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.

Holgate hero: German loan star Uwe Fuchs helped Boro win promotion. Photo courtesy of Action Images

 

Here blogger Rob P, from oneBoro.co.uk, selects Middlesbrough's five best No9s… and one to forget!

5. Massimo Maccarone (2002-07)
Maccarone became Middlesbrough'srecord signing when he moved from Empoli for £8.15m in 2002. The Italian international had an immediate impact, scoring twice against Fulham in his second game. This form was short-lived, however, and he scored just nine goals in 34 appearances in his first season and seven goals the next, resulting in him missing out on the 2004 Carling Cup final victory in Cardiff. After being loaned out twice the following season, he achieved cult status in 2005-06 during the club's UEFA Cup campaign. Maccarone put Boro through to the semi-finals with a last-gasp winner against Basel as the team came back from a three-goal deficit. Just three weeks later, Boro again found themselves three goals down on aggregate, this time against Steaua Bucharest. Maccarone joined the action from the bench and netted Boro's first, with Mark Viduka and Chris Riggott levelling the tie at 3-3. With less than a minute remaining, Stewart Downing fired in a left-wing cross, which Maccarone met with a perfectly timed diving header at the back post, sending the Riverside crowd into a dream world. The image of that header will live long in fans' memories, but Maccarone played just eight games the following season, before joining Siena on a free transfer in January 2007.

4. Ian Baird (1990-91)
A firm favourite at Ayresome Park. Strong, aggressive and a superb header of the ball, Baird was Bruce Rioch's final signing for the club. Not an instant success, he had to wait nine games before grabbing his first Boro goal. But he'll always be remembered for his brace against Newcastle United, in the 4-1 victory that kept us in Division Two while ending the Magpies' automatic promotion chances. Baird was voted the Supporters' Club player of the year after scoring 10 goals in his first 18 games, but this wasn't enough as Boro missed out on promotion through the play-offs.

3. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2004-06) & Mark Viduka (2004-07)
OK, this may be cheating, but they're worthy of a mention! Both players are better known for wearing different shirts - Hasselbaink No18 and Viduka No36 - but both have worn the Boro No9. These high-profile signings in 2004 proved crucial during our two stints in Europe. Hasselbaink signed on a free transfer from Chelsea, where he had gained legendary status after scoring 87 goals in 177 games. Likewise, Viduka joined with great fanfare from Leeds in a £4.5m move. Hasselbaink was the first Boro player to score in Europe when he hit the opener in a 3-0 win over Banik Ostrava, and scored a crucial stunner in the quarter-final win over Basel in his final season. Although blighted by injuries in his first season, Viduka and his skilful technique also played a huge part in Boro's progress in the UEFA Cup. Hasselbaink's concluding game was the UEFA Cup final against Sevilla, where Viduka was denied a clear penalty at 1-0 down with which he could have become a true Boro hero. Viduka then joined rivals Newcastle in June 2007, but the pair scored 49 goals between them during their spell at the club.

2. Uwe Fuchs (1995)
Fuchs defines the term 'cult hero'. Signed on loan in January 1995 by Bryan Robson, it's fair to say his arrival kick-started Boro's promotion bid. The German scored just 15 minutes into his debut against Charlton, and followed with a hat-trick against Bristol City. He netted an impressive six goals in his first five starts for the club, adding a further three during the spell of his loan, and his contribution to Boro's rise to the Premier League made him a true Holgate hero. With the arrival of Jan-Aage Fjortoft, however, Robson decided Fuchs was no longer needed, and he subsequently joined Millwall.

1. John Hickton (1966-78)
One of Boro's most popular players. Hicktonstarted his career at Sheffield Wednesday as a full-back, though he was often played at centre-back. A bargain £20,000 signing by Stan Anderson following the club's relegation to Division Three, he made his debut as a centre-back in a 3-2 win over Workington Town, in which he netted one of his famed penalties. Over the course of the season he played right-back as well as centre-forward, grabbing 15 goals as promotion to Division Two was secured. He finished the next six seasons as the club's top scorer, leading the division scorer charts on three occasions. Hickton was known for his 20-yard penalty run-ups, powerful shots, bravery and ability in the air. He made his top-flight debut aged 29, scoring the opening goal against Birmingham in a 3-0 victory. 

And the worst…
Kris Boyd (2010-11)
Signed under Gordon Strachan's Scottish revolution on an estimated £30,000 a week, Boyd joined Boro as the highest scorer in Scottish Premier League history with 164 goals. He'd netted 26 times in his final season for Rangers, but things didn't quite go to plan at Boro. The 'natural finisher' first scored against Sheffield United and netted his 200th career goal against Scunthorpe, but these and four other goals weren't enough to keep him in the squad. Having being dropped for a month, he was subsequently loaned to Nottingham Forest, where he scored six goals in nine games - equalling his Boro total. The Scott finally left the club in July 2011, for Turkish team Eskisehirspor. This didn't last long, though, with Boyd tearing up his contract after five months. He currently plays in the MLS for Portland Timbers, where he has netted seven times in 18 appearances.                           

Follow Rob on Twitter @oneboro