In brief
On June 1, 2007, England played their first senior match at the new Wembley Stadium.
After the 1-1 draw, the midfield trio of Beckham, Gerrard, and Lampard all had great careers and exceeded 100 caps.
Alan Smith and Michael Owen led Steve McClaren’s team, with Peter Crouch and Wes Brown serving as replacements.
England’s first senior match at the new Wembley Stadium, which now has the famous arch in place of the iconic twin towers, took place against Brazil in a friendly in June 2007. Diego equalised in stoppage time to tie the score 1-1 in front of 88,745 spectators, the largest crowd to watch the three Lions since 1987.
The Under-21s had already faced Italy in a match in March. The national stadium has hosted 96 senior matches since then, including Nations League games, European and World Cup qualifiers, and a recent curtain-raiser for the Thomas Tuchel era. Therefore, it would be an understatement to say that a lot of time has gone by since Steve McClaren cut the red tape on the updated version of the football stadium.
What happened to McClaren’s troops on that momentous first day in the new workplace, though? What was the number of those who succeeded under the arch? And in 2025, are any of them still putting on their boots? The starting lineup for the inaugural England senior team at the new Wembley stadium is shown below. Let’s examine their subsequent performance in more detail.
Goalkeeper & Defence
Paul Robinson; Jamie Carragher, Ledley King, John Terry, Nicky Shorey
Paul Robinson stood between the posts on that momentous day when the curtain was raised. At first, the former Burnley, Leeds United, Tottenham, and Blackburn Rovers custodian was considered David James’ replacement for England’s starting shirt. However, Robinson’s rule was short-lived due to a string of high-profile mistakes on the international scene, and Joe Hart eventually took over after Robinson amassed 41 caps.
Even though Jamie Carragher was a defensive mainstay for Liverpool, where he won the Champions League in 2005 and went on to become the team’s all-time Premier League appearance leader, he was overlooked in England’s congested backline. He only managed to earn 38 international caps as a result, and he was never able to establish himself as a dominant force in the starting lineup. Nevertheless, his acumen in the game has undoubtedly been evident since his retirement, as he is regarded as one of the top commentators.
Formerly praised as one of England’s best defenders, Ledley King’s career was sadly cut short by injury. He only managed 21 England caps as a one-club guy with Tottenham before being forced to retire early. John Terry, his centre-back partner that day, scored England’s lone goal that day and would go on to have a far more distinguished career. The Chelsea icon earned 78 international caps before ending his playing career at Aston Villa and transitioning into coaching. He led his team to five Premier League titles, a Champions League victory, and many other accolades.
Despite playing for Reading in the Premier League for almost 300 games, Nicky Shorey 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.
Defence and Keeper
Place
The player
The final club
England’s caps
Goalie
Paul Robinson
Burnley
41
The right-back
Carragher, Jamie
Liverpool
38
The centre-back
King Ledley
Tottenham Hotspur
21
The centre-back
Terry, John
Villa Aston
78
The left-back
Shorey, Nicky
Town of Hungerford
2.
The midfield
Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and David Beckham
On such a historic day for the Three Lions, McClaren’s midfield choice was undoubtedly a crowd-pleaser. Three of the four players entrusted with blocking a Brazilian-dominant area of the pitch went on to make at least 100 appearances for their country, earning them a golden cap, in trophy-filled careers.
With 42 assists in 115 games, David Beckham continues to lead England in assists. It should come as no surprise that he also helped set up the opening goal under the arch, as his floating set-piece fell directly on top of Terry’s head. Both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard attended the inaugural match at the new Wembley, although the argument over who was superior still rages on elsewhere.
Although Lampard, the legendary Chelsea midfielder, continues to lead the Premier League in goals scored after leading the Blues to three league titles, a Champions League, and a Europa League, Gerrard was regarded as England’s most complete player of all time and would go on to captain the Three Lions 38 times while making 114 appearances overall.
In contrast, Joe Cole was the only drawback to an otherwise highly skilled middle of the park. Even though a lot of commentators at the time predicted that he would succeed, injuries kept him from ever reaching the heights that were anticipated of him. For someone who had to contend with players like Paul Scholes for a leading role, 56 caps is still a good total.
