No1: Bobby Moore
There could only be one winner. Bobby Moore will forever be
cherished by England fans – young and old – thanks to the defining
image of him lifting the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley in 1966. The
World Cup final victory over West Germany was the greatest moment
of the country’s footballing history – and who better to lead the
celebrations than inspirational Moore?
No2: Billy Wright
Wright captained England an incredible 90 times – a record the
Wolves hero shares with the great Bobby Moore. The defender was the
first Three Lions player to reach a century of caps and he was
skipper at three consecutive World Cups between 1950 and 1958. A
true gentleman, Wright was never booked or sent off during his
entire career.
No3: Bryan Robson
The fact Robson was called Captain Marvel says it all. The
Manchester United midfielder led out England on 65 occasions,
including Euro88 and the World Cups in both 1986 and 1990. Robson
would have probably worn the armband even more if injuries had not
peppered his career.
No4: Alan Shearer
The devastating centre forward was a commanding leader for
England. Shearer took over the captaincy after Euro96 and went on
to skipper his country at the 1998 World Cup and Euro2000. The
Newcastle legend possessed all the qualities of a great captain —
spirit, determination and courage, as well as a superb goalscoring
record.
No5: David Beckham
Like him or loathe him, Goldenballs is undeniably an England
legend. Beckham’s international future was in doubt when he was
needlessly sent off in their 1998 World Cup defeat to Argentina.
Yet, he emerged a tougher character and went on to captain his
country 58 times in his 99 appearances. Whether that happens again
remains to be seen but the memories will never be forgotten.
No6: Tony Adams
The Arsenal legend made his bow as skipper against Romania at
Wembley in 1994. The defender’s command saw him captain his country
on home soil in the European Championships two years later when
England came within a Gareth Southgate penalty of the final. Alan
Shearer took over the armband after the tournament when Adams
admitted he was an alcoholic.
No7: Johnny Haynes
Described by Pele as the best passer he had ever seen, Haynes
was the next major captain after Billy Wright — leading them out on
22 successive occasions. The Fulham forward skippered England in
their memorable 9-3 victory over Scotland at Wembley. Haynes then
captained his country in the 1962 World Cup, where they were
knocked out in the quarter-finals by Brazil.
No8: Gary Lineker
The deadly centre-forward took over the armband after England
came within a whisker of the 1990 World Cup final. Lineker went on
to lead the Three Lions at Euro92, where he was cruelly denied the
opportunity to match Bobby Charlton’s record of 49 international
goals after being substituted in the match against hosts Sweden
that ensured their early exit.
No9: Kevin Keegan
The perm-haired star has never been shy to voice his opinions
and his choice as England skipper was surprising. Keegan captained
his country 31 times, including the 1980 European Championships
when they narrowly failed to qualify from a tough group that also
included Italy, Spain and Belgium.
No10: Paul Ince
The no-nonsense midfielder became the first black
player to captain England when he pulled on the armband against the
US in 1993. Ince only captained his country on seven occasions but
few will forget his inspired leadership — as well as bloodied head
bandage — in the goalless draw in Italy that secured their ticket
to the 1998 World Cup.
