This season Prostate Cancer UK is the official charity of The
Football League. To celebrate, we've asked bloggers from each of
the 72 clubs to count down their top five strikers to have worn the
No9 shirt, in recognition of the fact that prostate cancer
affects one in nine men.
Big love: The hulking Emile Heskey is still adored at Leicester. Photo courtesy of Action Images
Here blogger Mike McCarthy, of Foxblogger.wordpress.com,
selects Leicester's five best No9s… and one to forget!
5. Steve Claridge (1996-98)
Scruffy, unconventional and the scorer of some of City's most
important goals. Claridge's extra-time play-off winner in 1996 is
one of the most dramatic goals in Foxes history. A year later he
sealed City's first major silverware in 33 years, again in
extra-time, in the League Cup final against Middlesbrough. He could
finish spectacularly too, his sumptuous volley against Manchester
United in the 96-97 League Cup campaign earned Super Steve the
club's goal of the season award.
4. Alan Smith (1982-87)
He played a long time in the shadow created by the spotlights
shining on Gary Lineker. But when the latter left City, Smith
shouldered his new responsibilities admirably, scoring at a rate of
just under a goal every other game. A real team-player, Smith had
himself loaned back to City immediately following his big-money
move to Arsenal in an ultimately failed effort to keep the Foxes
up.
3. Derek Hines (1948-61)
While Arthur Rowley holds the club's best goals-per-game ratio, it
was his strike partner Hines who opened up the defences. This is
not to say that Hines was shabby in front of goal - far from it.
His record of 116 goals in all competitions for the Foxes makes him
fourth on City's all-time scoring charts. Hines also remains the
last City player to score four times in a league game.
2. Emile Heskey (1994-2000)
Leicester fans were privileged to watch Heskey in his prime. His
explosive pace could strike fear into the hearts of even the most
experienced defenders. His goals were often spectacular. Though
accused of not scoring enough himself, no one who played alongside
him complained as he created chance after chance for several strike
partners. At £11m he remains the most expensive player Leicester
have ever sold.
1. Arthur Chandler (1923-35)
With 273 Leicester City goals to his name, Chandler remains
Leicester City's all-time top scorer. His record of 259 top-flight
goals is also a club record and not a single strike came from the
penalty spot. Said to have scored from every angle and with
seemingly every part of his body, his total of 17 hat-tricks is
also a club record.
And the worst…
Carl Cort (2007-08)
Before Peter Taylor signed Ade Akinbyi in the summer of 2000, it
was rumoured that Carl Cort had been his primary transfer target.
Alas, Cort chose Newcastle and when he finally arrived in Leicester
the former England Under-21 hotshot showed none of the qualities
that had so excited Premier League managers seven years earlier.
His only goal, at Chelsea, briefly had Foxes fans dreaming of a
League Cup upset, but even that ended in disappointment.
Follow Mike on Twitter @FoxBlogger