The concept of a target man has become slightly less prominent in football in recent years, but its potency can still be felt in today’s game. For many football fans, the idea of Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side, playing free-flowing, ‘tiki taka’ football with every player getting a touch on the ball is a dream, but for others, there is no greater sight than a tall centre forward crashing home a header at the back post from a looping cross.
The role of a target man is to compete for and win high balls, hold up the ball, link the play, and be an outlet for the team. They are often deployed when a team is content to not have much possession, and there is an expectation on the forward to keep ther ball, and run the channels whenever possible.
English football has long been a fan of target men, with the Premier League’s greatest ever goalscorer, Alan Shearer, being a fantastic target man for Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle over the years, whilst Didier Drogba, Peter Crouch and Emile Heskey all scored over 100 goals in the Premier League.
With that in mind, here are 11 of the greatest target men the world of football has had to offer.
Edin Dzeko
During his Premier League days with Manchester City, Edin Dzeko was known for being a ‘super-sub’, generally playing back up to Sergio Aguero, so it is easy to forget the quality the Bosnian striker possessed. Standing at 6’4″ tall, the forward was the ultimate target man, being incredible in the air, whilst also being confident with his feet. His most notable career moment was his powerful last minute header to equalise for Manchester City against QPR in May 2012, moments before that Aguero goal, which highlighted Dzeko’s aerial prowess at the most high pressure of moments.
Mario Mandzukic
When Mario Mandzukic scored his unbelievable overhead kick in the 2017 Champions League final, it typified him as a player, classy, cool, and rose on the biggest occasions. During a stellar career, featuring for clubs such as Juventus, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, Mandzukic operated in an incredibly unique role as a ‘wide target man’, utilising his height and reading of the game to overpower generally smaller full-backs at the back post.
The Croatian forward sits second on his nation’s all-time leading scorers list, famously finding the net against England during extra-time in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, as he wrote his name in Croatian football folklore, and further demonstrating his love for the biggest of games.
Emile Heskey
Emile Heskey is a Premier League legend, scoring 110 goals for five different clubs. The English striker was incredibly strong, pacy, and good in the air. When he first burst onto the scene aged 17, the forward struck fear into defenders across the country due to his build and aggression, but as he aged and lost some of his pace, he had to become more reliant on his aerial ability, winning flick-ons and bringing his teammates into play.
Heskey’s unselfish nature made him a dream target man, always looking to provide for others, but still remaining incredibly goal hungry as he burst into the penalty box.
Olivier Giroud
To describe Olivier Giroud as a target man seems somewhat unfair, but due to his sublime aerial ability and link-up play, he is one of the best we have ever seen. Becoming France’s all-time leading goalscorer, a nation who have possessed players such as Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane is no mean feat, but Giroud has beaten them all in the colours of Les Bleus.
A fantastic technician, whose ability in the air is equally impressive, Giroud epitomises how to lead the line and be a target man by being incredibly intelligent with his movement to make up for his lack of pace. The former Arsenal striker has scored goals wherever he has been, helping Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2021 and AC Milan the Serie A in 2022.
Christian Vieri
One of the most underrated players of all time, Christian Vieri is a football legend. Nicknamed ‘Il Toro’, meaning ‘the bull’, Vieri was a very physical striker but was able to marry that with technical ability to make him one of the best strikers of his generation. Comfortable with the ball at both feet, Vieri was a defender’s nightmare and was made the world’s most expensive player when Inter Milan signed him for £32million in 1999, indicating just how good he was.
Despite being exactly six feet tall, Vieri is still regarded as an incredible target man, and holds the record for the most headed goals scored in Italian league history, proving his might in the air, and why a lot of fans feel he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
Luca Toni
Luca Toni was a nightmare for Serie A defences. The Italian was always in the right place at the right time, and was ruthless when a chance came his way. At 6’3″ tall, Toni didn’t have the pace of Kylian Mbappe, or the technique of Dennis Bergkamp, but due to his size alone, he caused all sorts of problems. Often occupying both defenders, Toni was a master at creating space and holding up the ball, and was always in and around the six-yard box ready to pounce when a chance came his way.
The peak of Toni’s career was when he won the Serie A golden boot in 2005, but perhaps his most remarkable feat was when he won it again, aged 38, in 2015, which is testament to the ability of the Italian target man.
Peter Crouch
Peter Crouch is not your typical footballer. At 6’7″ inches tall, with very little muscle, Crouch looks more like a marathon runner. Despite these supposed barriers, Crouch is known as one of the greatest target men in football history, who was not only incredible in the air, but also a master with the ball at his feet. The scorer of some of football’s greatest ever volleys, notably against Manchester City in 2012, Crouch’s footballing intelligence was remarkable.
Crouch has scored the most headed goals in Premier League history, which is no great surprise when considering his height, but further indicates why he is deemed one of the best target men of all time.
Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba joined the Premier League as a relatively unknown player, but before long he became one of the most feared strikers around.
Drogba had all the attributes of the perfect striker; aggressive, quick, and could finish. Although he wasn’t just a target man, Drogba’s aerial prowess was outstanding, and his ability to hold up play and be an outlet was pivotal for Chelsea in their multiple Premier League titles with the Ivorian. Drogba left behind an incredible legacy in the Premier League, and many argue Chelsea still haven’t found his replacement, all these years later.
Marco van Basten
To win the Ballon d’Or three times is something only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can better, so Marco van Basten has every right to be spoken about as one of the best to play the game. A player who could do it all, with remarkable close control, volleys and headers, van Basten is one of football’s all-time greats.
Although being a target man is not often associated with the glamourous side of the game, the Dutchman’s skillfulness and poise made it look effortless, whilst also utilising his incredible ability in the air. One of the most well-rounded players to play the game, van Basten is hard to ignore when discussing the greatest of the target men.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
When a player is one of the main men at Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Ajax, and Manchester United, to name just a few, they must be a superstar, and that is exactly what the maverick Zlatan Ibrahimovic is.
Being 6’5″, he stands out wherever he is, and on the pitch he is able to use his whole frame to be the ultimate target man. By also being a black belt in Taekwando, the Swedish striker has incredible flexibility, and has scored some obscene acrobatic goals whilst also having a great selfish streak to ensure he has scored buckets of goals throughout his career.
A monster in the air, and with a great eye for a pass, Zlatan won a staggering 31 trophies during his career, including league titles in Italy and Spain as well as the Europa League with Manchester United under Jose Mourinho.
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer was a certified goalscorer, who arguably could have scored even more if he had moved to a better club during his career.
An ice-cold finisher, Shearer was a demon in front of goal, and was incredible in the air, scoring plenty of headers. The Englishman was the perfect target man, acting as the focal point of every team he played in, sometimes acting as provider for teammates, as well as scoring bucket loads.
Shearer’s Premier League goal scoring record may not be broken for a long time (at least whilst Harry Kane is abroad), which indicates just how good a goalscorer he was. Shearer’s goals helped fire Blackburn Rovers to the title in 1995, breaking Manchester United’s stranglehold on the rebranded top tier of English football. His move to Newcastle may not have seen trophies come with it, but his tally of goals in the Premier League means he is the ultimate target man.