The midfield
Place
The player
The final club
England’s caps
Midfield on the right
Beckham, David
Saint-Germain, Paris
115
The central midfield
Gerrard, Steven
The LA Galaxy
114
The central midfield
Lampard, Frank
FC New York City
106
Midfield on the left
Cole, Joe
The Tampa Bay Rowdies
56
Attack
Michael Owen and Alan Smith
In 2007, Michael Owen was England’s top scorer, filling the short-lived void between Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer. 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. Despite only ever scoring one goal for his country, he gained 19 England caps and scored 54 goals in 225 games during his finest 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. Below is the complete lineup:
Attack
Place
The player
The final club
England’s caps
Attacker
Smith, Alan
The County of Notts
19.
Attacker
Michael Owen
City of Stoke
89
Substitutes
Wes Brown, Jermaine Jenas, Michael Carrick and Peter Crouch all starred
Cult heroes, each with a story to tell, were piled high on McClaren’s bench that day. Consider Wes Brown, a devoted Manchester United defender who won 13 trophies as a young Red, including two Champions Leagues and five Premier League crowns. Following his departure from Old Trafford, he played for Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers, and even the Kerala Blasters for 14 games in the Indian Super League until regrettably declaring bankruptcy in 2023.
Then there was Michael Carrick, a quiet but crucial midfield leader during the heyday of Sir Alex Ferguson. Carrick became one of the most decorated English football players by doing the grunt work so others could shine. He is currently managing Middlesbrough as they strive for a return to the Premier League.
Jermaine Jenas, who made more than 100 games for both Newcastle and Tottenham, went on to have a very successful career as a broadcaster. He was originally predicted to be Gary Lineker’s obvious successor on Match of the Day. But in 2024, his career took a sharp turn for the worse when he was fired for sending offensive messages to two female coworkers.
What transpired with the England U21 team that began play against Italy at Wembley in 2007 in relation to the EPL’s new Wembley Stadium
From Leroy Lita to David Bentley, England’s Under-21 team in March 2007 has had varied levels of career success.
Peter Crouch, a 6′ 7″ fan favourite who became a Premier League legend thanks to his goals, many of which were with his trademark headers, was one of the players who came off the bench. Crouchy most recently turned back time and made a comeback for Liverpool Legends, scoring twice in a 2-0 triumph over Chelsea.
Other well-known players who were not used that evening were former England Lionesses manager Phil Neville, Jermain Defoe, one of the Premier League’s all-time best scorers, and Scott Carson, who despite only having four England caps still makes a fortune as Manchester City’s third-choice custodian.
One of the most promising young football players in England, David Bentley chose to live a more simpler life in Marbella, serving cocktails, after retiring before turning thirty. Wayne Bridge mostly left football behind after retiring in 2014 and chose to live a more sedate life. He has, however, occasionally appeared in the media and experimented with reality TV, including on “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!”
Stewart Downing would make a high-profile move to Liverpool and become something of a cult hero at West Ham, Rob Green is still a laughing stock in many households for his bizarre mistakes for England at the 2010 World Cup, and Keiron Dyer went from playing to coaching after his playing days, a role he has indicated he would like to return to soon.
Alternatives
Place
The player
The final club
England’s caps
The left-back
Neville, Phil
Everton
59
The central midfield
Carrick, Michael
United Manchester
34
The central midfield
Bentley, David
Rovers of Blackburn
7.
Attacker
Defoe Jermain
Sunderland
57
Midfield on the left
Downing, Stewart
Rovers of Blackburn
35
Midfield on the left
Jenas Jermaine
Rangers of Queens Park
21
The centre-back
Brown, Wes
The Kerala Blasters
23
Attacker
Peter Crouch
Burnley
42
Midfield on the right
Dyer, Kieron
The Middlesbrough
33
The left-back
Bridge, Wayne
Perusing
36
Goalie
Rob Green
Chelsea
Twelve
Goalie
Carson, Scott
City of Manchester
4.
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