Everton, Tottenham, Barcelona, England and more, wherever Lineker played the goals always came. The one against Croatia in 2007 that resulted in his infamous, never ending slide tackle. A physical presence and a true leader of men, Terry was one of several talented defenders that England had at their disposal in the 2000s.Nobody loved a classic England shirt and a pair of Umbro football boots more than JT. MARK WHITE Was Sol Campbell's move to Arsenal the greatest Premier League transfer ever? You simply have to include a number of England's 1966 World Cup winners in the argument, while members of the country's fabled 'Golden Generation' also have to feature. Again it's difficult to place footballers from wayyy back in the day, but no one can deny that Finney was one of the best of his generation.Finney bagged 30 goals from 76 England caps after the second World War and retired from the professional game as a one club man, having only played for Preston competitively. Quite possibly the most gifted English player of his generation, Hoddle made himself a legend at Tottenham and has been named as the clubs best-ever player on numerous occasions. He may have left Arsenal in 2007, but Henry at his peak would have thrived in any era, in any team in Premier League history. Spurs fans dont like to hear it, but the move was smart Campbell won two league titles at Highbury. Think of Shilton and you instantly think of Diego Maradona outjumping him to score his infamous hand of God goal but Englands most-capped player (125 caps) was one of the best goalkeepers of his generation. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Bills; Dolphins; Jets; AFC North . Perhaps a touch controversial, but England's resident hard nut has to be on the list. Its [become] a 40-yard volley. It was brilliant. Has any player before or since boasted such natural ability to bend, spin and weigh passes with the effortlessness of Uniteds former No.7? Full screen 1 of 26 Photos in Gallery England's finest England is one of the biggest football nations in the world, boasting the best league and fantastic players in its national team.. HIGHLIGHT Drogba struck 29 goals in a title and Golden Boot-winning 2009/10, his brace at Arsenal in November featuring a stonking free-kick to wrap up a 3-0 victory. Shilton made 125 appearances for his country and even played at the 1990 World Cup at the age of 40. English football will probably never see another striker like Jimmy Greaves; the Spurs and Chelsea legend chalked up a record 357 top-flight goals and finished as First Division top scorer no fewer than six times. Beckham played for England between 1996-2009 scoring 17 goals. Thierry Henry names him as the one player he wishes he could have played alongside as did Pep Guardiola. From World Cup winners to Euros nearly-men, these are the best English players ever. Also rocked the greatest curtains hairstyle ever. No doubt there will be debate, but these players are certainly among the greatest English footballers ever. HIGHLIGHT A cracker against Coventry for Leicester in November 1999 was the very best of Heskey: terrific chest control, then a brilliant finish moving away from goal. But the 'Three Lions' have continuously produced some of the world's best footballers over the years. After teeing up Fowler for the first goal, Collymore hit two of his own, the second, a 92nd-minute jackhammer that sent Kevin Keegan sinking to the advertising boards. HIGHLIGHT A sumptuous drive in that 4-1 win against Chelsea. A versatile player, capable of playing centrally and off the flank. Somehow, Seaman made his 1.3m British record move (for a goalkeeper) from QPR to Arsenal in 1990 look like a steal. Predictions. Josh Lawless. Di Canio offered excitement and identity. Who are the Channel 4 commentators and pundits for England vs North Macedonia? Copyright 2019 Sporting Ferret | All Rights Reserved, English team to a major international trophy since 1966, The 7 FA Cup successes of Cole is also the most of any player, Cole is unsurprisingly the most capped England left back. Poor management cost the Reds that title, not the stumble. 