In brief
Making their debut is one of the most memorable days of a player’s life, and they treasure their international debuts.
Recently, England has granted a number of players their debuts, and each one has fulfilled the dream.
Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford, among others, made memorable debuts for the Three Lions.
Pulling on their jersey for the first time is the best feeling in the world, according to every player who represents their nation. Knowing that they are now regarded as one of the top possibilities available is a momentous occasion in a player’s career. They never forget that moment, whether it’s for England at Wembley or for America on the other side of the world.
Some athletes go on to excel for their nations, continuously putting up their best show on the largest platform in the world. Others will always be recognised as an international player, even if they fall at one of the initial obstacles. Many players have lately made their debuts for England, and they have all fulfilled the ambition.
As a result, this article has chosen to rank the top ten England debuts ever. They made headlines on their first appearance, with some scoring on their debut and others putting up a defensive masterclass.
Ranking Elements
How much time it took for them to have an effect
Who they were playing, the match’s importance, and a ranking of the top ten England debuts
Rank
Name
Date
The adversary
1.
Lambert, Rickie
August 14, 2013
Scotland
2.
Richardson, Kieran
May 28, 2005
USA
3.
Steve Bull
May 27, 1989
Scotland
4.
Rashford, Marcus
May 27, 2016
Australia
5.
Kane, Harry
March 27, 2015
Lithuania
6.
Lewis-Skelly, Myles
March 21, 2025
Albania
7.
Wise, Dennis
May 1, 1991
Turkey
8.
Shearer, Alan
February 19, 1992
France
9.
Hoddle, Glenn
November 22, 1979
Bulgaria
10.
Adams, Tony
February 18, 1987
Spain
11.
Charlton, Sir Bobby
April 19, 1958
Scotland
11Sir Bobby Charlton
19th April 1958
Bobby Charlton is regarded by many as one of the best players in history, both in England and globally. In a time extremely different from the one we see today, he possessed every quality you could want in a midfield player. He was an important member of Manchester United’s team, and he did the same for the Three Lions. Two months after surviving the Munich air disaster, he made his debut for his country in April 1958. England won the 1957/1958 British Home Championship because he scored an incredible volley in a 4-0 victory over Scotland at Hampden Park. It was the first of 106 outings by the Three Lions.
Important details
The scoreline
England 0–4 Scotland
Date
April 19, 1958
The stadium
Park in Hampden
Attendance
127,824
10Tony Adams
18th February 1987
Tony Adams, who is frequently regarded as one of the most feared defenders in the world, did not score on his debut like the majority of players on this list did, solidifying their place in history right away. Gary Lineker’s four goals during England’s 4-2 victory over Spain in 1987 are typically more well-known, but 20-year-old Arsenal defender Adams also made his debut in that game at centre-back with Terry Butcher. Some would succumb to the strain at such a legendary stadium, but the young player performed so well that he played for Bobby Robson in the 1988 Euros and the subsequent match against Turkey.
Important details
The scoreline
England 2-4 Spain
Date
February 18, 1987
The stadium
Bernabeu Santiago
Attendance
35,000
9Glenn Hoddle
22nd November 1979
Glenn Hoddle was more than simply a football player; he was ‘a magician’ who could evade opponents as if they weren’t there. Everyone connected to the Tottenham Hotspur team loved the player, and the Three Lions were no different. In November 1979, at the age of 22, he scored the second goal in a 2-0 victory over Bulgaria in Euro qualifying, earning him his first England call-up. That summed up his unadulterated yet amazing talent well. After Euro 1988, Hoddle announced his retirement from international football after earning 53 caps and eight goals.
Important details
The scoreline
Bulgaria 2-0 England
Date
November 22, 1979
The stadium
The Wembley Stadium
Attendance
71,491
Eight Alan Shearer, February 19, 1992
With 260 goals for Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers, Alan Shearer is unquestionably the best goal scorer in Premier League history. Even before he became a legendary character at St James’ Park, he won the title with Blackburn. He never really was able to duplicate his elite level of consistency for the Three Lions, though. While still playing for Southampton, he made his debut for his country in February 1992, scoring in a friendly match against France that England won 2-0. Shearer ended his Three Lions career with 30 goals and 63 caps, but it was nothing in comparison to his club record. Shearer would go on to play a significant role at both the World Cup 1998 and Euro 1996.
