England has only won the World Cup once, in 1966, under their greatest-ever manager, Sir Alf Ramsay, but talent has never been an issue. Some of the finest players of all time have had the opportunity to wear the famed white of the Three Lions, including some true goal scorers.
Serial goal scorers frequently play in the Premier League. That isn’t always the case, but players in England’s top tier are more likely to be seen by whoever manages the English national team. But who is each Premier League club’s all-time leading England international scorer?
Bukayo Saka recently scored his 13th international goal, becoming Arsenal’s, but what about Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Bournemouth? Using Squawka data, we examined all 20 clubs and determined who their most prolific Lion of all time is.
Brighton and Hove Albion – N/A
Incredibly, Brighton & Hove Albion are the only team in England’s top flight that has never produced a player who has scored for the Three Lions. The team from the seaside, whose path from homelessness to playing in Europe has been wonderful, has had five England internationals throughout the years, but none of them has scored.
Among them are Lewis Dunk, a centre-back with a low probability of scoring, and Poole-born Ben White. The latter joined Arsenal in the summer of 2021, thus he has no chance of becoming Brighton’s first England international scorer. That might be on the shoulders of Jack Hinshelwood and others.
Brentford – Ivan Toney (1)
Ivan Toney, a proven goal scorer for Brentford, was underutilised by England’s former manager Gareth Southgate because Harry Kane scored goals like they’re going out of style. The 29-year-old, who was born in Northampton and currently plays for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli, scored his only England goal against Belgium in 2024.
At the time of writing, Toney has made seven appearances for his country, and he is one of only four Brentford players to have represented England. And, as of today (October 11), there are no standout candidates who are likely to challenge Toney’s record.
Bournemouth: Callum Wilson (1)
Since its founding in 1899, when they were known as Boscombe, Bournemouth has only had two England internationals, Callum Wilson and Lewis Cook. That is most likely owing to the Cherries’ infrequent appearance in the spotlight, having spent several seasons outside the Premier League.
That all changed at the end of the 2014/15 season, when they were promoted to the Promised Land, where they have remained ever since, with the exception of one season in the Championship. During that time, Wilson was given the opportunity to represent his country, and he scored in his debut against the United States in November 2018.
Crystal Palace: Peter Taylor (2)
In recent seasons, a number of Crystal Palace players have been given the opportunity to play for the England national team; Eberechi Eze, who now plays for Arsenal, Dean Henderson, and Marc Guehi are all regulars in the group. However, Peter Taylor has not always been the highest-scoring player.
Guehi and Eze currently have one goal each, and only the former can add to their total while on the Eagles’ roster. The centre-back must catch up with former winger Taylor, who scored twice in four appearances in 1976. He appeared in four friendlies and scored against Wales in March and May of that year.
Burnley’s Bob Kelly (6)
Given that custodian Nick Pope, whose job it was to keep goals out of his own net, was the most recent Burnley player to be selected to play for England, Bob Kelly’s six-goal record – which puts him far ahead of Turf Moor stars to have represented the Three Lions – is predictably safe for the time being.
Kelly, who was born and reared in Ashton-in-Makerfield, earned 11 international matches over a five-year span from 1920 to 1925 and scored six goals: twice against Scotland on his debut and against the Tartan Army in his final game for England in 1928.
Sunderland, George Holley (8)
Sunderland’s most productive England scorer is George Holley, who has eight goals in ten games. Incredibly, the Seaham-born forward, who was born in 1885 and also played for Brighton, scored 11 times for England, three of which came during a tour to South Africa in 1910. These goals, however, do not count towards his overall tally.
Jermaine Defoe, who won his caps at the Stadium of Light during two distinct stays, was the last Sunderland player to represent and score for the Three Lions on the international stage in 2017 – and it appears that Holley’s record is safe for the time being.
Aston Villa: Billy Walker (9)
Sunderland’s most productive England scorer is George Holley, who has eight goals in ten games. Incredibly, the Seaham-born forward, who was born in 1885 and also played for Brighton, scored 11 times for England, three of which came during a tour to South Africa in 1910. These goals, however, do not count towards his overall tally.
Jermaine Defoe, who won his caps at the Stadium of Light during two distinct stays, was the last Sunderland player to represent and score for the Three Lions on the international stage in 2017 – and it appears that Holley’s record is safe for the time being.
Aston Villa: Billy Walker (9)
Many may be surprised to learn that Ollie Watkins, England’s second-string striker for years, is not Aston Villa’s all-time leading goalscorer for the one-time World Cup winners. He, however, falls into the same category as Toney: he is extremely unfortunate to be competing with Kane for a place in the team.
Billy Walker, who played his entire career with Villa in Birmingham from 1919 to 1933, succeeds him. In 18 games for England, the legendary one-club man scored nine goals; he scored on his debut, a 2-0 victory over Ireland in 1920, and added eight more between then and December 1932.
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Ron Flowers and Dennis Wilshaw (10)
Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have played in the Premier League since being promoted to England’s top flight in the 2017/18 season, are the only team on the list to have two players share the honour: Ron Flowers (pictured below) and Dennis Wilshaw, who was active in goal scoring during the 1950s.
xz
