It wouldn’t be out of place to look to England for players who have shone in the European football scene. It is true that, despite their best efforts, they have not been able to duplicate the kind of performance that earned them the World Cup in 1966; yet, it would be unfair to ignore their whole skill set due to that one shortcoming. Many players from England’s past can look back on their achievements with pride and beat their chests when they declare that they truly “came, saw, and conquered.” Find the list of the Top 10 England Players of All Time below.
The Top 10 England Players of All Time
Duncan Edwards
Despite being just 21 years old before he died in the tragic Munich air crash, he had been a regular starter in the Manchester United team of the 50s for over four years. He played under the United Manager, Matt Busby, in the young United team known as the Busby Babes. He managed about 151 appearances for the Red Devils scoring 20 goals and 18 appearances for the Three Lions, scoring 5 goals.
It is not sure how good he’d have been, had he not died so young, but people who played with him, or that had close contact with his playing days rated him highly, which made a case for him being on this list. He was the youngest player to ever play in the Football League First Division, and during his time, the youngest England player. Edwards won two Football League Championship titles with United, and two FA Charity Shields, and got to the European Cup semi-final. He starts off our list of The Top 10 England Players of All Time.
Gary Lineker
This other fantastic striker began his football career in 1978 at Leicester City. He came to Everton after his time with Leicester, where he scored 30 goals in 41 games. Before returning to England with Tottenham Hotspur, he began his football career at Barcelona, where he won the Copa Del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1989.
He won the FA Charity Shield and the FA Cup in 1991 with the Lilywhites. In 1984, he began his career in England, playing in 80 games and tallying 48 goals. He trails only Bobby Charlton and Wayne Rooney in goals scored for England. Linekar scored 30 goals in 41 games at Everton, 42 goals in 103 games at Barcelona, and 67 goals in 105 games at Tottenham Hotspur throughout his time as a club player. He is deserving of his spot on our list of the greatest English legends.
Billy Wright
Billy Wright is the next legendary English football player on the list. He is the first football player to reach the 100-appearance mark for his country. Additionally, he is the owner of the record for the longest consecutive run in an international football match. In reality, he was a central defender who spent his whole playing career at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Due to the fact that the match was played during a war, his 1939 debut was not officially recognized. He made his official FA Cup debut in a 1945–1946 match against Lovells Athletic.
Along with winning the FA Cup with Wolves in 1949, he led the team to three First Division victories in 1954, 58, and 59. After around 541 club appearances, he retired in 1959. His full debut was scheduled for September 28, 1946, but he made his England debut on January 19, 1946. After being named captain in 1948, he led the club for an unprecedented ninety years (a record he shared with Bobby Moore). He appeared in 105 games for England in all, tallying three goals.
Bryan Robson
This player from England has also succeeded in carving out a space for himself by setting record after record. First off, with 90 outings, he is fifth on the list of most appearances. With 26 goals scored, he finished ninth on the scoring list as well. At 65 times, he is third only to Bobby Moore and Billy Wright in terms of most captaincy. His football career started in 1972 with West Bromwich Albion. Later that year, he transferred to Manchester United, where he had an extremely successful career.
He won two Premier League championships, three FA Cups, two FA Charity Shields, and the 1991 European Cup Winners’ Cup while he was a player at United. Bryan Robson was voted the best United player of all time in August 2011. In his 90 England appearances, he scored 26 goals throughout his time on the international stage.
Steven Gerrard
Gerrard spent most of his football playing career as the captain of Liverpool. At the age of nine, he enrolled in the club’s Youth Academy, and at the age of seventeen, he negotiated his first professional contract. His debut came in 1998. Gerrard won the FA Cup, UEFA Cup, and League Cup three times with Liverpool in 2000–2001. In 2003, he was named captain of the team.
