ian Rush holds the record as the top goal scorer with 49 goals. The Welsh forward tallied these goals across 81 League Cup matches for three clubs, notably netting 48 of his goals for Liverpool and one for Newcastle in 1997. The other four players in the top five are all English, with Sir Geoff Hurst in second place. Despite his impressive scoring rate in the competition, the West Ham United legend never clinched the League Cup during his playing career.
As shown in the graphic above, Robbie Fowler, Alan Shearer, and Ian Wright complete the top five. All players on this list hail from the UK or Ireland, with Kenny Dalglish being the only Scottish player, sitting in sixth place. John Aldridge and David Kelly are the two Irish players featured in the top twenty, while Louis Saha stands out as the highest scorer outside the UK and Ireland, holding 15 goals in 33rd place. Interestingly, Eddie Nketiah from Crystal Palace currently leads the active players in this season’s competition with 13 goals, while Marcus Rashford remains contracted to Manchester United at 28th place.
