Best British Footballers

Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Wales national team. Renowned for his ball striking from distance, swerving free kicks, and his ability to get past defenders with pace, Bale has received plaudits from his peers, who have described him as a footballer with "tremendous speed, great crossing ability, a great left foot and exceptional physical qualities".

He began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left-back and earning acclaim as a free kick specialist. Bale moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, for an eventual £7 million fee. During his time at Tottenham, managerial and tactical shifts saw him transform into a more attacking player. From the 2009-10 season, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale became an integral part of the team, rising to international attention during the 2010-11 UEFA Champions League. In 2011 and 2013 he was named PFA Players' Player of the Year, and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013, he was also named PFA Young Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season. He was nominated to the PFA Team of the Year three times in a row between 2011 and 2013.

On 1 September 2013, Bale was transferred to Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee. Press at the time reported the transfer value at figures between EUR91 million and EUR100 million. In January 2016, documents pertaining to the transfer were leaked which confirmed a then-world record transfer fee of EUR100.8 million, eclipsing the previous record fee of £80 million (EUR94 million) the club paid for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009. Bale played an integral role in his first season at Real Madrid, helping the club to win the 2013-14 Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League, scoring in both finals. The following season, he won the UEFA Super Cup and scored in a third major final to help the club win the FIFA Club World Cup. Two years later, he was a key player in another Champions League run, winning the 2015-16 title and being elected to the UEFA Squad of the Season. He was also a finalist in the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. In 2016, ESPN ranked Bale twelfth on its list of the world's most famous athletes.

Bale made his senior international debut for Wales in May 2006, becoming the youngest player at that point to represent the nation. He has since earned over 70 caps and scored 31 international goals, making him Wales' highest scorer of all time. He was the top goalscorer for Wales in their successful qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016, scoring seven goals; he subsequently represented his nation in the final tournament as they reached the semi-finals, scoring three goals. He has been named Welsh Footballer of the Year a record six times.

Gordon Banks OBE (30 December 1937 - 12 February 2019) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he made 679 appearances during a 20-year professional career, and won 73 caps for England, highlighted by starting every game of the nation's 1966 World Cup victory.

Banks joined Chesterfield in March 1953, and played for their youth team in the 1956 FA Youth Cup final. He made his first team debut in November 1958, and was sold to Leicester City for £7,000 in July 1959. He played in four cup finals for the club, as they were beaten in the 1961 and 1963 FA Cup finals, before winning the League Cup in 1964 and finishing as finalists in 1965. Despite this success, and his World Cup win in 1966, Banks was dropped by Leicester and sold on to Stoke City for £50,000 in April 1967. In the 1970 World Cup, he made one of the game's great saves to prevent a Pelé goal, but was absent due to illness as England were beaten by West Germany at the quarter-final stage.

Banks was Stoke City's goalkeeper in the 1972 League Cup win, the club's only major honor. He was still Stoke's and England's number one when a car crash in October 1972 cost him both the sight in his right eye and, eventually, his professional career. He played two last seasons in the United States for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 1977 and 1978, and despite only having vision in one eye, was NASL Goalkeeper of the Year in 1977 after posting the best defensive record in the league. He briefly entered management with Telford United, but left the game in December 1980.

Banks was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 1972, and was named FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year on six occasions. The IFFHS named Banks the second-best goalkeeper of the 20th century, after Lev Yashin (1st) and ahead of Dino Zoff (3rd)

David Beckham is one of Britain's most iconic athletes whose name is also an elite global advertising brand. He was captain of the English national team from 2000 to 2009, scored in three different FIFA World Cups, and played midfield for clubs in Manchester, England, Madrid, Spain, and Milan, Italy; he also won the MLS Cup playing for Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011 and 2012.

He was born David Robert Joseph Beckham on May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, East London, England, to Sandra Georgina (West), a hairdresser, and David Edward Alan "Ted" Beckham, a kitchen fitter. Beckham's maternal grandfather was Jewish, and David has mentioned the religion as an influence; he wears a tattoo written in Hebrew from the 'Song of Songs' in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), albeit he is not known to practice Judaism or any other faith. Beckham has always played in long sleeve shirts to cover up his tattoos in consideration of others who may feel uncomfortable due to their beliefs.

He was brought up by his parents, supporters of Manchester United, attended Bobby Charlton's football school in Manchester, and won a spot in a training session at FC Barcelona as a child. In 1986 he was a Manchester United's mascot for a match against West Ham United. From 1992 - 2003 Beckham made almost 400 appearances for Manchester United and scored 85 goals, although his official record counts only 62 goals in 265 official senior team's matches. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup he played all of England's qualifying matches and scored in several important victories. He received a red card for violent conduct in England's match against Argentina, albeit his opponent later admitted to trying to send Beckham off by over-reacting to their contact during the game and by urging the referee to send Beckham off. After losing the game England was eliminated, Beckham was made a scapegoat and became the target of criticism and abuse in media.

