England’s 25 Greatest Players of All Time Ranked by Fans

England have produced many truly wonderful players. Despite failing to win more than one major international trophy, the Three Lions have seen some of the greatest footballers to have kicked a ball don the famous white shirt down the years.

But who is the greatest England player of all time? It’s a question that is near enough impossible to answer. A number of England’s 1966 World Cup winners simply have to be included in the argument, while members of the country’s fabled ‘Golden Generation’ also have to feature.

Well, fans have given their opinion on the matter by ranking the best players to have ever hailed from England. The standings over on Ranker are certainly controversial – to say the least – and are sure to spark plenty of debate. We take a closer look at the top 25 below.

Fans greatest England players in pictures

25

Trent Alexander-Arnold

England Caps: 33

Despite admitting he would rather become the first right-back to win the Ballon d’Or than lift the World Cup with his country, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s playmaking style from defence is enough for fans to place him inside the top 25. The Liverpool man has not had much to shout about internationally; he has often acted as a backup to Kyle Walker in most tournaments, and when Gareth Southgate tried to play him in midfield at Euro 2024, he abandoned the experiment after two games.

The 25-year-old impressed more under Lee Carsley back in his usual position. Time will tell if Thomas Tuchel is able to get the best out of a player who undoubtedly has the talent to lead the Three Lions forward.

24

John Barnes

England Caps: 79

Seriously, what a footballer John Barnes was. A magnificent winger, Barnes lit up the English game with Watford and Liverpool, in particular. A certain generation of Liverpool fans fell in love with the club due to the entertainment provided by the winger during his time at Anfield.

At international level, Barnes represented England on 79 occasions and scored 11 goals. Jamie Carragher once said that Barnes was like Thierry Henry before Thierry Henry, and there can be no higher praise for the Jamaica-born star. Barnes has elevated his popularity with many across the country with the work he has done in the fight against racism in football.

23

Sol Campbell

England Caps: 73

After the Tottenham to Arsenal fiasco of 2001, Sol Campbell developed into a true great under Arsene Wenger. Regarded as one of the best English centre-backs of his generation, Campbell was a strong, athletic and imposing defender, with a good positional sense, and was also a strong tackler. Due to his height and physical power, he excelled in the air, both offensively and defensively, and this shone through for his country.

During his England career, he proudly earned 73 caps and, in 2006, he became the only player to have represented the Three Lions in six consecutive major tournaments, as he played through all the European Championships between 1996 and 2004, as well as World Cups ’98 through to ’06.

22

Peter Shilton

England Caps: 125

England’s most capped footballer appears at just number 22, which is perhaps a testament to how underrated Peter Shilton actually was. While his most famous moment in a Three Lions jersey was unfortunately conceding the infamous Diego Maradona ‘Hand of God’ goal, Shilton was the deserved number one for two decades.

Having made his debut in 1970, as the man to replace the legendary Gordon Banks, Shilton starred in three World Cups and also made an appearance in one European Championship. With only one other player currently reaching the tally of 120 caps or more, Shilton will continue to remain in English football folklore.

21

Ian Wright

England Caps: 33

Ian Wright is a beloved figure in English football now as a pundit. The upbeat personality of the ex-Gunners forward has endeared ‘Wrighty’ to supporters across the country. Not only is he an entertaining figure, but the 60-year-old was once one of the most deadly strikers in the Premier League.

His spells with Crystal Palace and Arsenal in particular showed the clinical nature of the poacher, although this didn’t necessarily translate to international football. Often overlooked during his time with the national side, Wright would only pull on the famous white shirt 33 times, scoring nine times in that time.

20

Jimmy Greaves

England Caps: 57

Jimmy Greaves scored goals for fun. In 57 England appearances, the 1966 World Cup winner scored 44 times, while he notched 220 in 321 games for Tottenham – truly astonishing records. For decades, the forward was the north London club’s all-time top scorer, until his long-standing record was eventually surpassed by Harry Kane.

Greaves, who later became a hugely popular co-host on Saint and Greavsie, sadly passed away in September 2021 at the age of 81. Spurs and England fans will cherish the memories the prolific goalscorer left them with for eternity and his legacy will continue to live on.

19

Jude Bellingham

England Caps: 40

Incredibly, a 21-year-old is in the top 20 players on this list. Think about the achievements of some of the names that have already been mentioned. Jude Bellingham is a bonafide Galactico and everyone expects the Real Madrid star to go on to lift at least one Ballon d’Or – probably in the next couple of years.

