Jack Taylor Joins Elite Group of Scorers in England’s Top Five Football Leagues

Jack Taylor, who joined Ipswich Town following their promotion to the Championship in 2023, has entered an exclusive group of footballers by scoring in all five of England’s top professional leagues. This achievement came when he netted an injury-time winning goal for Ipswich against Wolves. The 26-year-old midfielder’s scoring record includes goals for Barnet in League Two and the National League, for Peterborough in League One and the Championship, and subsequently for Ipswich Town in the Championship and the Premier League. He transferred to Ipswich Town, known as the Tractor Boys, from Peterborough, also referred to as Posh, in June 2023. Taylor is now the second player from Ipswich to have scored in England’s top five leagues, a distinction he shares with his Republic of Ireland national team colleague, Sammie Szmodics. Earlier this season, Ipswich captain Sam Morsy and midfielder Conor Chaplin also joined a more extensive list of players who have scored in the top four divisions. Manager Kieran McKenna commented on Taylor’s journey, stating, “Last week, his [Taylor’s] first start in the Premier League coming from Barnet in the National League, was a testament to him, the group and the staff to how they work every day.” McKenna further added regarding Taylor’s recent performance: “To not start today, he was disappointed but as the top professional and person he is he understood. To come [on] and make the impact was brilliant for him and from him. Six of the starting team were with us in League One 18 months ago. The group has been on an incredible journey.” BBC Sport highlights other players who, similar to Taylor, have scored goals from the National League level up through the divisions. Gary Hooper holds the most extensive scoring record, having netted in England’s top SEVEN divisions. He continues to play for Kettering and enhanced his record in October. The 36-year-old striker scored for Grays Athletic in the mid-2000s, finding the net in both the Conference South and Conference National leagues. His career also saw him score in League One for Southend (and Leyton Orient), for Hereford in League Two, and for Scunthorpe in both League One and the Championship. Following a highly productive period in Scotland with Celtic, Hooper scored six Premier League goals for Norwich during the 2013-14 season, subsequently adding more Championship goals for Norwich (the Canaries) and Sheffield Wednesday. Hooper’s career extended internationally, with goals in the Australian league, India, Cyprus, and the UAE, before he scored twice for Barnet in the National League last season. His scoring journey continued this season when he joined Kettering in the Southern Football League Premier Division Central, which is the seventh tier of English football, and scored in a victory against Stourbridge in October, further extending his unique record. Steve Finnan is another player on this list, being one of three Republic of Ireland internationals to have scored in England’s top five leagues. The former Republic of Ireland right-back, Steve Finnan, initially scored for Welling United in the Conference, as the league was known at the time, before moving up to the second tier and scoring for Birmingham. He subsequently scored in the third and then fourth tiers while playing for Notts County, a period that suggested a descent through the league system. However, a transfer to Fulham led to him scoring in both the third and second tiers. Finnan ultimately reached the Premier League, where he scored exactly one goal in 236 appearances for Liverpool, during a 3-0 victory against West Brom in 2004. An accompanying image of Jimmy Willis (l) represents the sole available photograph from his tenure at Leicester. Detailed statistics for Jimmy Willis’s career during the 1980s and 1990s are incomplete, but his account of his achievements is accepted. In a 2007 Liverpool Echo article, Willis is quoted recalling: “I was watching television when I heard the Sky News presenter say that Steve Finnan was the only player to have scored in the top five divisions of English football. I thought ‘I’m sure I’ve done that’. I’ve kept all my old my cuttings so I had a look, and it was there in black and white.” The defender scored for Darlington in the Conference and the fourth tier, and subsequently for Leicester in the second tier and the Premier League, where he netted twice during the 1994-95 season. His goal in the third tier was achieved during a loan period at Bradford. Nottingham Forest player Ryan Yates has spent his entire career with the club, though some of his goals were scored during loan spells. The 27-year-old Nottingham Forest captain, Ryan Yates, has also achieved the feat of scoring in the top five divisions. He has scored for Forest in both the Championship and the Premier League, with his two top-flight goals occurring in 2024. Prior to this, he scored during loan periods with Barrow (National League), Notts County (League Two), and Scunthorpe (League One). Sammie Szmodics also joined the exclusive “top-five-tiers” club this season. Szmodics was the first Ipswich player to achieve this distinction this season, preceding Taylor. His scoring record includes goals for Colchester in League One and then League Two, with a National League goal scored during a loan spell at Braintree in between. He subsequently netted in League One and the Championship for Peterborough, followed by additional Championship goals for Blackburn, before joining Ipswich in the summer. His first of three Premier League goals was scored in August, during a 4-1 defeat against Manchester City.