The 1966 World Cup winning team is represented, including Bobby Moore and Sir Bobby Charlton, two legendary players.
Current celebrities like Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane are also heavily featured.
Longevity and achievement at the club and international levels are ranking factors.
Over the years, England has produced several football players with exceptional talent. Even though the Three Lions have only ever won one major international competition, the renowned Wembley pitch has seen innumerable amazing football players.
According to supporters, Wayne Rooney was the best football player to ever play for England, and he won the most votes. Some fans, on the other hand, will fervently believe that Sir Bobby Charlton or Bobby Moore merit that distinction because they played a significant role in the country’s 1966 World Cup victory. Some of the stars from England’s World Cup victory and members of the nation’s ‘Golden Generation’ are among the top 20 English players of all time, according to our calculations.
Factors that rank
significance to the nation and the club.
achievement in both club and nation.
the quality of the teams they represented.
longevity.
Objectives.
helps.
sheets that are clean.
A list of the top 20 English football players of all time
Rank
The player
Caps
Teams competed for
1.
Charlton, Sir Bobby
106
Blacktown City, Newcastle KB United, Waterford, Preston North End, Manchester United, and Perth Azzurri
2.
Bobby Moore
108
West Ham United, Fulham, San Antonio Thunder, Seattle Sounders, Herning Fremad, Carolina Lightnin’
3.
Kane, Harry
103
Tottenham Hotspur, Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City, Leicester City, Bayern Munich
4.
Wayne Rooney
120
Everton, Manchester United, D.C. United, Derby County
5.
Gordon Banks
73
Chesterfield, Leicester City, Stoke City, Cleveland Stokers, Hellenic, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, St Patrick’s Athletic
6.
Jimmy Greaves
57
Chelsea, AC Milan, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Brentwood, Chelmsford City, Barnet, Woodford Town
7.
Paul Gascoigne
57
Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton, Burnley, Gansu Tianma, Boston United
8.
Kevin Keegan
63
Scunthorpe United, Liverpool, Hamburger SV, Southampton, Newcastle United, Blacktown City
9.
Alan Shearer
63
Southampton, Blackburn, Newcastle
10.
Steven Gerrard
114
Liverpool, LA Galaxy
11.
David Beckham
115
Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain
12.
Gary Lineker
80
Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, Nagoya Grampus
13.
Stanley Matthews
54
Stoke City, Blackpool, Toronto
14.
Ashley Cole
107
Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Roma, LA Galaxy, Derby County
15.
Paul Scholes
66
Manchester United
16.
Frank Lampard
106
West Ham, Swansea City, Chelsea, Manchester City, New York City
17.
Peter Shilton
125
Leicester City, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle, Wimbledon, Bolton Wanderers, Coventry City, West Ham, Leyton Orient
18.
Michael Owen
89
Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Stoke City
19.
Jude Bellingham
40
Birmingham City, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid
20.
Jordan Pickford
73
Sunderland, Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City, Preston North End, Everton
20Jordan Pickford
England caps: 73
A contentious character in club football, Jordan Pickford is frequently criticized for his patchy performances. But when he dons an England shirt, you can’t say the same thing. Before the Three Lions advanced to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, the Everton goalie solidified his position as the best. Among these was a pivotal penalty stop against Colombia, which led to England’s first-ever World Cup shootout win.
Additionally, he saved penalties in the Three Lions’ quarterfinal win against Switzerland at Euro 2024 and their loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. As an England goalie, Pickford has actually saved five of the 20 penalties he has faced. The Three Lions have advanced to consecutive European Championship finals thanks in large part to his accomplishments in important events.
19Jude Bellingham
England caps: 40
Despite only being 21, Jude Bellingham has already earned 40 caps for England. The Birmingham-born midfielder nearly brought the Three Lions European glory after defeating Real Madrid in the Champions League and La Liga. He scored a bicycle kick in the final moments of Gareth Southgate’s team’s encounter against Slovakia in the Round of 16 at Euro 2024, forcing extra time. In addition, he became the second-youngest player to score for England in the 2022 World Cup.
Bellingham will have many more choices to put an end to England’s 58-year injury streak in important competitions. He will probably win more domestic championships for Real Madrid in the interim, making him one of the most decorated football players in the nation’s history.
18Michael Owen
England caps: 89
Michael Owen is the sixth-highest scorer in English football history with 40 goals for his nation. The former Manchester United and Liverpool striker participated in five tournaments and scored in four of them. His goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup is what made him most renowned and is still regarded as one of the Three Lions’ most memorable goals in a big competition.
Additionally, he achieved great success at home, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup. After winning three championships for Liverpool in a single season, he was awarded the Ballon d’Or in 2001. With his goal against Romania on June 22, 1998, Owen continues to hold the record for being England’s youngest World Cup scorer. At the time of the goal, he was only 18 years and 190 days old.
17Peter Shilton
England caps: 125
Peter Shilton is the man who has played the most games for England. He has therefore done more than enough to merit a place on this list of the Three Lions’ finest footballers of all time. The former Leicester City player spent twenty years with England, making his debut in 1970 and his final appearance in 1990. He played 125 times for his country.
It is impossible to overestimate Shilton’s outstanding legacy with the national team, since he was inducted into the England Hall of Fame in 2002. For a long time, no one could replace him in goal for England in important tournaments.
16Frank Lampard
England caps: 106
Frank Lampard had a fantastic career with his national team, despite his devastating disallowed goal against Germany in the 2010 World Cup. Even many of the top strikers in the nation would be jealous of his return to the field, as he has played more than 100 games and scored just under 30 goals.
Even though Lampard is ranked lower on this list than Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard, who are both considered to be among the greatest English midfielders of all time, it is undeniable that he was still an extremely talented football player.
15Paul Scholes
England caps: 66
One of the greatest midfielders to have ever played in the Premier League is Paul Scholes. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, he won multiple trophies over his whole club career with Manchester United. The legendary Red Devil was renowned for his superb passing, vision, and control, all of which enabled him to set the pace of games.
The fact that he was often wasted while playing for England is absurd and may have been a major factor in the Three Lions’ early 2000s lack of success. Scholes, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard ought to have formed a midfield that could have won the World Cup or the Euros. Unfortunately, no manager was able to complete it, especially Sven-Goran Eriksson. The United player was the best of the three, according to the former Swedish manager.
14Ashley Cole
England caps: 107
Without a doubt, the best left-back the nation has ever produced is Ashley Cole. He is one of just nine players to reach 100 caps for the Three Lions and is frequently considered the best full-back of the Premier League era. He faced Cristiano Ronaldo in a number of memorable matches for England and clubs throughout the years.
Cole was cited by the Portugal forward as his most formidable opponent to date. He was entertaining to watch when he was at his best. The former Chelsea and Arsenal defender was a complete full-back because of his ability to blend defensive duties with offensive danger.