Regarded as the finest player to have ever played for Liverpool, Gerrard’s accomplishments at Anfield included two FA Cups, three League Cups, one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Champions League, one FA Community Shield, and one UEFA Super Cup. In addition, he scored 120 goals in 504 games throughout his tenure with the team. Later, he joined the Major League Soccer team LA Galaxy, but he was only there for a year. He made just 34 Galaxy appearances and scored 5 goals. Gerrard made 114 appearances for the Three Lions on the international scene, tallying 21 goals.
Alan Shearer
When discussing an England player with limitless scoring potential whose record of goal-scoring in the English Premier League remains unbroken, Alan Shearer’s name immediately comes to mind. On March 26, 1988, Shearer made his Premier League debut for Southampton. Two weeks later, on his full debut, he scored a hat-trick against Arsenal, becoming the youngest player in the top division at the age of 17 years and 240 days. This achievement garnered media attention.
Following his success at Soton, which garnered him national attention, he made a record-breaking £3.6 million transfer to Blackburn Rovers. After making 138 appearances for Blackburn and scoring 112 goals, he won the Premier League with the team in the 1994–1995 season. In 303 appearances after moving to Newcastle United in 1996, he scored 148 goals. After making his debut with the Three Lions in 1990, he went on to score 30 goals in 63 games.
David Beckham
Another name that a lot of people would have expected to see on the list is this one. The first English player to win league titles in England, Spain, the US, and France is the player known affectionately as “Beckins.” With Manchester United, where he made his English Premier League debut in 1992, he went on to win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the 1999 UEFA Champions League. Following this, he traveled to Spain with Real Madrid, playing in 116 games and tallying 13 goals. He joined the Major League Soccer team LA Galaxy, where he played in 98 games and netted 18 goals.
Before joining PSG in France, he played for two years on loan at AC Milan, making 29 appearances and scoring two goals during his tenure at LA Galaxy. His overall number of club appearances was 523, with 97 goals scored. September 1, 1996, was his debut with the Three Lions. He went on to play 115 times for them and net 17 goals.
Wayne Rooney
Rooney is one of just two players from England to have won the FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Champions League, League Cup, UEFA Europa League, and Premier League. Michael Carrick is the other participant. He has triumphed in all English, European, and Continental competitions, winning every club honor possible. The only trophy that eludes him still is the UEFA Super Cup.
In 2002, Rooney began his professional career at Everton, where he played for two seasons. He made 67 appearances while scoring 15 goals for them. In 2004, he moved to Manchester United for approximately £25.6 million. At Old Trafford, he took home 16 trophies, including the FA Cup, the Champions League, and five Premier League crowns. With 208 Premier League goals, he is the second-highest goalscorer in Premier League history, only surpassed by Alan Shearer. In his 120 games after making his debut for England in February 2003, he scored 53 goals.
Bobby Moore
English football fans will always hold a special place in their hearts for the legend that is Bobby Moore. Moore began playing football for West Ham United.In a 16-year career, he participated in almost 600 games. Along with West Ham United, he won the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. He was the 1964 FWA Footballer of the Year and the 1961, 63, 68, and 70 West Ham Player of the Season winners during his tenure at the club. When he was playing for the national team, his career reached its heyday.
In 1964, he was appointed captain of England, and in 1966, he won the World Cup championship. In addition to 124 appearances for Fulham and 24 goals during his 544 games at West Ham, he also scored 1 goal in his other club appearances. He made 108 appearances for England and netted two goals. He just misses our on top spot on our list of The Top 10 England Players of All Time.
Sir Bobby Charlton
The renowned Sir Bobby Charlton is the last person on the list. one of the all-time greats in football and the best player in England. In 1966, he not only won the Ballon d’Or but also was a part of the team that won the World Cup. In 1956, he began playing football at United, where he won three FA Youth Cups, one FA Cup, four Charity Cups, one European Cup, and three Football League First Division titles. During his career at United, he made 606 appearances and scored 199 goals.
Commencing his international career on April 19, 1958, he made 106 appearances for the Three Lions in all, tallying 49 goals in his tenure. He is without a doubt the best football player England has ever produced in its lengthy and distinguished history. He tops our list of The Top 10 England Players of All Time.
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