The 10 Greatest English Footballers of All Time
The greatest players are not the most talented ones but the ones that achieve the most in football
Choosing the greatest of all time in anything is difficult.
I mean what are the guidelines?
Is it what they’ve won or how many people liked them, or how big an impact they’ve made?
It’s difficult to judge the greatest as there are so many factors that come into consideration.
And when it’s a team sport it becomes more difficult again.
A player may be a great player because of other good players around them or for having a great manager. Then there is the financial aspect of things. If a player is on a better contract than another player of equal ability then surely they’ll be more motivated to play at a higher level?
And people get emotional about who their favorite player is.
They associate memories with players and good times they had in life.
So as I choose the top 10 English footballers of all time know that I`m trying to completely objective and unemotional. After all, I`m not even English, so I don’t have a favorite. When I list a player I`ll explain why underneath and try to clarify my thinking in the process.
1. David Beckham
Anybody reading this will be shocked to think that Beckham is the number 1 English footballer of all time.
And I understand those misgivings. After all, Beckham wasn’t the most talented of players.
George Best said of Beckham:
“He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle and he doesn’t score many goals. Apart from that, he’s all right.”
And he was right.
But with all that said he became the greatest of them all.
How?
Well being a footballer is first and foremost about being professional. And if you’re a proper professional in anything then you’ll make the most of your ability and opportunities and then grow from there.
Beckham did this in spades as he maximized his limited ability.
Other than crossing a ball with his right foot Beckham was a very ordinary player.
But, he took every opportunity he had both as a footballer and a person and became the greatest he could. He played at the top of the English, Spanish, Italian, and French leagues. He also made a splash in the MLS with LA Galaxy.
If he wasn’t the greatest then why would all the top teams in the top leagues want him?
Because he was the greatest branded name out there and the top teams knew they had to have him.
And like it or not professional football is a business and it’s about making money. And Beckham did that for all the teams he played for.
2. Michael Owen
If you continue reading until now and agree with my argument that Beckham could be considered the number 1 then you’re probably be more open-minded than most readers.
Still, you’ll hardly put Michael Owen as the number 2 English footballer behind Beckham.
My argument here is that Owen won the Ballon d’Or in 2001. That award is for the best footballer in the world in a given year. And no other English footballer won that when it was a global award.
Sure other great English footballers won the award but all of them were before 1995. And before then it was an award only given to European footballers. So Owen’s achievements in 2001 and throughout his career have to put him high up on the list.
In 2001 Liverpool won the treble of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, and Football League Cup, and the team was designed around his ability to run in behind defenders and score.
He played and succeeded in the top two English clubs of all time and with the great Real Madrid too. Sure, his light shone brightly for a few years and it went out quickly too but he was the only English player to be crowned world player of the year, and who am I to argue with that?
He put fear in all international defenses and although he did not have the longest career he was the first England player to score in four consecutive major tournaments.
3. Bobby Charlton
In my book the third greatest English footballer of all time was Bobby Charlton. He won the Ballon d’Or in 1966 and was probably the greatest Manchester United player that ever lived.
He was also a World Cup winner with England in 1966.
4. Kevin Keegan
Again people may wonder why I`ve Keegan at such a high standing. My answer is that he had consistency at the highest level of football as he won the Ballon d’Or in 1978 and 1979.
He won 3 league titles, an FA Cup, two Charity shields, a European cup, and two UEFA Cups.
He also played in two of the top European leagues with different clubs and had a good international career.
5. Stanley Matthews
Matthews was the first-ever winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1956.
He played football from 1931 to 1965. His English international career lasted from 1934 to 1957.
This is a phenomenal record especially when you consider that from age 24 to 30 years of age the world was at war.
6. Alan Shearer
Shearer was a phenomenal goal scorer.
Although he only won one league title he was the ultimate professional who was consistent over a long period.
His goal-scoring record in the English Premier League is unsurpassed as he scored 260 goals.
Although this is impressive, what’s even more outstanding is the fact that he never played with some of the most successful teams in the league. The majority of his goals were scored when his Newcastle team produced a lot fewer chances for him than other top strikers got from being on better teams.
7. Wayne Rooney
Rooney broke Charlton’s all-time goal-scoring records for both United and England.
That in itself is his best claim to fame. However, he scored only one goal in the World Cup finals.
8. Steven Gerard
A lot like Alan Shearer, Gerard was by far the best player on his Liverpool team for many seasons at a time when his team was not a top team in England.
His performance in the 2005 Champion League final was incredible as he scored and inspired a team that was not the most talented to win the cup having been 3–0 in the second half of the final.
He also captained his country for years and was a consummate professional.
9. Bobby Moore
Moore captained the English team to their first World Cup in 1966.
He played from 1958 to 1977 showing leadership to both his West Ham and English teammates.
10. Gary Lineker
Lineker played at a time when England was largely unsuccessful but his record of playing for two English sides and a top Spanish side as well as playing in the J League is impressive.
He scored 238 professional goals and scored in almost every other English international appearance.
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