Danny
Ings has become the tenth English striker sign for Liverpool since the Premier
League was born back in 92 – but how will he fare against his other
compatriots?
The Kop has seen some great strikers over
the years: Hunt, St John, Rush, Fowler, Owen, and even the main man himself,
Neil Mellor. Merseyside has produced some blistering and free-scoring English
forwards, but rarely have signed one. From Stewart to Sturridge, Collymore to
Carroll, here’s the verdict on how well English signings have done.
Rickie Lambert 2014-present
Lambert was the
latest English signing for Liverpool before Ings, but life at his boyhood club
hasn’t been so sweet. The former beetroot-packer signed from Southampton after
a magical campaign for club and country. But two goals last season for
Liverpool makes him a firm favorite to be one of many heading out of Brendan Rogers’
plans. The romantic move has been far from a fairytale, but he is now being
linked with a move to Villa, Palace and bizarrely, league champions Chelsea.
Daniel Sturridge 2013-present
Sturridge made an explosive start to his Liverpool career. He scored
on his debut, his league debut, and he scored his third goal on his full debut.
The following season, he became the first Liverpool player to score in seven
consecutive league matches. His formidable SAS understanding with Suárez saw
him score 21 league goals and firing Liverpool to second. He’s been clinical when he plays, but
persistent injuries may hamper his chances of improving his 35 goals in 55
appearances tally.
Andy
Carroll 2011-2013
Liverpool received £50 million for Fernando
Torres in 2011, and what did they spend the bulk of that on? A wild Any Carroll
to be Liverpool’s new number nine for the extortionate fee of £35 million. Carroll’s
goal-getting prowess at Anfield was thin as he notched a mere six goals for the
club in 44 competitive matches. Carroll was shipped out on loan to West Ham for
the year and subsequently managed to clinch a £15 million transfer to the East
End of London. 
Robbie
Fowler 1993-2001 & 2006-2007
Produced by, made by, sold by, and bought back
on a free transfer by Liverpool. Fowler (or God if you’re on the red side of
Merseyside) was elevated to, well, a God-like status in his first stint at the
club scoring 120 times. He then moved to Leeds and had a go at Manchester City
but the prodigal son returned. His
debut saw his overhead-kick chalked off but he did managed three league goals –
bizarrely, all penalties against Sheffield United. However, he was a shadow of
his former self.
Peter
Crouch 2005-2008
Crouch was the original freakishly built
English striker to sign for Liverpool in 2005. Crouch didn’t notch a goal in
his first four months at Anfield and he was being heavily scrutinised by the
press. But then came the 3rd
December, his first goal which took a wicked deflection which then looped over the
hapless Kirkland. He notched a second against Wigan to make sure he was up and
running. He scored 22 goals, which included a memorable ‘perfect hattrick’ and
a stunning overhead-kick.
Emile
Heskey 2000-2004
Emile William Ivanoe Heskey signed for
Liverpool for £11 million and Liverpool striking royalty Ian Rush said he would
give the team a “different dimension.” Houllier said he was looking forward to
working with the ex-Leicester City man chirping “at his age he is not the
finished product yet.” At 37-years of age playing in the Championship, he still
isn’t. But in his second season he did score 22 goals in all competition in a
season that saw Liverpool secure a historic treble.
Stan Collymore 1995-1999
In 1995,
Collymore was signed for an English record fee of £8.5 million from Nottingham
Forest. ‘Stan the Man’ did his best to repay the faith and in his two years at
Anfield he bagged a goal every 2.5 matches. He became part of a lethal
partnership with Fowler and at the end of his first campaign, the pair scored
55 goals between them. Several off-field problems tainted his tenure but he
will always be remembered for scoring the winner against Newcastle in the most
entertaining match in Premier League history. 
Nigel Clough 1993-1996
The son of
perhaps the most iconic English manager in history, Clough junior joined
Liverpool the season after he was Forest’s top goal-scorer. Again, Liverpool
spent a relatively large fee for that time to secure the services of Clough. He
scored twice on his debut against Sheffield Wednesday but he only managed a
further five goals in 39 appearances. He then returned to Forest on loan and
then Wednesday on loan before spending 10 years at Burton Albion as
player-manager.
Paul Stewart 1992-1996
Stewart was the
first of ten English Prem strikers bought to Anfield but it almost didn’t
happen. In the summer of 92, there was speculation that he was joining either
the red or blue side of Manchester. But he signed for a fee of £2.3 million but
only managed one league goal in four years, against Sheffield United (they love
to score in Sheffield these boys don’t they?), as injuries and up-and coming
strikers came in. On a bright note, he did notch a brace in the European
Winners’ Cup first leg against the mighty Apollon Limassol – a feat that the
great Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey could have done! Well, probably not
actually… 
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