Dean Saunders

Widely recognised for his time at Aston Villa, Saunders also played for a host of other clubs, including Swansea City, Cardiff City, Brighton, Oxford United, Derby County, Liverpool, Galatasaray, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Benfica, and Bradford City. He earned 75 caps for Wales, cementing his place as one of the nation’s all-time greats.

Saunders was one of the Welsh national side’s most prolific goalscorers. He made his international debut as a 21-year-old against the Republic of Ireland in 1986. Over his international career, he scored 22 goals, ranking him fourth on Wales’ all-time goalscorer list behind Ian Rush, Ivor Allchurch, and Trevor Ford.

One of his most memorable moments came in 1991 when he scored the winning goal in a famous 1-0 victory over Brazil in Cardiff. Saunders earned his final cap in March 2001 during a World Cup qualifier against Ukraine at the age of 36, making him one of Wales’ most respected strikers.

When Welsh fans discuss the greatest Welsh striker of all time, Saunders is often mentioned alongside legends such as Ian Rush and Mark Hughes.