The England national team is regarded as one of the most historic in the international game. Over the years, top players have worn the Three Lions shirt with pride and passion.
Some players have given decades of service to the England cause. However, who are England’s most capped players at international level?
Peter Shilton (125 England caps from 1970 to 1990)
The iconic goalkeeper played for the Three Lions for nearly two decades, winning an incredible 125 caps.
The former Nottingham Forest and Derby County goalkeeper made his international debut in a 3-1 victory over East Germany in November 1970. When he made his debut, he was actually plying his trade in the Second Division at Leicester City.
However, the Foxes won promotion back to the English top flight six months after his debut. Shilton featured at the World in 1982, 1986 and 1990.
The latter saw the Three Lions make it to the competition’s semi-finals, only to experience heartbreak in a penalty shootout defeat by Germany. A 2-1 third-place defeat against hosts Italy saw Shilton’s last international appearance.
He had also played with his national team in the 1980 and 1988 European Championships.
At the peak of his powers, Shilton was regarded as one of the world’s best goalkeepers. In 2002, he was inducted into England’s Hall of Fame.
Wayne Rooney (120 England caps from 2003 to 2018)
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The Croxteth-born forward is considered to be one of the most naturally gifted footballers England has ever produced.
Rooney made his Three Lions international debut in February 2003, at the age of just 17 years and 111 days, in an international friendly defeat against Australia.
In September 2003, Rooney became England’s youngest-ever goalscorer when, at the age of 17 years and 317 days, he scored in a 2-1 Euro 2004 qualifying win in Macedonia.
However, it was not until Euro 2004 that he showed the world game what he was all about. The forward became the Three Lions’ youngest goalscorer in an international tournament, scoring a brace in a 3-0 group-stage win over Switzerland.
Rooney ended the tournament with four goals in as many games, even though his campaign was ended by injury in the quarter-finals against Portugal. Without Rooney, the Three Lions crashed out of the competition in a penalty shootout.
The forward also played at the 2006, 2010, and 2014 World Cups and the European Championships in 2012 and 2016.
Rooney initially retired from international duty in August 2017. However, he came out of retirement to play his last international game in November 2018. The appearance was to promote his charity, The Wayne Rooney Foundation.
Although he never won an international trophy with England, Rooney finished his career as the Three Lions’ most-capped outfield player and also as his country’s top goalscorer. Harry Kane has since beaten his goal tally of 53 goals for his country, but Rooney is still regarded as one of England’s best performers.
David Beckham (115 England caps from 1996 to 2009)
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Like his fellow former Manchester United star Rooney, Beckham captained his country, winning 115 England caps during his illustrious playing career.
The midfielder made his England debut in a World Cup 98 qualifier against Moldova in September 1996. He also appeared at the World Cups in 1998, 2002, and 2006 and the Euros in 2000 and 2004.
His most famous tournament appearance was in the 1998 World Cup’s last-16 when he was shown a red card for kicking out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone.
England went on to exit the tournament courtesy of a penalty shootout defeat. Beckham became a villain overnight, with fans and media vilifying him for his actions.
He kept that tag of villain for some years. However, Beckham reprieved himself in qualifying for World Cup 2002. First, he played a crucial role in a 5-1 away win in Germany and then came a true Roy of the Rovers moment.
England needed to beat or draw with Greece to qualify for the World Cup. However, they headed into the game’s dying minutes trailing 2-1. Teddy Sheringham won a free kick eight yards out, and Beckham stepped up to curl home one of his trademark free kicks to send his team through to the finals.
His performances in qualifying and throughout the season earned Beckham the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2001.
The midfielder’s last England appearance came as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Belarus in October 2009 in a World Cup 2010 qualifier.
Steven Gerrard (114 England caps from 2000 to 2014)
Like the other players on our list, Gerrard captained his nation during an England career that spanned 14 years and saw him pick up an impressive 114 caps.
Gerrard’s international bow came against Ukraine on 31st May 2000. His club form earned him a spot in the Euro 2000 squad, although the midfielder made just one substitute appearance during the campaign.
The former Liverpool stalwart played a big part in England’s historic 5-1 World Cup 2002 qualifying win in Germany. Although the Three Lions qualified for the tournament, he missed it due to a groin issue picked up while playing for his club.
However, after his brief cameo at Euro 2000, the midfielder also appeared for England at the European Championships in 2004 and 2012 and featured at the World Cup in 2006, 2010, and 2014.
Gerrard won the England Player of the Year award in 2007 and 2012 during his international career. He was inducted into his national team’s Hall of Fame in 2017.
Bobby Moore (108 England caps from 1962 to 1973)
The former West Ham centre-back is quite simply an England legend. Even now, Moore is considered one of the greatest defenders the beautiful game has seen.
Moore’s crowning moment in football was captaining England to the 1966 World Cup title on home soil.
England’s 4-2 extra-time final win over Germany at Wembley is now the stuff of legends. The competition is the only major international tournament the men’s England team has ever won.
However, the 1966 World Cup was not the first international tournament in which Moore appeared for England. He also played for the Three Lions in the 1962 edition of the competition and helped England to third place at the European Championships in 1968.
The West Ham icon also captained his nation at the World Cup in 1970. Despite leading 2-0 in the quarter-finals against old foes West Germany, they suffered a 3-2 defeat in extra-time to exit the competition.
Moore’s international career ended in November 1973, as his England team suffered a 1-0 friendly defeat by Italy.
In 1967, Bobby Moore was awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to sport.
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