10= Frank Lampard 29 goals in 106 appearances, FIFA Womens World Cup Australia New Zealand 2023, The FA's concussion guidelines for football and brain health, The Football Association 2001 - 2023- All Rights Reserved, Your passion, rewarded JOIN MY ENGLAND FOOTBALL, against North Macedonia in June's UEFA EURO 2024 qualifyinggame, hat-trick against Albania in November 2021, penalty against Switzerland in March 2022. Honourable mention John Terry appeared 78 times for England and often partnered Ferdinand for England. Djemba-Djembas Old Trafford career was doomed before he had stepped on the field. A third title was his would you believe it, indeed. So, who are the best footballers from England? England's highest scorer in World Cup finals matches is Gary Lineker, with ten goals, [8] and the highest scorer in European Championship finals matches is Alan Shearer, with seven goals. Well rounded, operating in in the box to box role, Robson brought both balance and exceptional ability to the team. Hes still by far the fastest to a Premier League century (in 124 games, 17 fewer than anyone else); still the only Englishman to scoop the Golden Boot three years in a row; still alone in scoring 30 in three consecutive campaigns; still alone in hitting 20 in seven Premier League seasons. That may be a stretch, but there was little doubting the schemers talents or the ease with which he could destroy defences single-handedly. He wasnt just a solid squad player, but consistently ace for the worlds biggest club over two decades. Keegan's achievements as a player are actually seriously underrated. Instead, he became a cult hero at Everton before shorter stints at Manchester City and Southampton. He replaced Ruud van Nistelrooy as a superior all-round striker to help United continue their dominance in the face of new Premier League forces. England's Greatest Ever Squad - HITC Shearer only earned 63 caps for England,. FourFourTwo is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. That tackle by Moore on Jairzinho highlights the defensive solidarity of Moore. Injury during the group stage meant he lost his place to Geoff Hurst at the 1966 World Cup not featuring in the final and not even receiving a winners medal until a FIFA rule change 2009 but he remains one of the Three Lions most efficient scorers with 44 goals in 57 caps. Stanley Matthews taught us the way football should be played, said Pele; I couldnt believe he was just a man. His leadership offered Wenger the canvas on which to create art not least after returning from rehab to win the league in 1997-98. Injuries plagued Anderton's career from start to finish, but he still managed to forge a decent international career with England. Schmeichel was Uniteds finest goalkeeper, his leadership, bravery and reflexes essential in five title wins, before bowing out on a high after the 1999 Treble. 10 Best English Footballers of all Time - Sportskeeda - Sports News Top 6 Best England Soccer Players of All Time. Kun always retained the personality of a kid from the neighbourhood someone who has fun and has the ability to live with a smile on his face every day. HIGHLIGHT City pinched the 2018/19 title by just a point thanks to their humdinger of a win over Liverpool in January. Of the current crop, only Harry Kane was included in selection and he narrowly missed out to Gary Lineker. Manager Bobby Robson regularly regarded Bryan as the best England football player during his peak years. SAIADO BERAHINO EXCLUSIVE Ive never publicly apologised for my behaviour towards Jeremy Peace at West Brom, but Id like to do it now. No one assisted more in a season. He became El Macca when departing for Real Madrid in 1999, but epitomised everything positive about 90s Liverpool with his flair and determination. 10 greatest English footballers of all time - Sportskeeda - Sports News Gareth Southgate suckered in English people across the country when his England side made it to the last four of the 2018 World Cup. Leeds United, Chelsea, Middlesborugh, Charlton Athletic. HIGHLIGHT Rio was key to a United defence which conceded just 22 goals as they won the 2007-08 Premier League, his third of six. English Dutch Spanish American. Stam played in 14 of them, leaking only nine goals with seven clean sheets to pip Arsenal. Best English Football Team: We Ask Bobby Charlton His Best XI Dubbed God by the Kop for his supreme natural finishing, Fowlers later spells with Leeds, Manchester City and Blackburn were blighted by injury. There were occasions when the Bulgarian mooched around, his sleeves pulled over his hands like a student who had forgotten his coat but Berbatov, who famously learned his English from watching The Godfather, acquired a cult following of his own. All of that thrown away with one endlessly awkward team photo at Roma in 2014. United to 3 League titles, 1 FA Cup and European glory. History tells us that Owen never managed 20 goals in a Premier League campaign, yet his record at Liverpool stood at an excellent 118 goals in 216 league games by the time he departed for Real Madrid in 2004. A move to Spurs didnt take off, but at Leicester a 37-year-old Ferdinands dozen goals showed his class. Carvalho was horrible