The most natural goalscorer in English football history, whose prolific record across club and country remains astonishing.
James Peter Greaves was born in Manor Park, London on 20 February 1940. He burst onto the scene at Chelsea, scoring 124 goals in 157 appearances before a brief spell at AC Milan. He returned to England with Tottenham in 1961, where he became the club's all-time leading scorer with 266 goals in 379 appearances. He won two FA Cups and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1963 with Spurs. For England, he scored 44 goals in just 57 caps — a ratio that remains extraordinary. Cruelly, he lost his place to Geoff Hurst during the 1966 World Cup and was left out of the final, not receiving a winner's medal until 2009. He later played for West Ham. After battling alcoholism, he became a beloved TV personality on ITV's Saint and Greavsie. He died on 19 September 2021.
Being England's fourth-highest goalscorer with 44 international goals
Despite being part of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad, he didn't receive a winner's medal until 2009 — 43 years after the final — because he didn't play in the match itself.
Did You Know?How They Played
Clinical finisher with exceptional positioning and instinctive goalscoring ability
Lasting Impact
One of England's greatest natural goalscorers and a key figure in the 1966 World Cup squad
Career Honours
- FA Cup 2x
- European Cup Winners' Cup 1963
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1963
- FA Cup 1962
- FA Cup 1967
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 1957–1961 | — | 157 | 37 | #10 |
| AC Milan | 1961–1961 | £80,000 | 14 | 9 | — |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1961–1970 | — | 379 | 266 | #9 |
| West Ham United | 1970–1971 | — | 40 | 13 | #9 |
| Brentford | 1978–1979 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Chelmsford City | 1979–1980 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Barnet | 1980–1980 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
 England | — | — | 57 | 44 | — |