His move to Spain has elevated the attack-minded midfielder to new levels and much of the hopes of England at Euro 2024 rested upon his shoulders. It wasn’t meant to be, of course, but the midfield livewire still played centre stage as his side reached the final. Most notably, his last-gasp bicycle kick against Slovakia will go down in history as one of his nation’s finest goals.

18

Paul Gascoigne

England Caps: 57

Not only is Paul Gascoigne one of the most talented footballers that the country has ever produced, but he’s also one of the most loved. Everyone who played with or managed ‘Gazza’ has a hilarious story about the gifted former midfielder. An example of the football icon’s funniest moments includes a celebration imitating an incident from a night out known as the ‘dentist chair’.

Gazza had his demons, as we all know, but that takes nothing away from the joy he gave to millions of football fans every time he had a ball at his feet. Regardless of the troubles he’s faced after hanging up his boots, the former midfield ace will forever be remembered as one of the most technically gifted players England has ever produced.

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17

Sir Stanley Matthews

England Caps: 54

‘The Wizard of the Dribble’ is a fitting nickname for a true England great. Sir Stanley Matthews was the winner of the inaugural Ballon d’Or award in 1956 while playing for Blackpool. To this day, Matthews is still the oldest-ever Ballon d’Or winner, having scooped the honour at the staggering age of 41.

To have still been seen as worthy of winning the award at such an age just goes to show the longevity of the man within the world of football, with his career lasting an incredible 33 years. A formidable individual performance in the 1953 FA Cup final means the game is permanently remembered as the ‘Matthews Final’.

16

John Terry

England Caps: 78

Arguably the best captain of the Premier League era, it’s impossible to overstate John Terry’s importance to Chelsea between 1998-2017. A warrior on the pitch, ‘JT’ was worth his weight in gold for the Blues. Underrated in terms of ability on the ball, Terry wouldn’t look out of place in today’s game with an added importance placed on defenders being able to play out from the back, yet he is still seen as one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history.

Terry was part of England’s famous ‘Golden Generation’ and played a total of 78 appearances for his country, netting six goals. Alongside Rio Ferdinand, the former Chelsea man was a constant at the heart of the England back-line for many years, and this makes it even more unbelievable that the nation didn’t taste success during that period.

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15

Rio Ferdinand

England Caps: 81

The older of two defensive brothers, and second cousin of fellow legend Les – Rio Ferdinand enjoyed a career that was littered with silverware, especially under the watchful eye of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. The commanding centre-back, who made 709 total career appearances, won 15 honours at club level – notably including six Premier League titles, and one Champions League.

In direct contrast to his trophy-hunting escapades with the Red Devils, though, he racked up an impressive 81 outings for the Three Lions, and was a core member of one of the most promising England sides that never saw silverware. Nevertheless, he remains a true Premier League great, playing in 504 matches across 20 topflight seasons. He kept 189 clean sheets in the competition, which honours him with an incredibly impressive ratio of 37.5 per cent of matches he played in.

14

Ashley Cole

England Caps: 107

Widely considered to be the best full-back of the Premier League era, Ashley Cole is probably the greatest left-back that English football has ever produced. He was usually a solid eight or nine out of 10 whenever he played for the Three Lions and even got the better of Cristiano Ronaldo on occasions. The Portugal forward named Cole as his toughest opponent ever, having faced the left-back on many occasions for club and country.

One of nine players to reach 100 caps for England, the former Arsenal and Chelsea star represented his country between 2001-2014. His position in the starting XI was rarely in doubt, with Cole being head and shoulders above any competition for a place in the side at left-back.

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13

Gordon Banks

England Caps: 73

A legendary goalkeeper who produced arguably the greatest save in World Cup history – stopping a shot from Brazilian icon Pele in the 1970 World Cup – Gordon Banks was in goal when England were crowned world champions in 1966. Many fans would still select Banks in between the sticks when putting together England’s greatest-ever XI.

Shilton might have more England caps to his name but Banks – who played for the likes of Leicester City and Stoke City at club level – is probably the best ‘keeper ever produced in Britain. The shot-stopper continued playing until he was 40 with his career spanning almost two decades. He tragically passed away in February 2019 at the age of 81, but the call of ‘what a save Gordon Banks’ will live on forever after he produced one of the greatest stops against none other than Pele.