to play against, Bobby Zamora told FFT in 2020. Who are the Channel 4 commentators and pundits for England vs North Macedonia? Same can be said for Paul Gascoigne partnering Scholes, but he edged it out over Bobby Charlton in a shock call. and England, both of whom he captained. Who are the Channel 4 commentators and pundits for Malta vs England? Beckham epitomised the celebrity nature of footballers and was a true global superstar. Leicester City, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa. John Terry was a massive figure at Chelsea he kept the team together. HIGHLIGHT With West Ham requiring a win on the final day of 2006/07 at Old Trafford, Super Tev stepped up, netting the only goal. Superstar Pel rose above the defence to win a header directed towards the bottom corner only to be denied by a miracle effort from Banks. Schedule; Podcast; Teams . Author Tony Evans on a Scouse colossus, remembered as a hero for as long as football is played. We asked former teammate Michael Ballack to tell us the importance of the man that Chelsea fans unfurled the Captain, Leader, Legend in honour of. 1= Harry Kane 58 goals in 84 appearances The top 10 greatest England football players ever!Who are the greatest England footballers of all time? If you have, look no further. Sir Bobby Charlton has been named the best British player of all time by fans ahead of fellow legend Bobby Moore. Newcastle followed before a triumphant return to Leeds but Batty wasn't like other players. Now, his vision and positional nomadism are the template for how traditional forwards even Harry Kane can improve their skill set. Only seven men have scored more Premier League goals than Defoe, who struck 162 times for five teams. In his second campaign, the Ivorian was at the heart of Citys Premier League title his sixth assist of the season teed up Pablo Zabaletas opener during the nail-biting 3-2 final-day win over QPR. HIGHLIGHT Injury to Pires forced Ljungberg to the left in 2001/02s run-in, but he popped up with six goals and helped to create Sylvain Wiltords strike to win the title at Old Trafford. The Brazilian was once a promising, yet inconsistent attacking midfielder then perfected the false nine role under manager Jurgen Klopp. Lampards legacy, after those trophies won and 177 Premier League goals, was to alter what weve come to expect from a raiding central midfielder. Only one man has ever been named FIFA World Player of the Year while playing in the Premier League and it wasnt Eric Djemba-Djemba. Although Owen wasnt quite done: his 96th-minute winner against rivals City in September 2009 sealed a famous 4-3 derby win. A worthy winner. HIGHLIGHT In November 1996, Everton beat Southampton 71 at Goodison Park with Speed scoring the only hat-trick of his career. The fourth member of the 1966 setup included in the side, Sir Bobby Charlton is an England legend. For 28 years, we've witnessed incredible sights - and some of the greatest players to ever live. ), Gerrard still enjoyed a wonderful career for the Three Lions. All in all Charlton played 758 times for United, a record beaten by Giggs in 2008, and scored 249 goals before leaving in 1973. Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for The Analyst and When Saturday Comes, among others. And the former Red Devils star also played his part in England's 1966 World Cup triumph. No one else with a ton of Premier League goals for one team comes close to his ratio of 0.81 per game for Blackburn. Jamie Ward of The United Stand tell us why theres only one answer in his mind. He should have been part of a team that broke the title drought long before Jurgen Klopps side achieved the feat last year. He was nearly 30 when the Premier League came calling but wasted no time lighting it up. #manchesterunited #waynerooney #football, Tory Lanez Freestyleslowed and reverb Sport Bible. In 57 England appearances, the 1966 World Cup-winner scored 44 times, while he notched 220 in 321 games for Tottenham - astonishing records. 