Arsenal players that have scored on their England debut

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·22 mars 2025

Arsenal players that have scored on their England debut

I spent the week comparing Myles Lewis-Skelly to other Arsenal Academy graduates who played for England. Not only did the 18-year-old start on Friday, but he also became the youngest player in his country’s history to score on his debut. This makes him the 30th Gunner to find the back of the net for the Three Lions, but how many have managed it on their first cap?

The teenager now finds himself on quite an exclusive list…

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Ted Drake – England 3-2 Italy (14th November 1934)Caps: 5, Goals: 6

Ted Drake and Cliff Bastin formed a devastating attacking partnership for both club and country, only slowed down by the Second World War. Drake’s most famous game for his country came at Highbury in a match with Italy, which became infamous for its brutality. Only four Gunners have scored more in Arsenal’s history than the striker, while his seven goals in one game will never be bettered. His stats would have been even better, but by the time peace was declared, Mr Drake had retired from the sport. He later decided to try his hand at management, leading a certain Chelsea to their first-ever title.

Alfred Kirchen – England 6-0 Norway (14th May 1937)Caps: 3, Goals: 2

This was part of a successful Scandinavian tour for the winger, who also scored six days later in Finland. Despite his two goals in three matches, he would not earn any more caps. Just after winning a league title and at the peak of his powers, the Second World War put football on pause. However, as a PT instructor in the Royal Air Force, he was able to play friendly matches. You could argue that his biggest achievement was in clay pigeon shooting.

Joe Baker – England 2-1 Northern Ireland (18th November 1959)Caps: 8, Goals: 3

This is an interesting answer to a trivia question. Mr Baker was the first, and remains the only, player to have ever represented England before playing a competitive game in the country. In many ways, he couldn’t have been more Scottish—identifying as a Scot, living in Scotland from the age of six weeks, growing up with a strong Scottish accent, and starting his career at Hibernian. Yet, the rules at the time meant he could only play for the nation he was born in (England). By the time he moved to North London, he already had five caps and had scored many goals in Scotland and Italy. Scoring 100 goals in four years as a Gunner got him back in international contention, though it wasn’t enough to be selected for the 1966 World Cup.

Francis Jeffers – England 1-3 AustraliaCaps: 1, Goal: 1

This match will always be remembered for Wayne Rooney’s international debut, and for Sven-Göran Eriksson taking liberties with the unlimited substitution rule in friendlies at the time (he changed his entire team at half-time). Two players made their debuts in the second period: Liverpool’s Rooney and Jeffers, with one assisting the other to score. It was the kind of poacher’s goal that had seen the striker break the goal-scoring record for the Three Lions Under-21s, which is why Arsène Wenger would nickname him “the Fox in the Box.” Little did he know at the time, but that night at Upton Park would be one of the last times the Scouser shone on the biggest stage. Injuries, a loss of confidence, and a poor attitude meant he never reached the level expected of him following his breakthrough at Everton. It was back at Goodison Park where he started his coaching career, with his last role being part of Robbie Fowler’s staff in Saudi Arabia.

Congratulations to Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Dan Smith

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