Best English Soccer Players of All Time: Ranking the Top 10 | OneFootball

England is quite often referred to as the "home" of soccer—mainly because many, especially the English, believe it's where the world’s most popular sport was invented.

While that’s not entirely true (the origins of the game actually date all the way back to ancient China and a game called Cuju), there are two things about the English that definitely are true.

First, the small, waterlocked nation did turn soccer professional, with the Football Association (FA) creating the first official set of rules back in 1863. Second, ever since then, English football has been one of—if not the—biggest powerhouses in world soccer.

Internationally, England may not always have ruled the world, but they did capture a historic World Cup win in 1966, while domestically, the country is home to some of the biggest and most storied football clubs on the planet—Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and (less so lately) Manchester United. These clubs, in turn, have helped produce some of the greatest players the beautiful game has ever seen.

With all that in mind, we've ranked the top 10 English soccer players of all time.

10. David Beckham

David Beckham. / ZUMA Press Wire/IMAGO

Model, business magnate, and Major League Soccer club owner at Inter Miami—David Beckham is one of soccer’s most successful figures off the pitch, with the former Manchester United star now worth around half a billion dollars.

Because of his post-playing fame—and, let’s be honest, his devilishly good looks—it’s easy to forget just how good Beckham was on the pitch.

With arguably the most iconic right foot in soccer history, nobody could bend it like Beckham. He used that magic cleat to spray pinpoint passes across the pitch, whip in delicious crosses, and—most famously—curl free-kicks into the top corner. His unforgettable last-minute stunner against Greece in 2001 to send England to the World Cup is etched into soccer history.

While best known for his achievements with United—where, as part of the legendary "Class of '92," he won six Premier League titles and the Champions League—Beckham also stands out as one of the few English players to enjoy real success abroad, winning titles in both Spain and France with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

9. Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes. / Geoff Martin/IMAGO

Ask any Manchester United player from the 1990s or 2000s who the best teammate they ever had was, and you’ll likely hear the same name over and over again: Paul Scholes.

“He’s a world-class player and deserves to be up there with the likes of Zidane and Figo,” said Phil Neville. Wayne Rooney put it even more simply: “The best I’ve played with, no question. His touch, passing, vision, and composure were outstanding. I tried to copy him.”

Even Cristiano Ronaldo, a man not short on confidence, is in awe: “Scholes is the best I’ve played with. He helped me a lot when I was young. He’s amazing.”

High praise all around, but perhaps the quote that captures Scholes best came from former teammate Mikaël Silvestre: “Paul Scholes was Gianfranco Zola and [Roy] Keane in one.”

A genius with the ball, yet tough as nails without it—Scholes was football’s ultimate paradox. Quiet off the pitch, loud on it. Small in stature, massive in influence. A playmaker who could tackle, a destroyer who could thread impossible passes. One of United and England's finest. Period.

8. Paul Gascoigne

Paul Gascoigne. / WEREK/IMAGO

Paul Gascoigne might just be the most naturally gifted English soccer player of all time.

Watch his solo goal against Scotland at Euro '96, or his mesmerising run and chip for Spurs against Derby County, and you'll quickly see why the former Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur star is held in such high regard. With dazzling feet, incredible vision, and a fearless creativity, "Gazza" could light up a match like few others.

But while he was a magician on the field and known for being a joker and larger-than-life character off it, Gascoigne’s life behind the laughs was deeply troubled. Throughout his career—and long after it—he struggled with alcoholism, mental health battles, and off-pitch scandals. One of the most infamous moments came in 2010, when he bizarrely showed up at a police standoff involving fugitive Raoul Moat, claiming to be his brother.

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle once said, “There is no great genius without a touch of madness"—and in the case of Gascoigne, that feels especially true. A once-in-a-generation talent, his genius on the pitch was matched only by the turmoil he battled off it.

7. Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Midfielders aren’t usually known for banging in goals—but Frank Lampard made a career out of it.

Across just over 1,000 games for club and country, Lampard scored a ridiculous 303 goals. Most of those came in a Chelsea shirt, where he became the club’s all-time leading scorer and still holds the title of the Premier League’s highest-scoring midfielder.

He wasn’t shy in an England shirt either, netting 29 times to become the national team’s top-scoring midfielder. Ironically, though, his most iconic England moment is one that didn’t count—his rocket of a strike against Germany at the 2010 World Cup that clearly crossed the line… but wasn’t given.

6. Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer. / Ulmer/IMAGO

If Lampard was great at scoring from midfield, Alan Shearer was the master of putting the ball in the back of the net.

The Premier League’s all-time leading scorer with 260 goals—a record that still stands strong decades later despite the best efforts of legends like Thierry Henry, Sergio Agüero, and Harry Kane—Shearer was the definition of a complete striker.

Quick (especially before injuries slowed him down), physically dominant, lethal in the air, and packing a thunderous right foot, the former Blackburn and Newcastle icon had every tool in the box. No matter the team, no matter the stage, Shearer scored goals. Simple as that.

