In brief
The England B team, which was criticised before disbanding in 2007, served as a springboard for players hoping to make the senior squad.
Jermaine Jenas switched to journalism after football, while Scott Carson now warms the bench at Manchester City.
Ledley King was a one-club man, Alan Smith instructs young players in Florida, and Phil Neville made the move into management.
The England B squad was an odd adversary before England’s Under-21s gained centre stage. Founded by Walter Winterbottom in 1947, this team served as a springboard for individuals vying for a spot in the senior squad. It provided a global platform for up-and-coming artists and fringe performers looking to establish themselves. Eventually, its position in the future landscape was examined, and in May 2007, its forgotten chapter came to an end.
Before officially retiring, the B squad defeated Albania’s first team 3-1 in front of 22,500 spectators at Burnley’s Turf Moor. However, what happened to the men from that swan song that Steve McClaren had? What number of people entered the senior England setup? And in 2025, are any of them still putting on their boots? The starting lineup for the final-ever England B squad is shown below. Let’s examine their subsequent performance in more detail.
Goalkeeper & Defence
Scott Carson; Phil Neville, Michael Dawson, Ledley King, Nicky Shorey
Michael Dawson, his long-time Tottenham companion, did a little worse, only receiving four senior caps. He is now a television commentator.
Nicky Shorey, a right-back in the Premier League, played for Reading for almost 300 games but only received two England caps. Before retiring in 2016, he played for lower-league teams like Hungerford and Colchester as his career waned. He held recruitment positions at Colchester and West Ham, and he tried his hand at management with Wingate & Finchley, but none of these positions lasted long.
Defenders and goalkeepers
Place
The player
The final club
Caps for Senior England
Goalie
Carson, Scott
City of Manchester
4.
The right-back
Shorey, Nicky
Town of Hungerford
2.
The centre-back
King Ledley
Tottenham Hotspur
21
The centre-back
Michael Dawson
Forest of Nottingham
4.
The left-back
Neville, Phil
Everton
59
The midfield
David Bentley, Jermaine Jenas, Aaron Lennon, and Gareth Barry
All English football fans are aware with Aaron Lennon, who spent over two decades playing in the top division. In August 2003, while still a youngster, he made his debut with Leeds United. He was 16 years and 199 days old when he assisted a goal against Arsenal in November of that year, becoming him the youngest Premier League player to ever do so. He is well remembered for his tenure with Tottenham Hotspur, but he also played for Everton and Burnley in England until retiring in 2022 with 21 senior caps.
David Bentley, who made up half of a defensive-thinking middle of the park, celebrated the moment by getting himself an assist. There was never any question about his quality because he was one of the best players to play for both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. Although the once-promising young player won the Premier League with the Gunners in 2003–04, he only managed to accumulate seven senior England caps before retiring at the early age of 29. Who knows what the midfielder may have accomplished if he hadn’t hung up his boots so soon? He is currently managing a business in Marbella that involves managing a number of bars and restaurants.
Gareth Barry, who played in the Premier League for Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton, and West Brom in addition to earning 53 England caps over his 22-year career, was his midfield partner throughout the match. At the amazing age of forty-three, Barry recently joined Hurstpierpoint, a 12th-tier hamlet football team in Mid Sussex.
Jermaine Jenas completes a midfield quartet that evokes nostalgia. He made more than 100 appearances for Tottenham and Newcastle before retiring in 2014. He then embarked on an even more prosperous media career, hosting the BBC One Show and being regarded as the logical successor to Gary Lineker’s position on Match of the Day. nonetheless, he was removed of his responsibilities in 2024 after sending offensive texts to two female coworkers; nonetheless, he is making an effort to regain his reputation after making his comeback to British television screens during Liverpool vs. Arsenal.
Players in the middle
Place
The player
The final club
Caps for Senior England
Midfield on the right
Lennon, Aaron
Burnley
21
Midfield centre
Bentley, David
Tottenham Hotspur
7.
Midfield centre
Barry, Gareth
Hurst Pierpoint
53
Midfield on the left
Jenas Jermaine
QPR
21
Attack
Alan Smith and Michael Owen
The most well-known player from England’s last B team game was Michael Owen. While recovering from injuries at Newcastle, the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner never quite recovered his former genius. Although he has found success as a commentator on TNT Sports covering Champions League football, his career fizzled out and he is regularly reminded of how unwanted he is at Anfield after periods at Real Madrid and Manchester United.
The same thing happened to Alan Smith. He still has trouble walking today after suffering a terrible leg break at Anfield in 2006 that left him with ten pins in his leg. He scored 54 goals in 225 games and won 19 England caps during his greatest years at Leeds United. Now forty-four, he relocated to Florida in 2020 to coach young athletes and is the Academy Director of Orlando’s XL Soccer Academy. When asked about his position, he replied: “The goal of The XL Academy is to produce National Team players while giving every student the opportunity to perform to their greatest potential on the pitch and in the classroom.”
The Forwards
Place
The player
The final club
Caps for Senior England
Attacker
Michael Owen
Coty, Stoke
89
Attacker
Smith, Alan
The County of Notts
19.
Joleon Lescott, Jermain Defoe, Steven Taylor, Stewart Downing, David Nugent, Kieron Dyer, Rob Green, and Phil Jagielka are substitutes.
Not that the England B team lacked depth either. Stewart Downing, a winger for Middlesbrough, was the most noteworthy substitute at the time. He doubled the Three Lions’ lead after restoring it twice. After playing for teams like West Ham, Aston Villa, and Liverpool, he went on to make 35 senior appearances for England.
Jermain Defoe, who still ranks 10th on the list of all-time Premier League goal scorers with 162 goals, undoubtedly had a better time in front of goal for the remainder of his career. Both Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott became household names among Everton, Sheffield United, Aston Villa, and Manchester City supporters after securing a spot in the English Premier League.
While David Nugent was an unutilised replacement on the day and eventually became a member of the England senior squad’s one-cap wonder club, Steven Taylor only ever made one appearance for the forgotten England B team. While Rob Green would always be plagued by his error against the USA in the 2010 World Cup, which ultimately terminated his international career, Kieron Dyer would go on to earn an incredible 33 caps.
Alternatives
Place
The player
The final club
Caps for Senior England
The centre-back
Jagielka Phil
City of Stoke
40
The centre-back
Lescott, Joleon
Sunderland
26
Attacker
Defoe Jermain
Sunderland
57
Midfield on the left
Downing, Stewart
Rovers of Blackburn
35
The centre-back
Taylor, Steven
Phoenix of Wellington
0
Attacker
Nugent, David
North End of Preston
One
A right-winger
Dyer, Kieron
The Middlesbrough
33
Goalie
Rob Green
Chelsea
Twelve
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