When Harry Kane scored the winning goal against Manchester City on 5th February 2023, he broke a goalscoring record that had lasted for more than half a century. Kane’s goal was his 267th for Tottenham and it edged him ahead of the great Jimmy Greaves who managed an also-amazing total of 266 goals.
Above image: rarrarorro, Bigstock Photo
In this article, we’ll give more details about the goalscoring exploits of both Harry Kane and Jimmy Greaves. We’ll also take a look through the other top Spurs goalscorers of all time.
Harry Kane, 2011-present*
| Goals | Games | Goals Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 267 | 416 | 0.64 |
Harry Kane finally broke the longstanding Tottenham goalscoring record in February 2023, but unless he gets very unlucky with injuries (or finally opts for a transfer), we fully expect the Spurs star to kick on and maybe even breach the 300-goal barrier before too long. Interestingly, though he might not want to shout about it now, the man from Walthamstow was on Arsenal’s books as a youngster, but apparently he was released after just a season. The Gunners’ loss was ultimately Tottenham’s gain though!
Kane signed his first professional contract with Spurs back in 2010 and had a few loan spells to help him find his feet. He made a handful of appearances for Tottenham in the 2011/12 season in the Europa League and scored his first goal for the club in that competition. It wasn’t until the 2014/15 season that he really established himself though, banging in 31 goals in 51 games. Since then, he’s scored more than 20 goals every season for his club, including more than 30 on three occasions.
For all Kane’s goalscoring prowess, however, the England and Spurs legend hasn’t won anything. At least not if you don’t count the many individual awards he’s won over the years. This lack of silverware must be rather frustrating, to say the least, for one of the best players of his generation. But for many people, Kane’s loyalty to Spurs (despite the lack of trophies) shows a real strength of character that many players in the modern game lack.
*Note that these stats are correct as of 8th February 2023.
Jimmy Greaves, 1961-1970
| Goals | Games | Goals Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 266 | 379 | 0.70 |
Although some sites have suggested the oft-quoted total number of goals scored by Jimmy Greaves excludes two Charity Shield goals, and should therefore be 268, we’re going with the 266 as stated by Tottenham’s own website. Whichever stat you choose to believe though, there’s no disputing the fact that Greaves was a supreme scorer and this is exemplified by him having the best goals-per-game ratio of any of the players on our list (just edging ahead of George Hunt).
In his nine seasons at Spurs, Greaves rarely failed to deliver, banging in 30+ goals in six of those campaigns. His best season has to be the 1962/63 campaign when she slotted home an almost unbelievable 44 goals in just 49 appearances in all competitions, at an average of 0.9 goals per game! He also hit 44 goals for England in just 57 games.
Bobby Smith, 1955-1964
| Goals | Games | Goals Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 208 | 317 | 0.66 |
Third on the list of Tottenham top goalscorers is Bobby Smith, who maintains the pattern of a two-syllable first name ending in a ‘y’ followed by a monosyllabic surname (though we’re quite sure there’s more to scoring goals than that!). Like Greaves, Smith spent time at Chelsea before doing the business for Spurs. He was a big part of Spurs’ double-winning team of 1960/61 that was led to glory by manager Bill Nicholson. Smith’s 33 goals in 43 goals that season made all the difference, not least in the FA Cup final when he scored the opening goal in his side’s 2-0 victory over Leicester City.
Martin Chivers, 1968-1976
| Goals | Games | Goals Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 174 | 367 | 0.47 |
The fourth player on our list, and the first whose goalscoring ratio is less than 0.5, Martin Chivers moved to Spurs from Southampton in 1968 but only really came into his own once Greaves moved on to West Ham in 1970. He arguably peaked in the 1971/72 season when the sometimes languid-looking forward netted an impressive total of 44 goals in 64 games.
Cliff Jones, 1958-1968
| Goals | Games | Goals Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 159 | 378 | 0.42 |
The first non-Englishman on our list, Welshman Cliff Jones bagged 159 goals in 378 games for Spurs between 1958 and 1968. Unlike the four players who scored more goals, Jones played the majority of his games as a winger (both the left and right) and so his goals-to-games ratio of 0.42 is still mighty impressive. He was also a key player in the 1960/61 double-winning season.
Jermain Defoe, 2004-2008 & 2009-2014
| Goals | Games | Goals Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 143 | 362 | 0.40 |
We have a more recent player up next and Jermain Defoe could perhaps have been higher up the list had his Tottenham career not been interrupted by a stint at Portsmouth. His two best seasons for Spurs were 2004/05 (when he scored 22 goals in 44 games) and 2009/10 (when he bagged 24 goals in 43 games). A consistent (if not always outstanding) goalscorer, Defoe always offered energy on the pitch and was an excellent finisher for Spurs and his other clubs.
Son Heung-min, 2015-present*
| Goals | Games | Goals Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 139 | 353 | 0.39 |
The only player in the top 10 not from the British Isles, Son Heung-min hails from Chuncheon in South Korea and made his name in the Bundesliga playing for Hamburg and then Bayer Leverkusen. A fan favourite for his tireless work rate and his exceptional off-the-ball running – as well as his fair share of crucial goals of course – Son Heung-min, like Kane, is sure to add to his goals tally in the coming months and (potentially) years.
*Note that these stats are correct as of 8th February 2023.
George Hunt, 1930-1937
| Goals | Games | Goals Per Game |
|---|---|---|
| 138 | 198 | 0.70 |
We have to go right back to the 1930s to find our final Tottenham goalscorer, George Hunt. With 138 goals in just 198 appearances for the club, he’s just shy of Jimmy Greaves’s goal-to-game ratio. But there’s no doubt he was a forward of the highest order. Despite banging in plenty of goals for Spurs, he never won any silverware with them (just like Kane). In fact, it was not until he left the club that he landed his first league title. And the club? Spurs’ big local rivals Arsenal!
Who is Tottenham’s Greatest Player?
As we have seen, Tottenham have enjoyed their fair share of supremely talented goalscorers over the years. As for which of those on the above list was the best ever, it really remains to be seen. There’s certainly scope for Harry Kane to cement his position as the GOAT if he continues his scoring feats. But he’ll do well to overtake the goals-to-games ratio of Jimmy Greaves which, along with the silverware he helped Spurs win, puts him in the box seat as things stand.