Chris Sutton

By Craig · Published 27 October 2026

Chris Sutton is a Nottingham-born striker who won the Premier League with Blackburn in 1995 as Alan Shearer's partner, shared the Golden Boot in 1998, and scored once in a season at Chelsea after a £10 million move. He is now a pundit and commentator.

Clubs

Norwich City (1991 to 1994), Blackburn Rovers (1994 to 1999), Chelsea (1999 to 2000), Celtic (2000 to 2006), Birmingham City (2006), Aston Villa (2006 to 2007)

Premier League

255 appearances, 83 goals

Honours

Premier League 1995, Premier League Golden Boot 1997/98 (shared), Scottish Premier League 2001, 2002 and 2004, Scottish Cup 2001, 2004 and 2005, SPFA Players' Player of the Year 2004

International

England, 1 cap

Fantasy price

£9.0m in 1997/98

Who did he play for?

He started as a centre back at Norwich and was moved up front. In 1993/94 he scored 25 league goals and was the club's player of the season.

Blackburn paid £5 million for him in July 1994, then the biggest fee in English football. He scored a hat-trick against Coventry in his first month, 15 league goals in the season and 49 with Shearer, and Blackburn won the title on the last day at Anfield.

He didn't score in 13 league games in 1995/96, scored 11 the next season and 18 in 1997/98, sharing the Golden Boot with Dion Dublin and Michael Owen. He was Player of the Month in February 1998.

Chelsea paid £10 million for him in July 1999. He scored one league goal in 28 games and was sold to Celtic a year later for £6 million. He scored twice in a 6-2 win over Rangers in his third game, 63 league goals in six seasons, three titles and was the players' player of the year in 2004.

He came back to England in January 2006 for a few months at Birmingham, then Aston Villa. A bruised retina from a clash in December 2006 left him with blurred vision, and he retired in July 2007.

His only England cap came as a substitute against Cameroon in November 1997. He had refused a call-up to the B team under Glenn Hoddle and was never picked again.

The moment: Arsenal, 19 April 1997

Highbury, Saturday 19 April 1997. Arsenal led through David Platt and were pushing for a Champions League place.

In stoppage time Arsenal put the ball out for an injury. When Blackburn returned it, Sutton closed down Nigel Winterburn and forced a corner, and Garry Flitcroft headed in from it. Arsenal 1-1 Blackburn. Arsenal players chased him up the tunnel and he locked himself in a toilet. Arsenal missed the Champions League on goal difference.

Two years earlier, on 14 May 1995, Blackburn lost 2-1 at Anfield and won the title anyway, because Manchester United could only draw at West Ham.

Why the streets won't forget

On 1 April 1995 he scored after 12.94 seconds against Everton, then the fastest goal in Premier League history. Dwight Yorke beat it five months later.

At Celtic he scored the fastest Old Firm goal, inside 18 seconds at Ibrox in December 2002.

He has said that turning down the England B call-up was wrong.

He co-hosts 606 on BBC Radio 5 Live with Robbie Savage and commentates on Scottish football for TNT Sports. His father Mike, a former Norwich player, died in December 2020 after ten years with dementia, and Sutton has campaigned on head injuries in football since.

Which seasons can you draft him in?

Six. His Norwich seasons and the title season come before the game starts, and his eight games for Aston Villa in 2006/07 don't make the game's squads.

One season in six: 1997/98, when he is £1.0m cheaper than Dublin for the same 18 goals.

Want him in your retro fantasy football team for 1997/98? He'll cost you £9.0m.