'They don't make 'em like that anymore' says your dad about everything that happened ever in the past. HIGHLIGHT Egil Olsens notoriously direct Wimbledon were rarely associated with things of beauty that is, until Trevor Sinclair launched a 50-yard diagonal pass against them. His England career was relatively short he retired from international duty seven years before his (first) retirement from the game outright but he made some notable contributions, such as bagging both goals in the Euro 2000 play-off win over Scotland at Hampden Park. Harry Edward Kane (born 28 July 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and captains the England national team. Ranking of the 20 best English footballers of all time. The former United skipper is also second on the all-time goalscoring charts for both the Red Devils and England. For club Cole was a UEFA Champions League winner in 2012 with Chelsea as well as being a member of both the arsenal invincibles and the Chelsea 2005-06 title winning side. He plays football regularly, and has a large, discerning and ever-growing collection of football shirts from around the world. He made 18 assists in 2014/15, the first of two title wins at Chelsea. Famously never booked, the current Match of the Day anchors club career took him from boyhood club Leicester to Everton, Barcelona, Spurs with whom he won the FA Cup in 1991 and Japanese outfit Nagoya Grampus Eight. 10 greatest English footballers of all time By Atharva Gosavi Modified Sep 26, 2019 10:45 GMT Follow Us The Three Lions Football, as probably the most followed sport in the world, has. Oh, Ashley.Years and years spent working tirelessly to forge a reputation as one of England's greatest ever defenders for club and country. After fighting in the Second World War, Finney went on to become one of the finest players on the planet during the mid-20th century spending almost his entire career with Preston North End and representing England 76 times. No one has terrorised defenders with such a combination of bewitching grace and phenomenal power. Appearing for some of the biggest clubs across the world, Manchester United, Real Madrid, PSG, AC Milan and LA Galaxy. I was in a bit of shock, though. He let in a poxy 15 goals in his maiden campaign at Chelsea, which set the tone for an outstanding top-flight career in which he won four titles and four Golden Gloves. Predictably, Cole hit 93 more league strikes for the Red Devils, bagging five titles over seven full campaigns. Sir Bobby Robson, Wayne Rooney, Peter Shilton, Bobby Moore and Alan Shearer make our top 5 players that have represented England in Football. Heskeys 110 Premier League goals place him 23rd in the all-time scoring chart, but the Leicester man was always valued for more than his bare numbers. HIGHLIGHT The FA Cup goal against Barnsley is Ginolas piece-de-resistance - but the Frenchman scored another cracker as Manchester United were thrashed 5-0 on their St James Park return. England's Greatest of all time? : r/PremierLeague - Reddit ARCHIVE Electric pace with a hunger for goals, how Fernando Torres became a Kop hero. HIGHLIGHT A thunderbolt at Old Trafford in 2000 was one of numerous Jimmy specials, opening the scoring in a see-saw 3-3 draw. Merlin soon dropped jaws with his effortless displays for a side on the ascent, and proved the fulcrum of four league titles under three managers. When Rooney burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old with his now iconic last-minute winner for Everton against Arsenal, it felt as though English football had just been introduced to someone very special indeed. Other legendary players to make the top 10 included Chelsea hero Frank Lampard and Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard. Moore finished behind Charlton in second place, while United legend David Beckham and Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard finished third and fourth respectively. Rio joined Manchester United from Leeds in 2002 for a British record fee of 41.4 million. That "tackle by Moore" against Brazil never stops being awe-inspiring (for its cleanness above all). PREM RECORDS The 10 biggest wins in Premier League history (or is that heaviest defeats?). He was so consistent, it was a shock if he had a bad game, Jamie Carragher told FFT. HIGHLIGHT Pick from the solo run and missile to defeat West Ham and help keep Bolton up in 2003 or the dance with Big Sam when survival was secured. Scoring an amazing goal against Scotland at Wembley in the group stage Gascoigne was an iconic player in an England shirt. Lampard played between 1999-2014 for England. Rooney had a diverse skill set that allowed him to play in any advanced role. Jamie Vardy may have scored more goals and NGolo Kante became a global sensation, but Mahrez was crowned PFA Players Player of the Year after providing the artistry that kept teams on the back foot all season. First joining as a freelancer following the completion of his journalism degree, Danny has risen up the ranks - and was even lucky enough to cover Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury II in Las Vegas. SportMob - Best English defenders of All Time England FIFA 23 Top 100 Players | FIFA Ratings He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United, Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Chelsea.