Welcome to Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, where our Football League World Fan Pundits share their thoughts on the latest news, the teams, the players, the managers, the new signings and much more.
Norwich City are looking to return to the top flight for the second time this season. The Canaries are bidding to secure their seventh top-flight promotion in the club’s history, and their forward line will be key to achieving that goal. Ashley Barnes (centre), Adam Idah (goalkeeper), Ui-yo Hwang and others are all expected to provide the Canaries with plenty of firepower for next May. Football League World has been tracking some of the greatest strikers ever to grace the fields of the EFL, and today we are focusing on Norwich City. Our Canaries fan-pundit, Zeke downes, has named his top twelve frontmen for Carrow Road.
12John Deehan
Starting off the list is John Deehan, who represented Norwich City between 1981 and 1986.
After arriving in Norfolk in December 1981 out of form, the now 66-year-old helped seal promotion to the First Division, scoring 20 league goals in his first season.
Deehan managed 15 and 13 goals over the next two campaigns, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to save the Yellows from relegation in the 1984-85 season.
In 1985, the Solihull-born striker was part of their Football League Cup and Second Division title winning squad.
Due to his contributions as a player, Norwich fans voted Deehan into the Norwich City Hall of Fame in 2002.
11Efan Ekoku
Next up is former Yellows forward Efan Ekoku, who arrived at Carrow Road in a £500,000 move from Bournemouth in March 1993.
This was the 56-year-old’s first taste of Premier League football, and he was hurled into a title race under the management of Mike Walker.
In the remainder of the season, Ekoku scored three goals in ten games as the Canaries secured UEFA Cup football after a third-place finish.
The Nigerian international scored some impressive accolades during his time in East Anglia, becoming their first ever goal scorer in the UEFA Cup against Vitesse Arnhem along with becoming the first player to score more than three goals in a Premier League game after a 5-1 thumping of Everton at Goodison Park.
10Mark Robins
Entering the top 10 is Mark Robins, who was a fellow team-mate of Efan Ekoku back in the 1990’s.
The Lancashire-born man sealed his move to Norfolk after coming through the youth ranks at Manchester United, joining from the Red Devils for £800,000.
Robins had a memorable debut in yellow and green, with his two goals helping Norwich defeat Arsenal 4-2 at Highbury on the opening day of the first ever Premier League season, after being 2-0 behind for the majority of the game.
The centre-forward was also part of the squad to qualify for the UEFA Cup but a serious injury the following campaign resulted in a slump of form for the team, and he was eventually sold to Leicester City in 1994 after a falling out with then manager John Deehan.
The now 53-year-old registered 19 goals and 10 assists from 71 appearances during his spell.
9Dean Ashton
In ninth spot is Dean Ashton, who joined Norwich City from Crewe Alexandra for £3 million in January 2005, breaking the club’s transfer record at the time.
The goal scoring powerhouse joined during the Canaries Premier League stint in the under Nigel Worthington and hit the ground running by netting seven goals in 16 top-flight games.
Ashton’s tally could not prevent relegation back down to the Championship, but despite interest from multiple clubs, the 39-year-old elected to play back in the second tier, scoring 10 goals in 28 Championship matches.
However, halfway through the 2005/2006 season, Ashton completed a permanent transfer to West Ham United for £7 million and finished his stint at Carrow Road with 18 goals from 46 games.
8Robert Earnshaw
At number eight is former Wales international Robert Earnshaw, who has a wealth experience in both the Championship and Premier League.
The Zambian-born forward joined Norwich City on transfer deadline day from West Bromwich Albion in January 2006, acting as the replacement for Dean Ashton.
For the remainder of the season Earnshaw scored eight times in 15 matches before starting the following campaign in blistering form, registering braces against Barnsley, Southend United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
By January 2007, Earnshaw was the top-scorer in the Championship with 17 goals, but a severe groin injury in training shortly after looked set to rule him out for the rest of the season.
The now 42-year-old returned before the end of the campaign to finish on 19 goals, and in turn saw him earn a move to Derby County, with the Rams breaking their transfer record for the striker.
Earnshaw finished his Norwich City spell with 27 strikes from 47 appearances.
7Robert Fleck
In seventh position is Scotsman Robert Fleck, who had two spells at Norwich City between 1987 and 1998.
Fleck originally transferred to the Yellows for £580,000 in the First Division, scoring 66 times in 181 games in his first stint with the club which eventually led to a call-up to the Scotland national team squad.
The Glaswegian cemented hero status by being voted Norwich City Player of the Year in 1992 which was the final season of his first spell at Carrow Road.
