The Best England Football Players of the Last 20 Years
It has always been a great honour for any English footballer to wear the colours of his national team.
While the English national team hasn’t been as successful as the Brazilians or the Germans, all football lovers know that they can always expect a great atmosphere at Wembley. This is partly because the Three Lions, as the team is fondly called, has featured some of the world’s best footballers over the last two decades.
In this article, we will be looking at the best players to have played for the English national team in the last twenty years. This list will be based on the players’ records for both club and country. We will also be considering major trophies and individual honors.
5. Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is easily England’s best left-back over the last two decades and one of the best left-backs to play the round leather game. He spent his best years in the English Premier League playing for London rivals, Arsenal and Chelsea. Cole started his senior career at Arsenal in 1999 and went on to clinch two league titles and three FA Cups. He was part of the infamous “Invincibles” Arsenal squad that went unbeaten on their way to clinch the league title in 2003-04.
However, he drew the ire of Arsenal fans when he decided to move to Chelsea in 2006. In his eight years in the Blue side of London, he won another league title, four FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League in 2012. Cole was also a regular for the Three Lions between 2001 to 2014. During this period, he played in three World Cups and two Euro tournaments. He won the England player of the year award in 2010.
4. John Terry
John Terry is widely regarded as the best centre-back to play in the Premier League era. Though he had his fair share of controversy during his career, his defensive and leadership abilities were incredible, to say the least. He also had an impressive goal-scoring record. So, it is no surprise that he was captain for both club and country at his peak. He was relieved of his duty as captain of the Three Lions due to a major controversy.
Still, Terry won an impressive number of trophies and individual awards. He won 5 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and one Europa League and Champions League title each. Individually, he won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2005 and was named in the FIFPRO for five consecutive seasons.
3. Wayne Rooney
At his peak, Wayne Rooney was the poster boy of English football. However, he was always hardworking, determined, and as relentless as the fastest withdrawal online casino Australia. He started his career as a young prodigy in Merseyside but was made for bigger things and he quickly swapped the Everton Blue for Manchester Red. It was in Manchester United that he cemented his name amongst the greatest English Goalscorers of all time.
He won every single trophy that he could have won at club level including the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, Europa League, and Club World Cup. By the time he retired, he had scored 253 goals for the club. He is also the youngest ever goalscorer for his country and went on to score 53 goals in 120 appearances.
2. Steven Gerrard
Stevie G is a legend of the English game and an exemplary leader. He started his career at Liverpool and showed incredible loyalty to the Anfield faithful by staying for a staggering 17 years. Gerrard marshalled the midfield for both club and country for many years thanks to his great talent, maturity, and leadership qualities. He also went on to captain both teams unsurprisingly.
How good was Gerrard? Well, he was included in the Team of the Year for both UEFA and FIFA thrice. He was also named Man of the Match in the UCL final in Istanbul, a match in which his team had to overturn a three-goal deficit. However, he was unable to win the Premier League title. During his international career, he represented England at three European tournaments and World Cups.
1. Frank Lampard
Many will argue that Stevie should hold this spot instead of Frank Lampard, however, Frank takes the number one spot due to his greater success. Though he started his career at West Ham, it was at Chelsea that he developed into one of the finest midfielders of his generation. Statistically, very few midfielders can stand toe-to-toe with Super Frank.
He went on to establish himself as the greatest goal-scoring the Premier League has ever seen during his 13-year stay at Stamford Bridge. He scored 211 to become the club’s all-time highest goal scorer and won all major trophies. Frank also received numerous individual honors including a runner-up finish for the Ballon d’Or and FIFA best player. He played for England 106 times and was voted England Player of the Year twice.
Conclusion
Though the players listed in this article didn’t reach their full potential in their national colours, they were one of the best players in the world at their prime. We would like to note that the players included in this article made their national team debut after the turn of the century. This is why names like David Beckham and Michael Owen were excluded.