How England could line up at the over 35s World Cup | OneFootball

A new over-35s World Cup competition is set to be held in England this summer, according to the Daily Mail. The tournament, which is being organised by the Elite Players Group (EPG), comprised of top-level former footballers and sports businessmen, will be known as the EPG Cup.

It will be an eight-team competition featuring every side that have won the FIFA World Cup since its inception in 1930: England, Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Uruguay. The tournament is set to consist of seven matches, all of which will take place in the same stadium at the start of June.

The games will be 11-a-side and last 70 minutes, with teams being able to use roll-on substitutes to utilise their 18-man squads. The quarter-finals are scheduled to be played on June 4 and June 5, with both semi-finals on June 8 before the final on June 11.

Steve McManaman is expected to captain England, while the Three Lions are also expected to field a side which consists of multiple Premier League icons, including Michael Owen, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, David James, Frank Lampard and Robbie Fowler. With the nation not short of legends to choose from, how could they line-up for the over-35s World Cup?

Goalkeeper - David James

England caps: 53

The English shot-stopper racked up an incredible 572 Premier League appearances throughout his lengthy career, playing at some of the country's best clubs along the way. James featured between the sticks for Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester City, West Ham United and Portsmouth before ending his glistening career abroad.

James kept 171 clean sheers and conceded 667 goals during his English top-flight career. Most will remember the shot-stopper for his less-than-impressive form for England during what was dubbed the 'golden generation', something which James didn't quite fit into. Despite featuring 53 times for his country, James spent a lot of his career as a second choice goalkeeper for the Three Lions.

Gary Neville is undoubtedly the best right back to put on an England shirt. The former Manchester United man was a reliable and very talented defender. His relationship on the right side of United's side during their most dominant era, Neville was always there to provide an overlap for David Beckham.

After making his international debut against Japan in 1995, Neville would go on to become England's first choice full back and was always consistent when called upon. At Euro 1996, the only game he missed was the semi-final after he was suspended for picking up a yellow card on two separate occasions. Injuries towards the back end of his career hindered Neville's chances of making 100 appearances for his country.

England caps: 78

John Terry was an unbelievably consistent performer for Chelsea for almost 20 years – leading the Blues to five Premier League titles. There may be debates around the other centre-back role in this team, but very few would doubt Terry's credentials as one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Willing to put his body on the line for his team, the former England captain led by example. He wasn't half-bad in possession of the ball, either. After making his international debut against Serbia and Montenegro in 2003, Terry formed a formidable partnership with Ferdinand early on. His first taste of a major tournament came at Euro 2004 and was one of the first names on the teamsheet. In total, Terry featured 78 times for the Three Lions.

England caps: 81

An exceptional ball-playing defender, Rio Ferdinand was ahead of his time. His composure on the ball, excellent passing range, and elegant style of play differentiated him from many centre-backs of his era. The term 'Rolls-Royce defender' is often thrown about a lot in the modern game to describe a defender that is performing well, but the Man United legend was the epitome of that characterisation.

Capped 81 times for England, Ferdinand was named in four consecutive England World Cup squads. Most notably, he never went to a European Championship due to a ban for missing a drugs test and due to England's failure to qualify for UEFA Euro 2008. With injuries affecting the former defender during Fabio Cappello's and Roy Hodgson's reign, Ferdinand retired from England duty in 2013.

England caps: 107

When making the greatest Premier League XI of all time, it is hard to argue that Ashley Cole would be the overwhelming favourite to make it into the left-back slot. This is due to the energy the former England international brought to the game, in both a defensive and attacking sense. Cole was a breath of fresh air going forward as he would often find himself as the furthest man forward on the left-hand side of the pitch.

Cole is regarded as the best left back to put on an England shirt, and it is very much unlikely that anyone will surpass him in the near future. After just four appearances for the Under-21s, Cole was fast-tracked into the senior team and was given his senior debut against Albania in 2001. He played for the Three Lions at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups, Euro 2004 and Euro 2012.

