The 10 best England soccer players of all time
Famous for their strength and athleticism, English football players have served their clubs well in the sport of football. Clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United have contributed to 15 Champions League titles (European Cup), trailing only behind Spain (19) and surpassing Italy (12). Let’s explore the 5 best England soccer players through the article below with premiumsoccertips.net.
Compilation of the Best England Football Players of All Time
Harry Kane
Harry Kane has been the focal point of England’s most successful team since 1966, leading his nation to its best-ever performance in the UEFA European Championship (runners-up, 2020) and the best World Cup finish since 1990 (4th place, 2018).
Kane is also England’s all-time leading goal scorer and the second-highest goal scorer in Premier League history (after Alan Shearer). However, Kane has never won a trophy with Tottenham – the club where he has spent the majority of his career – as they have never built a team around him.
Gordon Banks
Gordon Banks is often ranked among the top three goalkeepers of all time, and he is certainly the greatest in England’s national team history. Banks played every game in the 1966 World Cup and conceded only three goals. He is also remembered for his save against Pelé in the 1970 World Cup (see video at 1:03).
Banks received the prestigious FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year award on six occasions. Additionally, he secured the League Cup with Leicester in 1964 and repeated the feat with Stoke in 1972. His career ended in 1972 when a car accident left him blind in one eye, although he retired in 1977 after playing two seasons in the American Soccer League.
Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard is the highest-scoring midfielder in Premier League history and ranks 6th overall (behind only forwards). He is also in the top 10 for assists and appearances. Lampard’s key to efficiency was his timing in arriving in the box.
Lampard began his career at West Ham but spent the majority of it at Chelsea (2001-2014), where he won 3 league titles, 6 domestic cups, and 2 European titles (Champions League 2012 and Europa League 2013). He was also the Premier League Player of the Season in 2005 and made the Team of the Year three times.
Lampard’s international career was less illustrious despite playing from 2002 to 2006, including three consecutive quarter-final appearances in major tournaments.
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer is the all-time leading goal scorer in Premier League history (260 goals). Nevertheless, it required several seasons for him to hone his scoring prowess during his time at Southampton. After joining Blackburn in the inaugural Premier League season, he began to terrorize defenses, culminating in a league title and the Player of the Season award in 1995.
Shearer’s goal-scoring prowess continued after joining his hometown club Newcastle, where he won the Golden Boot three consecutive years (1995–97). He was also named to the “Team of the Year” seven times. Like Harry Kane, Shearer possessed powerful and accurate shooting abilities.
At the international level, Shearer won the Golden Boot and helped the England team reach the semi-finals of the UEFA European Championship in 1996. This was his first international tournament (at the age of 26), and he retired from international duty after Euro 2000.
Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews excelled in dribbling past opponents and providing assists for others to score. According to his daughter, he used to insert lead weights into his boots to enhance power while on the field. This aided him in possessing lightning-fast feet and acceleration. What’s remarkable is that in the 1950s, he also trained daily and was extremely careful with his diet.
As a result, Matthews had enough stamina to play until he was 50 years old. He spent 19 years playing for Stoke and 14 years for Blackpool, with a brief stint in Toronto. With Blackpool, he secured his only major title: the FA Cup in 1953. In a match famously dubbed the “Matthews Final,” he provided two assists to overturn a 1-3 deficit to win 4-3.
The England national team didn’t participate in the World Cup until 1950 when Matthews was 35 years old. His tournament ended in the group stage, but he reached the quarter-finals in 1954. Matthews was awarded the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956.
David Beckham
In the early 2000s, David Beckham was the most famous football player in the world. During his tenure at Manchester United, he clinched six league championships, two domestic cup triumphs, and secured the 1999 Champions League trophy. Subsequently, Beckham transitioned into a “Galáctico” at Real Madrid in 2003, where he enjoyed four seasons and captured another league title. He also won two MLS Cups with LA Galaxy and a French title with Paris Saint-Germain.
Beckham is arguably the best free-kick taker in football history. He executed numerous assists and holds the record for most Premier League goals from free-kicks (18). He was also selected for the PFA Team of the Year on four occasions.
Beckham played for the England national team from 2002 to 2006, reaching the quarter-finals of major tournaments three times. He is the third-most capped England player (after Peter Shilton and Wayne Rooney).
Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard may be the most complete midfielder of all time. He had strength, speed, leadership qualities, superb passing range, accuracy in tackling and shooting, as well as a work rate that could be displayed anywhere on the pitch. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year eight times (a record).
This Liverpool legend became a regular starter in 2000, winning 5 domestic cups and 2 European titles (UEFA Cup 2001 and Champions League 2005). Gerrard’s international peak came in the period 2002–2006 when he reached the quarter-finals of major tournaments three times, although he missed the first match due to injury. He is the fourth most capped England player.
Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves is the all-time leading goal scorer for English football (357 goals). His goal-scoring ratio per game (0.69) surpasses Alan Shearer and Harry Kane, while his goal-scoring record in five top European leagues was only surpassed by Ronaldo in 2017.
Greaves spent 4 seasons with Chelsea, a few months with AC Milan (winning the Italian title), and 9 years with Tottenham, where he won 2 FA Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1963.
Greaves’ greatest achievement was winning the 1966 World Cup. He played in the group stage matches but got injured. Geoff Hurst came on as his replacement and finished the job.
Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore led the England team to win the 1966 World Cup. What more can I say? Well, if you watch the video, you’ll also see how good a defender he was. His ability to read the game and anticipate the opponent’s attacks was unmatched.
Pelé stated that Moore was the greatest defender he ever faced, while Franz Beckenbauer and Alex Ferguson affirmed they had never seen a better defender.
Moore led the England team through their greatest era, including reaching the quarter-finals in 1962 and 1970, as well as finishing third in the 1968 European Championship. His club career included 16 years at West Ham and a few less illustrious years at Fulham. With The Hammers, he won the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965.
Bobby Charlton
Bobby Charlton was part of Bobby Moore’s international successes during England’s greatest era (1962-1970). He was the engine of the England team, controlling and distributing the ball excellently and contributing numerous spectacular goals from midfield. His England goal-scoring record lasted until 2015 (surpassing Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane).
Charlton spent his entire career at Manchester United (later taking on a player-coach role at Preston). He won three league titles, an FA Cup, and the European Cup in 1968 (Champions League). United was the first English club to win the trophy, and Charlton scored two goals in the final.
Charlton won the Ballon d’Or in 1966. With his performance in the 1966 World Cup, he was awarded the Ballon d’Or (for the best player) and was included in the All-Star team (also in 1970).
Conclusion
These are some of the greatest English players we wanted to share with you. We hope this information helps you understand these players better. You can also follow European football matches on xoilactv channel. Thank you for reading this article.
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