As Eddie Nketiah looks ahead to making his Crystal Palace debut, let’s look back at some of the club’s greatest centre-forwards to take on the famous No. 9 shirt…
Nketiah arrives from Arsenal, returning to South London, as the club's latest signing to boost Oliver Glasner's squad. After scoring 38 goals in 168 appearances for the Gunners, he now sets his sights on finding the back of the net for the Eagles like some illustrious names before him...
The Legacy of the No. 9 Shirt
The No. 9 shirt at Crystal Palace has been worn by some of the club's most iconic strikers. Players who have donned the famous jersey have left an indelible mark on the club's history, etching their names into the annals of Selhurst Park lore. As Eddie Nketiah steps into the shoes of these legends, he inherits a legacy of goals, passion, and unwavering dedication.
Glenn Murray: A Selhurst Park Hero
The previous incumbent set the standards for dedication to Crystal Palace, making 212 appearances across a six-year spell that included winning the club’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards in 2018/19. He scored one of the greatest Selhurst Park goals the following season, pirouetting between two defenders and dinking over the goalkeeper against West Ham United on Boxing Day in 2019. In the 2022/23 campaign he was ever-present, featuring in all 41 competitive matches, and he finished his career in South London with 23 goals and 22 assists to his name, before departing for Leicester City this summer.
The Strike Force of Ian Wright and Mark Bright
What a lethal centre-forward partnership this was, and with the traditional No. 9 and No. 10 shirts to boot. With Ian Wright sporting the latter, Brighty took on the mantle of being the club’s No. 9 and smashed in goal after goal. He finished his Palace career with 114 in all competitions, part of Steve Coppell’s side which reached the FA Cup final, finished third in the top-flight – still a club best – and lifted the Full Members’ Cup at Wembley.
The Penalty Hero: Dwight Gayle
Scorer of one of the most important goals in the club’s modern history. After Wilfried Zaha had won Palace a penalty in extra-time in the 2012/13 play-off final, who else would you want to step up from 12-yards with the Premier League dream at stake? Phillips dispatched emphatically and sent Palace back into the top-flight just two years after the club had faced the threat of extinction.
The Prolific: Dougie Freedman
Now the club’s sporting director, the man who helped to bring Nketiah to Selhurst Park can tell him a thing or two about scoring prolifically in a Crystal Palace shirt. Freedman wore the No. 9 shirt during his second spell at the club, scoring 74 times to take his tally for the club to 108, putting him in sixth in the all-time list – just two places and six goals behind Bright…
The Forgotten Striker: Chris Armstrong
Armstrong wore the No. 9 shirt for the 1994/95 campaign, as Palace returned to the top-flight having won the Second Division title in 1994. He scored 18 goals in all competitions, a third prolific season in succession, before joining Tottenham Hotspur where he would spend the next seven years.
Nketiah's Challenge: Can He Write His Own Chapter?
The weight of history and the expectations of the Crystal Palace faithful are significant for any player wearing the No. 9 shirt. As Nketiah steps onto the pitch at Selhurst Park, he will be eager to make his mark and carve his own place in the club's rich history. Whether he can replicate the successes of his predecessors remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Nketiah's journey at Crystal Palace will be one to watch. His ambition, skill, and determination will be put to the ultimate test in the coming season. The stage is set for him to leave his own legacy, to add his name to the pantheon of Crystal Palace's greatest No. 9s. The future awaits, and with each goal, each assist, and every display of grit and determination, Nketiah will have the opportunity to rewrite the narrative of the iconic No. 9 shirt.
