“6 Premier League players to score a hat-trick on Boxing Day”

Premier League has a long time ritual to have matches played on Boxing Day and just before the New Year’s Eve. This long standing ritual has been going on since the Premier League’s inception in 1992. It is the most awaited time of the year for football fans all around the world too.

Premier League clubs play several games during the festive period with very little time to rest and this results to rotation in squad every matchday. The Boxing Day matches are important for the English fans for many reasons as it brings the whole nation together and there is a celebratory vibe around every club’s fans.

There have only been 6 Premier League players to have scored a hat-trick on Boxing Day throughout the Premier League’s vast history. Let’s have a look at those 6 players below.

6 Premier League players to have scored a hat-trick on Boxing Day:

6. Kevin Phillips (Sunderland vs Bradford,2000)

Kevin Phillips was one of the most underrated players in the Premier League back in the time. The former England international was a hero at Sunderland and was clearly a fan favourite after winning the Golden Boot during his time at the club.

The former England striker scored a hat-trick against a struggling Bradford side in the 2000/01 season and helped Sunderland to fight for European spots that season. It was a marvellous game for Phillips who scored his hat-trick in spectacular fashion.

Phillips scored 14 goals in 34 Premier League appearances that season and was in fine form. However, Sunderland missed out on Europe after finishing 7th in the table, below Chelsea by just 4 points. Phillips. on the other hand, did have a good individual campaign and was on the radar for many top clubs in the League.

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5. Thierry Henry (Arsenal vs Leicester City,2000)

Thierry Henry is often regarded as the best player to play in the Premier League ever. The Frenchman was consistently good throughout his time in the league and went on to become one of Arsenal‘s best ever player.

Henry scored a hat-trick on Boxing Day,2000 against Leicester City in the Premier League and helped his team to win the game 6-1. He was awarded the Man of the Match for his heroics that day. The Frenchman also provided 2 assists in the same game and many football fans believe this is the best individual performance ever by a Premier League player in a single game.

Henry scored 17 goals in 35 Premier League appearances that season and the former France international recorded 9 assists too. It was one of the best ever seasons at the club and he was clearly becoming a fan favourite during that time.

4. Robbie Fowler (Leeds United vs Bolton Wanderers,2001)

Robbie Fowler is regarded as one of the greatest strikers to play in the Premier League era. The former England international was in fine form in the 2001/02 season and was a key player for Leeds United during that time.

Fowler scored an impressive hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers on Boxing Day, helping his team to win the game 3-0. The former England striker helped Leeds United finish 5th in the league with 66 points to their name.

Robbie Fowler scored 15 goals and provided 3 assists in 32 Premier League appearances that season and was key for Leeds United to finish in a European spot for next season. The former England striker is highly regarded in both Leeds United and Liverpool for his contributions.

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3. Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United vs Wigan Athletic,2011)

Dimitar Berbatov was one the most technically gifted players the Premier League has ever seen. The former Bulgarian international was at the latter stages of his career when he decided to join Manchester United, However, the striker was highly efficient and scored some iconic goals during his short time at the club.

Berbatov scored a hat-trick against Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day and helped the Red Devils to win the game 5-0. However, Manchester United went on to lose the title on the final day of the season by just Goal Difference and it was also the last season for Berbatov at the Red Devils.

The former Bulgarian international scored 7 goals in the league that season but was a fan favourite and a modern-day Premier League hero that time. His contribution to the league is still fondly remembered by many fans in England.

2. Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa,2012)

Gareth Bale was one of the best wingers during his time at Tottenham Hotspur. The Welsh international’s insane speed and skilful dribbling caused havoc for any side in the Premier League and Bale was scoring goals for fun during that time for Spurs.

Bale scored an impressive hat-trick in a 4-0 win against Aston Villa on Boxing Day in the 2012/13 season and it was after this game that Real Madrid were really interested in signing the Welshman. Bale helped Spurs to a 5th place finish in the League that season and moved to Real Madrid for a world record fee that time in the following summer.

The Wales international scored 21 goals and provided 9 assists in just 33 Premier League appearances that season and was highly regarded as one of the best youngsters the Premier League had ever seen. He carried Spurs on his back and went on to have successful career later on.

1. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton,2017)

Harry Kane is currently one of the best strikers in the world. The England international has been scoring goals for fun ever since he broke in the first team at Tottenham Hotspur in 2013. Kane’s scoring ability and his passing range has seen him become one of the best all-round striker the Premier League has ever seen.

Kane scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Southampton on Boxing Day in the 2017/18 season and the 29 year old finished the season on 30 goals, just 2 short of the top scorer, Mohamed Salah. However, Kane was not planning to stop soon and went on to have an impressive campaign in the FIFA World Cup too.

Harry Kane helped Spurs to finish 3rd in the Premier League that season with 77 points and the negland international is still an instrumental figure in the team because of his vast experience and good leadership.

Here is a list of the 6 players to have scored a hat-trick on Boxing Day in the Premier League:

Rank	Name	Club	Year
6	Kevin Phillips	Sunderland FC	2000
5	Thierry Henry	Arsenal FC	2000
4	Robbie Fowler	Leeds United	2001
3	Dimitar Berbatov	Manchester United	2011
2	Gareth Bale	Tottenham Hotspur	2012
1	Harry Kane	Tottenham Hotspur	2017