Les Ferdinand

The prolific striker who scored 149 Premier League goals, played for six top-flight clubs, and earned 17 caps for England.

Les Ferdinand (born 8 December 1966) is an English football coach, former professional striker, and television pundit. His playing career featured notable spells with Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Leicester City, and Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League, alongside stints at Beşiktaş in Turkey and clubs like Brentford, Reading, and Watford in the Football League. Before turning professional, he played non-league football for Southall and Hayes. A key figure in English football history, Ferdinand earned 17 caps for England and was part of the Euro 96 and World Cup 98 squads. He remains the eleventh-highest scorer in Premier League history with 149 goals and contributed 49 assists.

Quick Facts

Full name: Leslie Ferdinand
Born: 8 December 1966
Birthplace: Acton, Greater London, England
Height: 1.80 m / 5 ft 11 in
Position: Striker

Lore & Background

Ferdinand's career began in non-league football with Viking Sports before he moved to Southall, where he made his league debut in August 1984 against Chertsey Town. After helping Southall reach the 1986 FA Vase final, he joined Hayes, scoring 20 goals in 42 appearances before being spotted by Queens Park Rangers for £50,000. His breakthrough at QPR came in the 1991–92 season with 20 goals in 37 games, helping the club become a founder member of the new FA Premier League. A standout moment occurred in April 1993 when he scored a hat-trick against Everton at Goodison Park, a venue where he had previously endured racist abuse from supporters. He later told his autobiography, Sir Les: "The hat-trick at Everton was particularly pleasing because I had always had racial abuse at Everton from their supporters... Probably the worst thing I have encountered in my professional career has been racist letters coming from supporters – most of which, I have to say, have come from Everton fans."

Reader's Guide

Ferdinand's career trajectory saw him move from Newcastle to Tottenham Hotspur in 1997 for £6 million, the club he supported as a boy. Despite injuries disrupting his first season, he formed a partnership with Jürgen Klinsmann that saved Spurs from relegation and helped them win the League Cup in 1999 against Leicester City. He scored the 10,000th goal in Premiership history on 15 December 2001 in a 4–0 win against Fulham. His later career included moves to West Ham United (January 2003), newly promoted Leicester City where he scored 12 Premier League goals at age 37, and Bolton Wanderers. A memorable moment at Bolton came when he scored against rivals Manchester United from a centre back position in the last minute of a match that ended in a draw after David Bellion's injury-time goal for United. He finished his playing days with brief spells at Reading (scoring one league goal) and Watford before retiring just short of his 40th birthday.

Did You Know?

His move to Newcastle for £6 million included a sell-on clause that gave his former non-league club Hayes £600,000, funding 'The Ferdinand Suite'.
Ferdinand received a standing ovation at Newcastle United when he returned as a Tottenham player and broke down in tears trying to put on Alan Shearer's shirt.