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12

Michael Owen

England Caps: 89

Bursting onto the scene with his incredible solo effort against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, Michael Owen may look back on his international career with some regret. As one of the talismans during England’s golden generation, the Liverpudlian perhaps should’ve gotten his hands on at least one major trophy during his time with the Three Lions, but it wasn’t to be.

A serious injury in the 2006 World Cup, just eight years on from when he announced himself on the international stage, effectively ended Owen’s time at the elite level. He would still finish as one of his country’s most impressive goalscorers, scoring a remarkable 40 times in just 89 outings. Of course, being the last Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or will no doubt boost his rankings, too.

11

Kevin Keegan

England Caps: 63

A true English superstar during the 1970s and 1980s. Kevin Keegan’s achievements as a player are seriously underrated. Younger readers may not be aware that Keegan won the Ballon d’Or in 1978 and 1979 while playing for Hamburg. In fact, he’s the only English player to have secured the prestigious individual accolade on two separate occasions.

Keegan also briefly managed the Three Lions but famously quit after a 1-0 defeat to Germany on a rain-soaked afternoon in October 2000 – the final match played at the old Wembley Stadium. It’s fair to say that England fans remember him more fondly due to his achievements and performances on the pitch rather than in the dugout.

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10

Gary Lineker

England Caps: 80

An Englishman who made scoring goals look easy. Everton, Tottenham, Barcelona, England, and more… wherever Lineker played, the goals always followed. The prolific forward scored 256 goals across his illustrious career for both club and country, making him one of the top-scoring English footballers of all time. Only Sir Bobby Charlton, Wayne Rooney, and Harry Kane have scored more goals for the nation throughout history.

Younger football fans will know Lineker as the host of Match of the Day, but he was devastating inside the penalty area. His role on prime-time television has kept the 63-year-old relevant in the eyes of many, and some regard him as something of a national treasure.

9

Harry Kane

England Caps: 103

It’s fair to say that Harry Kane has exceeded all expectations, both at club and international level, since 2015 – the former Tottenham ace is his nation’s record goalscorer. Many people doubted him early on in his career, dismissing him as a ‘one-season wonder’, but Kane has well and truly silenced every one of his critics since then.

Winner of the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot award, Kane – who left Spurs for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023 – should open up a huge gap between himself and England’s second-highest goalscorer, Wayne Rooney, over the next few years. He is second in the list of top Premier League goalscorers of all time – behind Shearer – and will stay within that elite company for a long time. Maybe he’ll even come back to the Premier League at some point and take pole position. You wouldn’t bet against him.

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8

Paul Scholes

England Caps: 66

From a technical point of view, few English players have ever been as good as Scholes. It’s just a shame that he was occasionally wasted on the left wing when playing for his country, with this being a common theme in the failure of the English team of the 2000s. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Scholes should have been a midfield capable of winning major prizes, but no manager could seem to make it fit.

Many of the world’s greatest players and managers have spoken in glowing terms about Scholes over the years. The brilliant midfielder spent his entire club career with Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson and won trophies for fun. His final trophy haul included 11 Premier League trophies and two Champions League titles.

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7

Frank Lampard

England Caps: 106

Possibly the greatest goalscoring midfielder in English history, with 211 goals for Chelsea alone, Frank Lampard played a total of 106 times for England between 1999-2014. With the quality of the former West Ham academy talent, along with other players on this list, it is remarkable that the Three Lions never even threatened to win any major honours.

Lampard reached the top of his profession through sheer hard work and remarkable dedication after being written off by large parts of the media in the early days of his senior career. Runner-up to Ronaldinho in the voting for the 2005 Ballon d’Or award, Lampard arguably deserves more respect for his impressive career achievements.

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6

Alan Shearer

England Caps: 63

The Premier League’s all-time leading scorer with a remarkable 260 goals, Newcastle United hero Alan Shearer is, without doubt, one of the greatest strikers in the division’s history. Capable of scoring all types of goals, Shearer would have been incredible in any era. An early indication of the success he would go on to have in front of goal for his country came when Shearer scored on his England debut against France in 1992.

Now a popular pundit for the BBC, Shearer breathed a huge sigh of relief when Harry Kane left the Premier League for Bayern Munich. His record as the Premier League’s record goalscorer looks safe again – for now. Shearer even went on to share his views on Kane’s move to Bayern Munich, and sent his best wishes to the former Tottenham star, endearing himself further to English fans.