Yakubu’s Feat Of Most Premier League Goals And Most Hat-Tricks

 

Yakubu Ayegbeni’s impressive goalscoring performances at Maccabi Haifa attracted the attention of English team Portsmouth – a club he helped secure Premier League promotion.

After two seasons at Fratton Park, he teamed up with then top-flight outfit Middlesbrough for a £7.5 million record fee.

Before continuing his professional career in China, Turkey and Qatar, ‘the Yak’ represented Everton, Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers.

Throughout his time in England’s top-flight, he scored a total of 95 goals – the most by any Nigerian striker ever.

He holds the record as the Nigerian with the most shots on goal (135) and the most headed goals (15).

Yakubu’s record of most hat-tricks

To accentuate his status as one of the greatest Nigerian strikers to have graced the Premier League, Yakubu Ayegbeni boasts four hat-tricks in the tournament’s history.

His first hat-trick came in Portsmouth's 5-1 obliteration of Middlesbrough on May 15, 2004. Three months later, he recorded another treble as Pompey edged Fulham 4-3 at Fratton Park.

While at Everton, he earned his third treble as the Toffees silenced Fulham 3-0 on December 8, 2007.

His fourth hat-trick was achieved during his spell at Blackburn Rovers. On December 3, 2011, he found the net thrice as Rovers subdued Swansea City 4-2 at Ewood Park.