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Football has always been a part of daily life for many people in England right from the early 1900s. England's Football Association (the FA) is the oldest in the world, having been established in London in 1863. English teams over the years have played some exciting football.
England reached the footballing pinnacle in 1966 when they won the FIFA World Cup, thanks to a hat-trick in the final by Geoff Hurst. The honour remains England's only major one to date. They made the Euro 2020 final this year, but lost to Italy on penalties.
England have produced some incredible players over the years. The likes of Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne, David James, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Gary Neville, among others, have all done well for the Three Lions.
Youngsters like Jude Bellingham, Emile Smith Rowe, Mason Mount and Aaron Ramsdale are looking increasingly likely to continue the legacy of their predecessors had.
On that note, here's a look at the five greatest England players in the 21st century.
#5 Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole was born in Stepney, England, in 1980. He played the entirety of his career as a left-back. Cole began his career with Arsenal in 1999, after coming through their youth ranks. He later represented Chelsea, AS Roma, LA Galaxy and Derby County.
The former England international won three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups, one UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Europa League title. Cole played a total of 688 club games, scoring 20 goals and providing 73 assists. He also made 107 appearances for England, providing seven assists.
Ashley Cole was known for his solid defensive presence, hard-tackling approach and blistering pace. He was extremely adept with keeping pacey wingers in check, and was often tasked with marking the opponent's best players.
In 2004, Cole faced off against the then-upcoming Cristiano Ronaldo in the UEFA Euros. The defender managed to pull off a masterclass against the Portuguese, shutting him down well.
The former England full-back was an integral part of Chelsea's team between 2007 and 2014. He scored for Chelsea in the 2012 Champions League final penalty shootout against Bayern Munich, which sealed the Blues' first title in the competition.
Ashley Cole retired in 2014 as England's most-capped full-back of all time.
#4 John Terry
John George Terry was born in Barking, England, in 1980. He played for West Ham and Chelsea at youth level before making his senior debut for the Blues in 1998.
Terry mainly played at centre-back, and captained Chelsea for most of his career. He also had short spells at Nottingham Forest (loan) and Aston Villa during his 20-year long career.
The former England international spent a large chunk of his career at Chelsea. There, he won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, one UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Europa League.
Terry made 751 appearances in club football, scoring 68 goals and assisting 30. He captained Chelsea a record 578 times.
John Terry enjoyed a long career with England as well, playing 78 games for The Three Lions. He contributed six goals and three assists during his international career.
The former England international was known for his no-nonsense, combative style of defending. He often put his body on the line to deny his opponents' goalscoring opportunities. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Terry produced one such signature moment, blocking a shot with his head.
You can watch that clip here:
John Terry retired in 2018 ,and went on to work as assistant manager at Aston Villa for three years.
#3 Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard was born in Whiston, Merseyside, in England in 1980. He came through the ranks at Liverpool's youth academy, and spent most of his playing career with the Reds. He played for the LA Galaxy for a year (between 2015-16) towards the end of his career.
With Liverpool, the former England international won two FA Cups, three English League Cups, one UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Cup. Gerrard played a total of 752 club games, scoring 191 goals and assisting 170. The midfielder was known for his venomous strikes from distance.
In 2001, he produced one such effort against Liverpool's arch-rivals Manchester United at Anfield.
You can watch that clip here:
His first-ever goal for Liverpool, too, was a sublime effort. The former England midfielder weaved through multiple defenders before slotting home a grounded finish.
You can watch that clip here:
Gerrard retired in 2016, and has since managed Liverpool's U-18s and Rangers in Scotland. He is currently Aston Villa's manager, making a great start to life at Villa Park.
#2 Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney was born in Liverpool, England, in 1985. He began his career after coming through Everton's youth ranks, and made his senior debut at the club in 2002. He spent most of his career (2004-17) at Manchester United, where he became a legend of the game. Rooney also had spells with DC United and Derby County towards the end of his career.
Rooney played a total of 767 club games, scoring 313 goals and providing 184 assists. That includes 561 appearances, 253 goals and 161 assists for Manchester United. The former England international is the Red Devils' all-time top scorer.
Rooney won five Premier League titles, one FA Cup, one UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Europa League. He also won the Golden Boy award in 2004.
The striker was known for his ability to play anywhere across the frontline. Towards the end of his career, he mostly played as an attacking midfielder who pulled the strings in attack for his team.
Rooney also had a thunderous shot, and scored one of the best-ever goals in the history of the game. His strike against United's arch-rivals Manchester City in 2011 was voted the Premier League's greatest ever goal.
You can watch that goal here:
Rooney also scored 53 goals in 120 appearances for England, making him their all-time top scorer. He recently retired as a player, and is now the manager of Derby County, who are enduring financial woes.
#1 Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard was born in Romford, London, in 1978. He began his youth career at West Ham United, and made his senior debut for them in 1995.
Lampard is most renowned for his stint with Chelsea (2001-14) where he became a world-class midfielder. He also represented Manchester City, New York City FC and Swansea City (loan).
The former England international played an incredible 894 games in his career, scoring 267 goals and providing 190 assists. He won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, one UEFA Champions League and one UEFA Europa League. Lampard is Chelsea's all-time top scorer with 211 goals.
Lampard enjoyed a successful career with England as well, playing 106 games, scoring 29 goals and assisting 12. He retired in 2016 with New York City FC. He went on to manage Derby County and Chelsea.
