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Legendary players
©TM/IMAGO
The English League Cup isn’t as prestigious as the FA Cup, nor does it possess the same illustrious history but it remains an important competition for many managers. It represented Jürgen Klopp’s final trophy with Liverpool in 2024 with the German boss visibly ecstatic after several youngsters featured in the final.
Discerning critics that insist the competition isn’t important just need to take one look at the wild celebrations in Newcastle United after they ended a 70-year domestic trophy drought last season by lifting the League Cup. José Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola are amongst the most distinguished coaches in the history of football and the legendary trio all took the League Cup seriously, winning it four times apiece. Many youngsters have received their first senior minutes in the competition but which players have scored the most goals in the League Cup? Let’s find out.
The record goal scorers in the English League Cup
Since the inauguration of the competition in 1960, Ian Rush is the record goalscorer with 49 goals. The Welsh striker played 81 games in the League Cup for three clubs, scoring 48 of his 40 goals for Liverpool and once for Newcastle in 1997. The remaining four players to occupy the top five spots are all Englishmen with Sir Geoff Hurst ranking second. The West Ham United legend had an incredible scoring rate in the competition but he never won the League Cup during his career.
As the graphic above illustrates, Robbie Fowler, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright complete the top five. Every player in the list was born in the UK or Ireland with Kenny Dalglish the sole Scottish representative in sixth place. John Aldridge and David Kelly are the two Irish players to make the top twenty with Louis Saha the leading scorer from outside the UK and Ireland in 33rd place with 15 goals. Interestingly, Crystal Palace’s Eddie Nketiah is the top scorer with 13 goals from players that will participate in the competition this season - Marcus Rashford is still contracted to Manchester United and ranks 28th.
