Top 5 English Players in Football History
England is the birthplace of modern football, as we know it today. The fervor around this sport has always been immense, comparable only to the passion that casinos arouse and the irresistible top casino bonus. It is therefore logical that this country has seen some of the best football players of all time.
Discover this ranking composed of players from different eras, from the ’50s to the 21st century, including the golden generation that won the 1966 World Cup. Here are the top 5 of the best English footballers of all time.
- Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves is a former English international footballer who played as a striker. With 357 goals he is the highest goal scorer in English football history, 44 goals make him England’s fourth-highest international goal scorer, and Tottenham’s highest goal scorer with 266 goals.
1957 marked the start of Greaves’ professional career at Chelsea. He spent four seasons at the club and scored 124 times. After a short stint at AC Milan, Greaves returned to England and joined Tottenham. With Spurs, he won two FA Cups and a Cup Winners Cup in 1963.
Jimmy Greaves played his second World Cup in 1966 but was injured in the group stage. He lost his starting place to Geoff Hurst and therefore did not play in the final.
- Tom Finney
Tom Finney is one of the best English players of the 50s. He was a very good dribbler, who could play as well as central striker, as on the wings.
Finney spent his entire career with Preston North End, from 1946 to 1960. He played 433 games and scored 187 times for his club. Considered a Preston legend, Finney is most respected for his loyalty to his hometown club.
With the England team, Tom Finney participated 3 times in the World Cup, in 1950, 1954, and 1958. In total, he played 76 games for the national team and scored 30 goals, making him one of the top scorers in the history of the Three Lions.
- Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews is without a doubt one of the best English players of all time. His record is not the most impressive, but his longevity is incredible. He started his career in 1931 and played his last professional game in 1965, 34 years later. Matthews was even voted the best player in the league in 1963 at the age of 48.
After playing for Stoke City for 19 seasons and Blackpool for 14 seasons, Stanley Matthews retired at the age of 50.
Known for his amazing dribbling skills, he was nicknamed “The wizard of the dribble”. He also earned a reputation as an excellent passer, while playing right wing for his clubs and country.
Football may be considered a man’s game, but Sir Stanley Matthews was the perfect gentleman. He was one of those rare players who never received a card in his career. He also became immortal in history as the first winner of the Ballon d’Or.
- Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore is simply one of the best English players of all time. He is, in fact, the only person in history to have captained England to a World Cup triumph in 1966.
Before he got his hands on the trophy, Moore had already begun to gain recognition on the domestic circuit, as he was named Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year for his amazing feats in 1964 with West Ham.
- Bobby Charlton
Sir Bobby Charlton is surely one of the best players in the history of football. He was a striker of incomparable finesse and possessed a unique vision of the game. Known for his long shots that looked like cannons, the Englishman also knew how to impose himself thanks to his dribbling.
Bobby Charlton is also the emblematic player of the reconstruction of Manchester United after the drama of Munich in 1958. Club in which he spent most of his career, and with which he won all his trophies.
In 17 years in Manchester, he won the championship three times, an FA Cup, and especially a Champions League in 1968.
By scoring 49 goals for England and 249 for Manchester United, Charlton was for a long time the best scorer in the history of the club and the country, before Wayne Rooney broke these records. Even today, Charlton is considered one of the best attacking midfielders of all time.
Bobby Charlton played in three World Cups and played a crucial role in England’s victory in the 1966 World Cup when he was awarded the Ballon d’Or. This makes him the only Englishman to have won three of the biggest trophies in football: the World Cup, the Champions League, and the Golden Ball.
These are great legends of English and even world football that continue to inspire new generations. In addition, if you are part of that huge group of people who lives and breathes football, you should take a look at the best betting agents and take your passion a step further.
