The 6 Highest Scoring Dutch Players in Premier League History

facebooktwitterreddit

Dutch players have always brought a bit of class and a bit of arrogance to the Premier League over the last 24 years, with many remembered as some of the best foreigners to have graced England's top flight.

Here's a look at the Premier League's six highest scoring players from the Netherlands...

6. Marc Overmars - 25 goals

Years Active: 1997 - 2000
Club: Arsenal

Scoring 12 Premier League goals in his debut season, including the one at Old Trafford which swung the 1997/98 title race in Arsenal's favour, was a surefire for Marc Overmars to ensure he will always be fondly remembered by the Gunners.

The winger only spent three years in England, joining Barcelona for £25m after Euro 2000.

5. Dirk Kuyt - 51 goals

Years Active: 2006 - 2012
Club: Liverpool

Dirk Kuyt arrived at Liverpool in 2006 having scored 91 league goals in the previous four seasons combined, but spent most of his time at Anfield on the right-hand side of midfield.

That being said, the popular Dutchman still managed 51 Premier League goals for the Reds, including a famous hat-trick against fierce rivals Manchester United in 2011.

4. Dennis Bergkamp - 87 goals

Years Active: 1995 - 2006
Club: Arsenal

Dennis Bergkamp remains one of the finest foreign important of the Premier League era, arriving at Arsenal from Inter in 1995 when non-British or Irish were still a relative novelty.

Although not remembered as a prolific goalscorer as such, he did find the net with reasonable regularity in England to begin with, netting double figures in the league in each of his first four seasons. It was only after partnering Thierry Henry that his goal return dropped.

3. Ruud van Nistelrooy - 95 goals

Years Active: 2001 - 2006
Club: Manchester United

Ruud van Nistelrooy's move to Manchester United almost never happened at all after a serious knee injury threatened his career. As it was, he completed the switch from PSV Eindhoven a year later than planned and hit the ground running.

Van Nistelrooy netted twice on his Premier League debut in August 2001 and scored 20 or more times in four of his five seasons. He couldn't in 2004/05 as a result of injury.

2. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - 127 goals

Years Active: 1997 - 1999, 2000 - 2007
Clubs: Leeds United, Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Charlton Athletic

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was twice a Premier League golden boot winner, taking a share of the prestigious award in 1998/99 during his first spell in England with Leeds, and later winning it outright after returning to British football with Chelsea.

The Suriname-born striker scored 70 Premier League goals for Chelsea in total across his four seasons at Stamford Bridge before moving on to Middlesbrough in 2004.

1. Robin van Persie - 144 goals

Years Active: 2004 - 2015
Clubs: Arsenal, Manchester United

Robin van Persie was just a teenager when he started the 2002 UEFA Cup final for Feyenoord and arrived a Arsenal two years later full of promise for the future.

Persistent injuries cruelly denied him a consistent run of games until he finally found fitness during the 2010/11 season. The following year he plundered 30 Premier League goals for the Gunners, before leaving for Manchester United and scoring another 26 to seal the title.

 To continue the discussion on Twitter follow @jamiespencer155

Visit www.facebook.com/jamiespencer155