ENGLAND has produced some of the greatest footballers of all time.
From Ballon d’Or recipients to European champions, many icons have worn the Three Lions on their chest.
And many have become world renowned for their ability and achievements.
The likes of David Beckham, Alan Shearer and Paul Gascoigne are considered among the top talents – even though they have never won a World Cup.
And, of course, the 1966 heroes will always have a spot in the history books.
But who is the greatest England player of all-time?
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German outlet BILD has named the top 10 English players ever – with some surprise omissions.
10 – Sir Geoff Hurst
At No10 is one of the greatest goalscorers England has ever produced – Sir Geoff Hurst.
The former striker is one of just two players in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, along with French superstar Kylian Mbappe.
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He fired the Three Lions to 1966 World Cup glory in thrilling fashion against West Germany on home soil that year, marking arguably the greatest sporting achievement in England’s history.
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Hurst is now the only surviving member of that iconic squad.
9 – Paul Gascoigne
Also among the best is Paul Gascoigne, also known as ‘Gazza’ among England fans.
Gascoigne made 57 senior appearances for England, scoring 10 goals.
The midfielder played a vital role in the Three Lions’ 1990 World Cup campaign, but he was sent off during the semi-final after picking up a second yellow card against West Germany.
Despite his semi-final slip-up, he established himself as a firm fan-favourite.
Gascoigne also played for Tottenham, Newcastle, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Burnley before retiring from football in 2004.
8 – Jimmy Greaves
Next is Tottenham legend Jimmy Greaves – another member of England’s World Cup-winning squad.
With 194 goals in 249 appearances, he was Spurs’ all-time top goalscorer until Harry Kane broke his record earlier this year.
He is also still among England’s top goalscorers with an impressive 44 goals in 57 national team appearances.
Greaves sadly passed away two years ago at the age of 81, but he is still considered among football’s all-time greats.
7 – Gary Lineker
Leicester legend Gary Lineker is next on the list, although he thinks he should be higher.
When asked if he is happy with the top 10 on social media, he joked: “If 6th and 7th are swapped, yes 😂.”
That’s probably because he is one of England’s top goalscorers with 48 goals in 80 senior appearances.
6 – Alan Shearer
At six is Lineker’s Match of the Day colleague Alan Shearer, who is currently the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer.
The Newcastle legend scored 260 top-flight goals in 441 appearances.
He also won a Premier League title in 1995 with Blackburn and was part of England’s promising 1998 World Cup squad.
5 – Sir Stanley Matthews
Ballon d’Or winner Sir Stanley Matthews is next on the list, having made 54 appearances for the Three Lions.
The Blackpool legend also won the FA Cup back in 1953.
4 – David Beckham
At No4 is Manchester United legend and Real Madrid icon David Beckham.
The midfielder won six Premier League titles and the Champions League with the Red Devils during his time at Old Trafford before joining European giants Real Madrid.
He became a fan favourite when he broke into the England squad, but he quickly became a public enemy when he was sent off during a round-of-16 match against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.
Despite the setback, he was named England captain just two years later.
3 – Gordon Banks
Just ahead of Beckham is Leicester icon Gordon Banks.
The goalkeeper was between the sticks for the 1966 World Cup final and his heroics helped the Three Lions to glory.
Domestically, the Sheffield-born star made 240 appearances for Leicester and 79 for Stoke.
2 – Bobby Moore
West Ham legend and arguably the greatest defender in England history Bobby Moore is considered the second-best English player of all-time.
He captained the Three Lions to their only World Cup title and is at the centre of that famous Wembley picture, hoisted on the shoulders of his team-mates with trophy in hand.
Moore, who tragically died at the age of 51 in 1993, is one of the few players to have made over 100 appearances for the national team.
1 – Sir Bobby Charlton
And finally, the player considered the greatest English talent of all-time is, of course, Sir Bobby Charlton.
Sir Bobby passed away on Saturday after a three-year battle with dementia.
Tributes from across the football world have since poured in for the Man Utd and England legend, with many hailing him as the greatest English player of all time.
The midfielder – who incredibly survived the Munich air disaster in 1958 – scored 199 goals for the Red Devils in 584 appearances.
He also made 106 appearances for England.
Sir Bobby leads his 1966 team-mates as well as the likes of Beckham, Lineker and Shearer in the list of England’s greats.
But fans on social media believe some other players also deserved a mention – including Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane.
One person tweeted: “Rooney robbed as usual.”
Another added: “Rooney is the best English player ever.”
A third wrote: “Rooney trumps the majority.”
While a fourth commented: “Kane and Rooney England’s top two all time scorers not in the top 10?”
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Kane surpassed Rooney as England’s all-time top goalscorer in March after converting a penalty against Italy.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
