The
Olympics have provided the nation with a constant stream of successes to
celebrate over the last couple of weeks, but our Olympic men’s footballers were
sadly not part of this. Once it went to penalties against the South Koreans, we
all feared the worst and the outcome was almost inevitable given that the squad
was predominantly English.
That
said, it was a young and relatively inexperienced squad that fought hard but in
the end didn’t quite have the quality to challenge for a medal. So, in light of
England’s Euro 2012 woes and Team GB failing to provide any consolatory medal,
we have compiled the definitive English All-Time XI to remind ourselves of the
truly world-class players that have represented the nation. With so many
players to choose from, there were bound to be notable absences but if you’re
reading this Pele, please forgive our decision to admit Nicky Butt.
Goalkeeper
Peter Shilton (125
caps, 0 goals) 1970-1990
Some
may prefer World Cup-winner Gordon Banks, or perhaps even David Seaman, as the
England All-Time number one, but Shilton managed to notch up well over a
hundred England caps to become our nation’s most-capped player, despite
beginning his international career at 32. Shilton also holds the record
(jointly with Fabien Barthez) for most clean sheets at World Cup finals, with
10 clean sheets in 17 appearances.
Defence
Gary Neville (85
caps, 0 goals) 1995-2007
Neville
was a top performer for both club and county. Despite lacking the pace usually
associated with full backs, his overlapping runs and superb crossing more than
made up for his slowness. Despite his aptitude going forward, it was in defence
that Neville thrived, largely thanks to his impeccable reading of the game and
tactical nous – attributes which have been exemplified in his recent work as a
pundit and commentator for Sky Sports.
Bobby Moore (108
caps, 2 goals) 1962-1973
The
word legend is used all too frequently in the media nowadays but it is a word
befitting Bobby Moore. He was the consummate defender and played every minute
of every single one of his England caps. Pele described England’s World Cup
winning captain as the best defender he ever played against, which is high
praise from a man more used to self-aggrandisement than praising other players.
Billy Wright (105
caps, 3 goals) 1946-1959
The
Wolves legend was the first player in world football to surpass 100
international caps and was runner-up to the legendary Alfredo di Stefano in the
1957 Ballon d’Or (albeit by a large margin). Wright played for England 105
times, losing just 21 matches during that time and captaining England on a
record 90 occasions.
Ashley Cole (98 caps,
0 goals) 2000-present
Cole
is the only member of the current England squad to make the All-Time XI, and
rightfully so. His performances for both club and country have marked him out
as a genuinely world-class player, even in the twilight of his career.
Furthermore, he is one of only a handful of England players in recent times to
recreate his club form at international level; something which Wayne Rooney and
others are yet to achieve.
Midfield
David Beckham (115
caps, 17 goals) 1996-2009
The
former England captain is probably the most recognisable footballer in the
world, and has twice been the runner-up of FIFA World Player of the Year (1999
& 2001). Despite his unparalleled fame, Beckham’s devotion to the national
side and the passion he showed whenever he played for England was
unquestionable. Unlike some players in recent times who have retired from
international football simply because they have been passed over for selection
(for example Jamie Carragher and Ben Foster), Beckham (along with his close
friend Gary Neville) has stated that he never intends to retire from
international football – he is at his nation’s disposal; just as it should be,
but refreshing patriotism nonetheless, especially in this age of overpaid,
egocentric footballers.
Paul Gascoigne (57
caps, 10 goals) 1988-1998
The
mercurial Gascoigne had his problems off the pitch, but his ability on the
pitch was clear for all to see. Though his international career was cut short
due to his battle with alcoholism and other personal problems, Gascoigne
demonstrated his remarkable ability and, importantly, he produced stellar
performances in big games and at major tournaments – shown by the fact that he is
one of only seven English players to be named in a FIFA World Cup All-Star team
(Italia ’90).
Bobby Charlton (106
caps, 49 goals) 1958-1970
England’s
top goal-scorer and 1966 Ballon d’Or winner is probably the greatest player
ever to don an England shirt. Having survived the tragedy that was the Munich
air disaster of 1958, Charlton received his first England cap just over a month
later, scoring on debut. This marked the start of Charlton’s meteoric rise to
international recognition, winning the World Cup in 1966 as well as the Golden
Boot for the tournament.
Tom Finney (76 caps,
30 goals) 1946-1958
Preston
born and bred, Sir Tom Finney played for North End for his entire career.
Finney was renowned for his dribbling ability and famously never received a
booking during his 14-year career. Possibly the greatest tribute to Finney came
from Tommy Docherty, who, when asked this year which modern day players are as
talented as Finney, replied that only Lionel Messi could be compared to the
great man.
Attack
Alan Shearer (63
caps, 30 goals) 1992-2000
The
Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer and joint-fifth goalscorer for England
had an incredibly slow start to his England career, scoring just five goals in
his first 23 matches at international level. However, Shearer eventually
managed to recreate his domestic form at Euro 96 and never looked back. His 25
goals in his subsequent 40 England games repaid the faith shown in him by Terry
Venables and made Shearer a force to be reckoned with on the international
stage.
Gary Lineker (80
caps, 48 goals) 1984-1992
England’s
own fox in the box is famous for his prolific goalscoring record and for being
squeaky-clean as a player (barring an unfortunate incident one night in
Cagliari). Though he ended his career one goal shy of Bobby Charlton’s record,
Lineker is undoubtedly England’s best striker. The decision by Graham Taylor to
substitute Lineker in the Euro ’92 match against Sweden has retrospectively
been criticised for robbing Lineker of the opportunity to break Charlton’s
record but in reality it mattered very little. Taylor’s decision is only
loosely analogous to Michael Atherton’s famously cruel declaration against
Australia with Hick not out on 98; Lineker may have been denied the prestige of
being the record-holder, but his legacy had already been secured.
By The Coin Toss
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