Important details
The scoreline
France 2-0 England
Date
February 19, 1992
The stadium
The Wembley Stadium
Attendance
58,723
7 Dennis Wise, May 1, 1991
Dennis Wise made 445 appearances for Chelsea in the domestic league, demonstrating his tremendous skill as a player. Before Roman Abramovich’s money came in, Wise was a wise and important person for them. When he made his England debut in 1991, he instantly replicated the skill he had displayed every week. Wise helped England achieve the victory they needed at the Ataturk Stadium in Turkey to increase their prospects of making it to Euro 1992. England won 1-0 because to the midfielder’s dominant performance in the middle of the park, which featured a goal on his debut.
Important details
The scoreline
England 0-1 Turkey
Date
May 1, 1991
The stadium
Attendance at Izmir Ataturk Stadium
Twenty-five thousand
Sixth Myles Lewis-Skelly March 21, 2025
Myles Lewis-Skelly, a youngster, may have had more to prove than any other player in Thomas Tuchel’s first England match as manager. After all of the other primary left-back candidates were injured, the 18-year-old, who had only made his senior debut for Arsenal earlier in the season, was rushed into the senior squad.
A brilliantly struck goal by Lewis-Skelly, who broke in behind the Albanian defence from a distance and slotted the ball underneath the custodian, completed an overall outstanding debut. He surpassed Marcus Rashford to become the youngest player in history to score in their Three Lions debut.
Important details
The scoreline
Albania 2-0 England
Date
March 21, 2025
The stadium
The Wembley Stadium
Attendance
8,378
5 Harry Kane March 27, 2015
March 27, 2015. It was the day the baton was received. England needed a reason to dream during a time of failure, less than a year after a disastrous World Cup campaign. At home against Lithuania, Harry Kane made his Three Lions debut. The actual game was easy for the home team, and Kane entered the game when they were ahead 3-0. He marked a shift in the team’s fortunes by replacing the renowned striker Wayne Rooney. Everyone knew he would be an important member of then-Roy Hodgson’s team when he scored a header into the bottom corner within two minutes of entering the game. The striker for Tottenham Hotspur later became the nation’s all-time top scorer.
Important details
The scoreline
Lithuania 4-0 England
Date
March 27, 2015
The stadium
The Wembley Stadium
Attendance
83,671
4Marcus Rashford
27th May 2016
It was amazing how quickly Marcus Rashford rose to the top of the professional game. Nobody could believe it, not even before his England career, when he scored two goals against Arsenal in his first Premier League game and one on his Europa League debut. After just a few months of playing for Manchester United, Roy Hodgson took a risk by calling him up to the Euro 2016 squad, but it paid off. In a warm-up match against Australia, he scored in just three minutes to become England’s youngest-ever début goalscorer, a record that would be surpassed in 2025 by the aforementioned Lewis-Sjelly.
Important details
The scoreline
Australia 2-1 England
Date
May 27, 2016
The stadium
The Stadium of Light
Attendance
46,595
3 Steve Bull May 27, 1989
When Steve Bull was called up by Bobby Robson for the Rous Cup match against Scotland at Hampden Park in 1989, he was still a striker in the third division and had only ever played 13 times for England. He was in incredible form for Wolverhampton Wanderers, and he subsequently displayed it for England, which some could have deemed insane. A long ball reached the striker with eight minutes remaining, and he appeared to unintentionally control it with the back of his neck before blasting past Jim Leighton. It contributed to England’s 2-0 victory against their fierce rivals.
Important details
The scoreline
England 0–2 Scotland
Date
May 27, 1989
The stadium
Park in Hampden
Attendance
63,282
2. Richardson, Kieran
May 28, 2005
The remote prospect of an England always appeared improbable because Kieran Richardson was on loan from Manchester United to West Brom in 2005. He was called up at the conclusion of the season, though, after making an impression in the Midlands. On his England debut, he scored twice, including one straight from a free kick, and started the game away to the United States of America. Richardson only made seven more appearances for the Three Lions, but his two goals showed that he could play at the highest level despite the selection being widely ridiculed.
Important details
The scoreline
USA 1-2 England
Date
May 28, 2005
The stadium
The Soldier Field
Attendance
47,637
1 Rickie Lambert
August2013
Lastly, in his prime, Rickie Lambert was among the Premier League’s most productive strikers. That was demonstrated during his lengthy tenure at Southampton, which led to his 2013 England call-up. Lambert showcased his ‘clutch’ talent during the Three Lions’ match against Scotland to commemorate the FA’s 150th anniversary. He scored the game-winning goal seconds after being introduced, using his first touch in international football. Even while a debut goal is always amazing, nothing compares to scoring a goal against the nation’s fiercest opponents inside the first few seconds of entering the game.
Important details
The scoreline
Scotland 3-2 England
Date
August 14, 2013
The stadium
The Wembley Stadium
Attendance
80,485
xz