Right Midfield - Joe Cole

England caps: 56

Given that Cole's peak was during his time at Chelsea, it is no surprise that he was not a guaranteed starter every week for the Blues, who were the team to beat in the mid-2000s. At the time, the Stamford Bridge club had Arjen Robben and Damien Duff causing defences all sorts of problems down the flanks, meaning that Cole had to wait patiently for his opportunities at times.

However, on his day, the former winger was able to cause real havoc on the right hand side for both club and country and was criminally underrated. Making his senior international debut against Mexico in 2001, Cole was never really a regular starter for his country. With that being said, he still provided England fans with many memorable memories, particularly his sensational volley against Sweden at the 2006 World Cup.

Centre Midfield - Frank Lampard

England caps: 109

One of the Premier League's greatest-ever maestros managed to rack up 609 appearances in England's top league, scoring 177 goals and providing 102 assists along the way.Lampard started his Premier League career at West Ham United, where he graduated from the youth system to play for his uncle, Harry Redknapp.

However, the Londoner's talents were soon eyed up by Chelsea, where he made the majority of his Premier League appearances. On the international scene, Lampard was just as important. Despite making his debut in 1999, the former Blues midfielder was overlooked at Euro 2000 and the World Cup in 2002, and had to wait until Euro 2004 to take part in his first international competition. In that tournament, the Englishman scored three goals in four matches. In total, he would feature 109 times for his country, scoring 29 goals.

Centre Midfield - Steven Gerrard

England caps: 114

Despite never clinching a Premier League title, Steven Gerrard's place in the pantheon of midfield greats is beyond dispute. For over a decade, he was Liverpool's heartbeat, driving the team forward with his remarkable range of passing, explosive shooting, and tenacious tackling.

Gerrard's leadership qualities were also unparalleled, often single-handedly carrying his team through sheer willpower, most notably in the 2005 Champions League Final. For England, the former midfielder was just as vital as he was for his beloved Liverpool. With 114 caps to his name, Gerrard made his international debut against Ukraine back in 2000. His first goal came in the iconic 5-1 win against Germany in a 2002 World Cup qualifier. He would go on to play a regular role in the major tournaments before retiring in 2014.

Left Midfield - Steve McManaman

England caps: 37

Named as England's captain for this summer's tournament is former Liverpool and Real Madrid winger, Steve McManaman. After coming up through the youth set up at Anfield, the 51-year-old made his debut in 1990 against Sheffield United. A hard-working, versatile and technically gifted player, the Englishman spent nine years at the club before moving to Madrid in 1999, where he would go on to win several honours, including two Champions League titles.

Despite his success in England and Spain, McManaman was never able to push on and become a regular starter for his country. Making his senior debut in 1994, the former midfielder was one of the standout players at Euro 1996. However, towards the back end of his career with the Three Lions, he fell out of favour with former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Striker - Robbie Fowler

England caps - 26

A phenomenal finisher at his best. Fowler made his mark in the early years of the Premier League when, at the start of his career, he scored 25 goals in the 1994/95 season, and bettered that with 28 goals a season later. His goalscoring antics at Liverpool knew no bounds and among all of the clinical finishing, he proved to be efficient as he held the record for the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history for more than two decades.

Fowler never managed to hit 20 goals in a Premier League season again, although he did manage to contribute double figures at both Leeds and Manchester City. It will be for the early days that Fowler is best remembered when his goals lit up the league. Despite proving to be a big hit at Liverpool; unfortunately, he never really kicked on at the national scene and only made 26 appearances for the Three Lions, scoring seven times.

England Caps - 89

It's fair to say that the Three Lions have a stacked forward line, with Michael Owen partnering Fowler. The 2001 Ballon d'Or winner had a successful career with Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, scoring 150 Premier League goals in total. It was his time with Liverpool that was the most promising, but serious injuries meant that Owen didn't go on to become as great as his promise suggested he might be able to.

His combination of searing pace and clinical finishing meant he was a defender's nightmare when he was fit and healthy, so it was a grand shame that Owen's luck with injuries let him down time and time again. For the national side, the forward was just as clinical, scoring 40 goals in 89 appearances for the Three Lions. Many football fans will remember his iconic goal against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup against Argentina.