British · Forest Gate, London, England · Born 11 July 1965West Ham and Everton striker whose 213 top-flight goals across fifteen seasons made him one of the most prolific English strikers of his generation.
A debut senior goal for West Ham against Tottenham on New Year's Day 1983 at 17 launched a career in which Tony Cottee became British football's most expensive player when Everton signed him for £2.2 million in 1988, going on to score 226 league goals across nearly two decades in professional football. He quickly established himself as one of English football's most exciting young strikers, winning both the PFA Young Player of the Year and West Ham's Hammer of the Year awards in 1986. Cottee's clinical finishing and predatory instincts in the penalty area made him a fixture of the England set-up and one of the most prolific goalscorers of the 1980s, and in 1988 Everton signed him for a British transfer record fee of £2.2 million. He spent six seasons at Goodison Park, including the 1989 FA Cup final defeat to Liverpool, before returning to West Ham United in 1994. Cottee earned seven caps for England and finished his career with 226 league goals from 579 appearances — 293 goals in all competitions from 712 games — falling just short of personal milestones he had set himself, but still ranking among the most prolific English strikers of his generation. He played briefly in Malaysia before finishing his career with Leicester City, winning the League Cup in 2000, and later played for Norwich City, Barnet, and Millwall. After a brief spell as Barnet's manager, Cottee transitioned into a long and successful career as a television football commentator and pundit, drawing on nearly two decades of top-flight experience across two of London's biggest clubs.
Being one of the most prolific goalscorers in English football during the 1980s
He scored on his England debut against Sweden in 1986.
Did You Know?How They Played
Clinical finisher with excellent positioning and movement in the penalty area
Lasting Impact
Remembered as a clinical finisher who enjoyed two successful spells at West Ham United
Career Honours
- 213 First Division/Premier League goals
- 7 England caps
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Ham United | 1982–1988 | £2.2m | 212 | 92 | #10 |
| Everton | 1988–1994 | £2.05m | 184 | 72 | — |
| West Ham United | 1994–1996 | £2.2m | 67 | 23 | #10 |
| Selangor | 1996–1997 | — | 24 | 14 | — |
| Leicester City | 1997–2000 | — | 85 | 27 | — |
| Birmingham City | 1997–1997 | loan | 5 | 1 | — |
| Norwich City | 2000–2000 | — | 7 | 1 | — |
| Barnet | 2000–2001 | — | 16 | 9 | — |
| Millwall | 2001–2001 | — | 2 | 0 | — |
 Great Britain | — | — | 7 | — | — |
British Athletes