The 5 Most Surprising Premier League Golden Boot Winners

An ankle injury for Harry Kane has raised some questions about who will win the 2017/18 Golden Boot.

The Golden Boot is an award handed to the player with the most Premier League goals in a season and is one of the country’s most prestigious footballing awards.

Outright betting odds would suggest that Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is in the driving seat, but he is trailed by Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, who’s on the hunt for his second accolade.

They’re seemingly too far ahead of the likes of Jamie Vardy and Romelu Lukaku who have each bagged 14 goals.

If Salah is to clinch the gong, it would be one of the most surprising victories in the history of the Premier League, considering his unsuccessful first spell in England whilst he was at Chelsea.

With this being said, here are five of the most surprising Golden Boot winners in Premier League history.

 

Kevin Phillips

Even before his Golden Boot feat in 1999/2000, former Sunderland forward Kevin Phillips had been producing the goods in the old Division One, scoring 35 goals in his first season, and 25 in his second as the Black Cats were promoted to the Premier League.

Phillips clearly had a goal-scoring pedigree, but nobody expected the former Watford man to finish the season as not only the league’s top scorer, but winner of the Golden Shoe.

The Golden Shoe is awarded to the player with the most league goals in a top division across Europe. Phillips remains the only English forward to win the award.

He finished the season with 30 league goals, ahead of the likes of Alan Shearer and Andy Cole as Sunderland finished the season in 7th place.

 

Harry Kane

At present, Tottenham’s Harry Kane is arguably the deadliest striker in world football, however, his emergence as a world-class striker came as a surprise to many, especially his former manager Harry Redknapp.

Kane could potentially add a third Golden Boot to his collection this season, despite the fact his current ankle injury has put that in jeopardy.

The former Arsenal academy player has claimed the last two Golden Boots, but it was his first triumph that caught most people off guard, despite scoring 21 league goals in the previous campaign.

He was initially dubbed a ‘one-season wonder’, but when he claimed his first accolade in 2015/16 ahead of the likes of Sergio Aguero, he cemented his status as a consistent, dangerous Premier League forward.

Transfer betting odds suggest that the striker will shun any potential advances from Real Madrid this summer, with odds on Kane to remain at 1/8 with some bookmakers.

For those of you on the hunt for football betting tips, we suggest you put your money on Kane heading to Russia for the World Cup this summer.

 

Dimitar Berbatov

 

A player who was held in the highest regard during his time in England, despite questions surrounding his work rate, Dimitar Berbatov will always be remembered for his moments of magic.

An intelligent, composed striker, who was arguably best deployed in a deeper role, the Bulgarian was always effective, but never expected to finish a season top of the scoring charts.

In 2010/11 Berbatov played a huge role in Manchester United’s title-winning campaign scoring 20 league goals and finished the season as the joint Golden Boot winner alongside Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez.

Despite this feat, Berbatov was left out of the squad for the 2011 Champions League final, leaving the Bulgarian feeling “disappointed and ashamed”.

 

Andy Cole

One of the most clinical forwards in Premier League history, Andy Cole was a far better striker than his 15 England caps suggested.

When it came to his club form, Cole was undeniably brilliant, ending his career with 187 Premier League goals - the third highest in the league’s history.

Cole only won the Golden Boot once and surprisingly, it was when he had no real reason to do so.

In 1993/94, the former Manchester United forward was playing in the Premier League with newly promoted Newcastle United, with just one previous appearance at the highest level of English football.

Cole’s 34 league goals in 40 appearances helped Newcastle secure a third-place finish, and UEFA Cup qualification.

 

Nicolas Anelka

Nicolas Anelka, or as he was known to some — especially Arsenal fans — as ‘Le Sulk’, was a player renowned for his controversial persona.

Behind the front, he was in fact, a very good footballer, who reinvented his career after various run-ins with coaches and the press.

After spells at Manchester City, Fenerbahce and Bolton Wanderers, Anelka got another crack at the big time with Chelsea.

In 2008/09, to the surprise of many, Anelka pipped the previous season’s top scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, to the Golden Boot with 19 goals.

Despite the accomplishment, the 19 goals to secure the award was the third lowest tally in history.

With free betting offers running wild across the UK, the Golden Boot betting market is certainly one of the most exciting to place a wager, with things so tight amongst the three frontrunners.

Expect things to be tight all the way up to the season’s climax!

 

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