The next time someone tells you that Steven Gerrard is ‘a grafter’ point them in the direction of Mr Howard...
A former roofer and road digger, Howard netted 27 goals in 142 appearances for first club Hartlepool United before he became Northampton Town’s record signing for £120,000 in 1999.~
He then netted 18 goals in 86 appearances before his career really took off down the M1 at Luton.
There, he became a talisman as the club rose from the basement league to the Championship – his big, burly presence as an old-fashioned target man made him unplayable on occasions.
With 95 goals in 212 appearances, he joined Derby for £1m in July 2006 and scored 19 goals as the side clinched promotion.
He found the Premier League a tougher proposition and scored just one top-flight goal before joining Leicester for £1.5m in January 2008. He then netted six goals by the end of the campaign.