The only thing missing? Trophies. While he did fire Blackburn Rovers to a stunning Premier League title in 1994-95, that ended up being the only major silverware of his career—both for club and country. A shame, but it doesn’t make his goal-scoring legacy any less legendary.

5. Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard celebrates scoring in the 2006 FA Cup final. / PA Images/IMAGO

Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes? It’s a debate that has long divided English football fans—which of the three midfield maestros from the modern era truly reigns supreme?

We’ll settle it for you: Steven Gerrard.

While Scholes was the metronome with a laser-guided passing range, and Lampard the goal-scoring machine from midfield, Gerrard was both—rolled into one—with a little (or arguably, a lot) of extra fire on top. A true box-to-box engine, Gerrard could do it all: ping pinpoint passes, make game-saving tackles, dictate tempo, and smash in long-range screamers that became his signature.

But Gerrard wasn’t just about ability—he was a leader. He dragged teams to glory through sheer willpower and moments of individual brilliance, especially at Liverpool, where he spent almost his entire career. Whether it was that Champions League final in Istanbul or a clutch goal in a domestic cup, Gerrard consistently rose to the occasion when his team needed him most.

4. Booby Moore

Bobby Moore. / WEREK/IMAGO

In the history of English soccer, only one man has ever lifted the World Cup as captain of the Three Lions. That man is Bobby Moore.

While that achievement alone is enough to place him among the pantheon of England’s greats, the truth is, Moore was—no pun intended—much more than just a World Cup-winning skipper.

One of the finest defenders the game has ever seen, the West Ham United legend was a graceful, intelligent player who was well ahead of his time. Rather than relying solely on brute force, Moore read the game beautifully, calmly played the ball out from the back, and wasn’t afraid to carry it forward himself.

The great Pelé once described Moore as the "best centre-back I’ve ever seen," and alongside Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer, his toughest-ever opponent—a compliment that says it all.

3. Harry Kane

Harry Kane. / Sven Simon / IMAGO

Harry Kane is understandably often likened to Alan Shearer. Both are English, both are exceptional goalscorers, and both have—at least so far in Kane’s case—endured a puzzling lack of silverware that hardly reflects their world-class talent.

Where Kane, England’s all-time leading scorer with 71 goals, edges ahead of Shearer—and arguably most other strikers in English soccer history—is in his ability to drop deep and influence the game as a playmaker. His superb first touch, vision, and range of passing aren’t just rare for a striker—they're elite for any player in any position.

It’s a skillset that’s occasionally earned him criticism, especially from England fans who’d prefer to see him stay in the box and simply score. But in truth, Kane’s ability to link play and bring others into the game enhances every team he plays for and sets him apart from both today’s elite and many of the greats from the past.

2. Bobby Charlton

Bobby Charlton. / Colorsport/IMAGO

The story of Bobby Charlton is one of the most inspiring—and heartbreaking—in the history of soccer.

A member of the famed “Busby Babes” – the group of gifted young players developed at Manchester United under Sir Matt Busby after World War II – Charlton had just begun to make his name as one of Europe’s brightest talents when tragedy struck.

In 1958, the Munich air disaster claimed the lives of eight of Charlton’s teammates and three staff members. The 20-year-old survived, but the trauma left a lasting mark. “It felt like my life was being taken away from me, piece by piece,” he once told The Guardian, recalling the moment he lay in a German hospital and heard the names of those who had died.

Miraculously, Charlton returned to the pitch just weeks later, as if he was driven on by the memory of those he lost. Over the rest of his glittering career, he helped United and England reach unimaginable heights—winning First Division titles in 1964–65 and 1966–67, the club’s first-ever European Cup in 1968, and of course, the World Cup in 1966, where his two goals in the semi-final against Eusebio's Portugal helped send the Three Lions to the final.

I'm not crying, you are.

1. Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Wayne Rooney went through several unforgettable iterations during his career. First, there was the young, mercurial wonderkid who lit up the Premier League with Everton and earned a blockbuster move to Manchester United. Then came Skinhead Rooney—the ferocious, no-nonsense version of the striker known as much for crunching tackles as for thunderous goals.

Later on, we got Midfielder Rooney, who, as his pace faded, dropped deeper to dictate play with vision and intelligence. Then there was MLS Rooney, casually bossing Major League Soccer and famously scoring from the halfway line for D.C. United like it was just another day at the office.

Though each version was different, they all shared one thing: undeniable class.

Blessed with elite vision, an off-the-charts football IQ, and a rocket of a right foot, Rooney was a once-in-a-generation talent. Not only did he finish his career as United’s all-time top scorer with 253 goals (surpassing Bobby Charlton), but he was also a brilliant creator—his selflessness often overshadowed by the sheer power of his highlights reel. From bicycle kicks to volleys few dare attempt, Rooney’s greatest hits could rival even Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s for jaw-dropping audacity.

England may never see another player quite like him. And for the record? Our favorite version? Skinhead Rooney. There’s just something poetic about a buzzcut legend clattering opponents, smashing screamers, and wheeling away in wild celebration. Pure soccer chaos.