Hakan Şükür vs Paul Ince: Stats Compared
Striker, Turkey (born 1971, retired 2008) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1967, retired 2006)
Put Hakan Şükür and Paul Ince side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. Silverware is the currency of legacy, and both players filled cabinets that few can rival. Hakan Şükür finishes with 320 career goals from 600 games — a 0.53 strike rate — against Paul Ince's 90 from 650 at 0.14 per match. In chance creation, Hakan Şükür tallied 60 assists to Paul Ince's 60. In major honours Hakan Şükür collected 8 — headlined by 1× UEFA Cup (2000) — whereas Paul Ince amassed 4, led by 2× Premier League (1993, 1994). Hakan Şükür built his medal haul through years of clinical consistency, while Paul Ince won his with incisive bursts of brilliance. Club journeys add another layer, with Hakan Şükür reaching his representative peak around 2000 across Sakaryaspor, Galatasaray, Torino, Galatasaray, Parma, Galatasaray, Blackburn Rovers, Galatasaray and Paul Ince doing so around 1994 with West Ham United, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
175 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Turkey's all-time leading goalscorer and captain of Galatasaray's historic 2000 UEFA Cup triumph, Şükür scored the fastest goal in World Cup history in 2002.
“A sharp, physically strong striker whose clinical finishing led Galatasaray's rise to continental success.”
The first Black player to captain England, Ince was a combative, driving midfielder at the heart of Manchester United's early Premier League dominance.
“An aggressive, all-action midfielder whose tackling and late runs into the box made him a formidable box-to-box presence.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 1× UEFA Cup (2000)
- 1× UEFA Super Cup (2000)
- 6× Süper Lig (1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002)
- 2× Premier League (1993, 1994)
- 2× FA Cup (1990, 1994)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1988 Professional debut for Sakaryaspor
- 2000 Won UEFA Cup with Galatasaray
- 1993 Won Süper Lig with Galatasaray
- 2000 Reached the peak of his powers at Galatasaray
- 2008 Retired after a final spell at Galatasaray
- Finished his career with 320 goals in 600 appearances and 8 major honours. Finished his career with 320 goals in 600 appearances and 8 major honours.
- 1986 Professional debut for West Ham United
- 1993 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 1990 Won FA Cup with Manchester United
- 1994 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2006 Retired after a final spell at Swindon Town
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
On balance Hakan Şükür edges the comparison. The margin is a narrow margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Hakan Şükür edges it (a narrow margin)
