With the exception of Peter Reid's consecutive 7th place finishes (and a few decent seasons under Steve Bruce), Sunderland's years in the Premier League have been fought in a state of perma-struggle. Despite their less-than-impressive time at the top of the football pyramid, the Black Cats have seen a handful of decent strikers - and one or two true gems - pass through their doors at the Stadium of Light. From big target men to nippy poachers, passionate warriors to coolly detached loanees, Sunderland have seen a variety of frontmen succeed on Wearside - or at least score just enough goals to keep them on Match of the Day for another season.
Not all of these figures are too fondly remembered in Sunderland despite their goals. For every loyalist who stuck around for longer than necessary, pledging their support for the club and giving everything on the pitch, there's a mercenary who took off for a better wage packet. Some lasted only a season on loan, making a brief impact before returning to their parent club, while one in particular has become a true Black Cat ambassador, beloved by fans for his years of service on and off the pitch.
Here are the ten best Sunderland strikers of their Premier League years.
10. Kevin Phillips
The number one spot belongs, of course, to Super Kev. Phillips scored over one hundred goals for Sunderland, helping the club to their most successful spell of the modern era.
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His 30 goal tally in the 1999/2000 season made him the only Black Cat to win a Premier League Golden Boot award (as well as the European Golden Shoe, the only Englishman to do so).