Former Super Eagles striker, Yakubu Aiyegbeni has expressed immense pride in his Premier League goal record, highlighting the difficulty of scoring in the competition during a recent interview with Sky Sports.
Across 252 top-flight appearances for clubs like Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, and Blackburn Rovers, “The Yak” netted 95 goals, cementing his position as the all-time leading Nigerian scorer in Premier League history. This tally places him ahead of other Nigerian greats, including Nwankwo Kanu (54 goals), Efan Ekoku (53), Shola Ameobi (43), and Kelechi Iheanacho (42).
Aiyegbeni shared his honor at being counted among the continent’s most prolific players in the league, mentioning names like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Didier Drogba.
“It’s massive when you mention these names… Being on that list is unbelievable, scoring goals in one of the world’s best leagues. To be top five in that list and the highest Nigerian striker is a huge achievement. Records are meant to be broken, but to be up there, to score goals, is an honour,” he stated.
He stressed the demanding nature of the English top flight: “The Premier League is so difficult. You see many players who struggle to score goals here because it’s a hard league. You have to get used to it. So, it’s an honour, it makes me feel proud of myself.”
Aiyegbeni admitted that an injury lay-off prevented him from reaching the celebrated 100-goal mark.
“I’m very proud of scoring 95 goals in the Premier League. I’ve seen so many players scoring 100, but I didn’t have that chance to do it because I was injured for eleven months,” he said.
He concluded his reflection with gratitude: “I wish I hadn’t got injured, because it would’ve been five more goals. I’m not greedy. I’m happy, honoured even, very pleased to have reached that milestone in a huge league. A boy from Benin scoring 95 goals, I’m grateful.”