The 58-year-old contributed to the Canaries reaching two FA Cup semi-finals as well as a fourth-place finish in the league in 1989 before controversially moving to Chelsea.
6Craig Bellamy
At number six is former Welsh international Craig Bellamy, who progressed through the youth academy at Norwich City.
Bellamy signed his first professional contract in Norfolk when he turned 16 and extended his deal after making 10 first-team appearances in the early stages of the 1997/98 campaign, rejecting interest from Crystal Palace in favour of remaining at Carrow Road.
The 44-year-old found particular success in East Anglia under the stewardship of Bruce Rioch, which saw Bellamy moved from central midfield into attack.
The decision reaped its rewards, with him scoring seven goals in his first eight league matches which included his first career hat-trick in a 4-2 victory over Queens Park Rangers.
Despite the early success, the Cardiff-born man suffered multiple knee injuries that disrupted his progress before moving to Coventry City for £6 million in the 2000/01 season but enjoyed a distinguished career after with spells at Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United and Liverpool.
5Kevin Drinkell
Entering the top five is Kevin Drinkell, who moved to Norwich City in 1985 for £90,000 after an impressive goalscoring record at Grimsby Town.
Drinkell settled into life at Carrow Road with ease, striking 22 times in his first season as Norwich won the Second Division title.
The goal tally earned him the Golden Boot for being the division’s top scorer as well as the first of two consecutive Norwich City Player of the Year awards.
His sensational form continued in the First Division, which included a memorable goal against Liverpool in April 1987 for the Canaries faithful.
In total, the 63-year-old registered 57 goals in 150 games for the Canaries before moving permanently to Rangers for £600,000.
4Chris Sutton
Ranking at number four is Chris Sutton, who began his professional career at Carrow Road.
Sutton kicked off his journey at Norwich City as a central defender but was converted into a striker by manager Dave Stringer, making his debut in May 1991 against Queens Park Rangers.
The 50-year-old made his breakthrough campaign in the final season under Stringer before competing in his first full campaign with Mike Walker as Sutton featured in 38 Premier League games and scoring 8 goals, which made him the club’s 2nd highest scorer behind Mark Robins.
In the 1993/94 season, the Nottingham-born striker bagged 25 goals in the top-flight before departing to Blackburn Rovers after interest from the Riversiders, Manchester United and Arsenal.
3Iwan Roberts
In third place comes another Welsh international and this time Iwan Roberts, who spent a significant amount of time at Norwich City between 1997 and 2004.
Spending the entirety of his stay in the First Division, the 6ft 3 in striker recorded back-to-back 19 goal seasons in 1998/99 and 1999/2000.
During the 2002/03 campaign, Roberts became club captain under boss Nigel Worthington and became the East Anglian outfit’s third-best top goal scorer, overtaking Robert Fleck in the process.
Following the end of a disappointing season which saw the Yellows finish in eighth, it spelled the end for the 55-year-old to be a regular starter, but he still played a crucial role in 2003/04, winning promotion to the Premier League in one of the club’s most successful runs.
2Grant Holt
Coming in to the top two and we find Grant Holt, who has had a vast amount of experience in all four tiers of English professional football.
Norwich City secured the services of Holt from Shrewsbury Town in 2009, signing a three-year contract.
Under Paul Lambert, Holt was made club captain and had an electric at Carrow Road, providing 24 goals and 13 assists from 39 games in a League One title winning campaign.
The Norfolk-based club secured consecutive promotions to the Premier League, with the 42-year-old contributing 21 goals and 15 assists from 45 second tier appearances.
In the following campaign, Holt continued his goal scoring form with ease despite his first time in the top-flight, with a 15-goal season resulting in him being voted Player of the Season on the third consecutive occasion and being inducted into the Norwich City Hall of Fame in March 2012.
1Teemu Pukki
Rounding off the list as Norwich City’s best ever striker is Teemu Pukki, with the Finnish international arriving from Brøndby in 2018.
Pukki joined the EFL Championship club on a free transfer and soon proved his value in an astonishing first season with the Canaries, scoring 29 goals and being named as the EFL Championship Player of the Season.
The now 33-year-old signed a new three-year contract for the Premier League new-boys before hitting 11 goals in his top-flight debut season.
Despite relegation, Pukki returned to the Championship with equally good success, scoring 26 times to fire Norwich City to promotion at the first attempt.
The centre-forward matched his opening Premier League campaign with another 11-goal season, but relegation followed back down to the second tier.
Last year, in what was his final season in the East of England, Pukki was a lot less prolific, but his immense loyalty to the club and consistency to score goals is something that will always make him a Norwich City fan-favourite.
