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The England National Football Team have been less than impressive on the world stage for years now but have had plenty of iconic players in their ranks over the years who brought them glorious times like that magical night at Wembley in 1966 when England triumphed over arch-rivals Germany to lift the World Cup. Times and players like those would bring a smile to even the most disheartened Three Lions fans so with that in mind lets look at the best players who have played for England.DISCLAIMER: The views in this article are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sportskeeda.
#1 Bobby Charlton
No one else could have led this list but Bobby Charlton. The Manchester United great was equally prolific for his country and scored a total of 49 goals making him the Three Lions top scorer a record that remains unbroken even today. Charlton could do it all. He could score, drop back and support the midfield and even defend if necessary. Charlton reached the highest summit with England when they won the World Cup in 1966 with himscoring 3 goals in the tournament.
#2 Gordon Banks
The world has seen many great goalkeepers but Gordon Banks leads them all. The legendary Englishman had the agility of a cat and made some outrageous saves including the iconic Pele Save during the 1970 World cup That save which kept out the best player in the history of football is rightly considered to be the finest save of all time. England were truly blessed to have this gem play for them.
#3 Geoff Hurst
The iconic striker will be remembered for two things his hat-trick against West Germany in the finals of the 1966 World Cup which helped England win the tournament and his supposed ghost goal in the same match. Hurst was extremely prolific for the Three Lions and scored 24 times in 49 appearances in a relatively short international career. Even though a lot of English strikers have surpassed Hursts goal scoring record hell always be remembered as the man who gave England their first and only World Cup.
#4 Bobby Moore
Another member of Englands World Cup winning side makes it to the top half of the list. Moore is easily one of the best defenders to play the game and had an internationalcareer which spanned more than a decade and resulted in 108 caps. The West Ham great captained the England side in the 1966 World Cup at the young age of 25 but displayed maturity beyond his years which resulted in him being the Three Lions permanent captain until his retirement from international football. Moore tragically passed away in 1993 at the young age of 51 but his achievements in an England shirt will be permanently etched in everyones memory.
#5 Gary Lineker
Undoubtedly one of footballs greatest strikers, Lineker terrorized opposition defences whenever he put on an England shirt. Lineker was blessed with extraordinary pace, dribbling skills along with wonderful finishing ability and was the backbone of the England team in the 1980s and early 90s. The Englishman scored 48 goals in 80 appearances for his country including six goals in the 1986 World Cup which won him the Golden Boot. Linker will go down as one of the most prolific marksmen to put on the white shirt.
#6 Alan Shearer
After Gary Linekers retirement England found another great striker in Alan Shearer. The Newcastle legend was a classic striker and was lethal in front of goal especially when it came to taking penalties and was the top scorer of Euro 96 along with being included in the tournaments all star team. Shearer netted 30 goals in 63 appearances for the Three Lions and would have certainly scored much more had he not decided to prematurely retire from international football back in 2002.
#7 Michael Owen
No list of the greatest English players would be complete without mentioning Michael Owen. The striker burst onto the international scene when he scored a fabulous goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, which was voted as one of the greatest goals ever, aged just 18 and scored 40 goals in 89 appearances in an international career spanning 10 years. Owen was extremely prolific and scored or assisted at least one goal per game. Injuries prevented Owen from prolonging his glorious international career but he still remains one of Englands top scorers.
#8 Wayne Rooney
The Manchester United man is undoubtedly one of the most gifted forwards of his generation and although he hasnt performed as well as he would have liked in the World Cups hes always delivered for his country. Rooney burst onto the international stage at the tender age of 17 and has scored 40 goals in 95 appearances for his country making him nine goals shy of becoming Englands top scorer and breaking Bobby Charltons long standing record of 49 goals. Rooney still has good years left in him and will continue to deliver for England for a long time.
#9 Frank Lampard
Nobody would blame you if you thought Lampard has been with England since forever. The dynamic midfielder has been a part of the Three Lions since 1999 and has participated in five major tournaments with them including the Euro 2004 where he was named in the Team of the tournament. The former West Ham man is extremely prolific for a midfielder and could be relied upon especially when it came to taking penalties. Lampard has so far earned 106 caps and scored 29 goals for his country. At 36 Lampard is still capable of playing at the highest level and will hopefully participate in one more major tournament before retiring.
#10 Steven Gerrard
Captain Fantastic has been a part of the national setup since 2000 and has participated in five major tournaments with his country. Gerrard makes England tick with his pint point passes and is capable of completely controlling the game when hes in full form not to mention his lethal free kicks which have either led to goals or assists. The Englishman has earned an astonishing 114 caps for the Three Lions and has managed to net 21 goals. Stevie still has a lot to offer even though hes 34 and will hopefully be seen again in the Euros.