He had a good season in 1999 - 2000 and helped Manchester United to win the Premier League. At that time, he married singer Victoria Beckham (nee' Adams) from the popular musical group The Spice Girls, and the couple had their first son, Brooklyn, born in 1999. That same year, Beckham was given a permission to miss training routine, in order to look after his son Brooklyn, who suffered from a stomach infection. Meanwhile, the Manchester United's manager, Alex Ferguson, fined Beckham £50,000 (about $80,000 then) the maximum amount that was permitted, for babysitting with his sick child, while his wife was spotted at a London fashion Week event on the same night. Ferguson's claim that Beckham should be able to train if his wife stayed home that day, caused a serious personal tension between two men. In February 2003, following the defeat to Arsenal, the Manchester United's manager Alex Ferguson entered the changing room and kicked a football boot that struck Beckham over the eye, causing a cut that required stitches.

David Beckham has been a good scorer and a major attraction for public. On the field he has been demonstrating his consistent ability to see a big picture even under severe pressure during the most rapidly changing and unpredictable games. His field vision has been remarkable, allowing him to create many assists in a number of important matches. Beckham's forte has been his delivery from the right-hand side as well as his efficient free kicks. His superior performances in the midfield position has required a higher physical endurance through the entire game. "David Beckham's right foot" was mentioned, although humorously, as one of British national treasures in the movie Love Actually (2003).

He signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid, beginning on July 1, 2003, and worth a potential 40 million dollars. In Madrid, Beckham was not allowed to wear his favorite number seven, because another player had the right to wear it written into his contract. Beckham decided to wear the number 23 instead, being a big fan of Michael Jordan. He immediately became popular with the Real Madrid fans, but the team did not perform well enough to win either the Spanish League or the Champions League. However, Beckham remained a reliable scorer and his performances attracted more public. His shirts sales and other merchandising deals remained lucrative for the club, which continued to under-perform, regardless of the Real's management's higher expectations.

In 2005 Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. He was also involved in promoting London's successful bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. His third season in Madrid was unremarkable, and he was criticized a lot, mainly because the team finished second to Barcelona in Spanish "La Liga" and lost to Arsenal in the European Champions League. However, during that season, he expanded his international presence by establishing football academies in Los Angeles and East London. During the FIFA World Cup 2006, he played for England, and became the first ever English player to score in three World Cups. In the quarter final game against Portugal, Beckham was replaced because of his injury in the middle of the game. Without him the English team lost and was knocked out of the World Cup.

In June 2007 Beckham played his final game for Real Madrid, winning a medal and celebrating with his friends Tom and Katie Cruse, who attended the game. This was his fourth, and last season there, ending his contract with the club. He announced that he had signed a five-year contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy from July 1, 2007 through June 2012. The 5-year deal includes up to $10 million a year in direct salary, and with merchandising endorsements and profit-sharing could earn Beckham up to $50 million a year, and may end up worth about $250 million in five years, making him one of the highest earning athletes of all time.

In 2009, in a unique time share agreement David played on loan at AC Milan to maintain his fitness after ending the season with the Galaxy. He ended up staying with Milan for five months, from January to May 2009. In 2010, he also arranged to embark on a second loan spell at AC Milan from the Galaxy, to play for Milan for another five months. He said that he "genuinely enjoyed playing for Milan."

In 2011, after winning his first MLS Cup, his five-year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy ended. At that time, Beckham was invited to play for Paris Saint-Germain. But the 36-year-old player said "My family and I are incredibly happy and settled in America and we look forward to spending many more years here... I am still passionate about playing in America and winning trophies with the Galaxy" he stated after signing another two-year contract with the Los Angeles club.

In 2012, Beckham helped the Los Angeles Galaxy to retain their championship by defeating the Houston Dynamo 3-1 in the final game and winning the MLS Cup 2012. His last appearance for Los Angeles was on December 2, 2012. Beckham's jersey No 23 has been the best selling in the MLS and one of the best in the world, as he expands his image as one of sport's leading icons. Although he plays his best in the right of midfield, Beckham can be dangerous anywhere in the field and can make a difference in a big game with a pass, a cross, or a free kick. Arguably no one in the game can rival Beckham's accuracy in free kicks, as he can put that ball on a teammate's head with uncanny precision. He is still a decisive player, regardless of age.

In January 2013, David Beckham signed a 5 month contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

The Beckhams, who have become known as "Posh and Becks", have four children: three sons - Brooklyn Joseph Beckham (born 1999, in London), Romeo James Beckham (born 2002, in London), Cruz David Beckham (born 2005, in Madrid), and daughter Harper Seven (born in 2011, in Los Angeles).

George Best is a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United F.C..

Named European Footballer of the Year in 1968, he is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. A highly skillful winger, considered by several pundits to be one of the greatest dribblers in the history of the sport, George Best received plaudits for his playing style, which combined pace, skill, balance, feints, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to get past defenders.

In international football, George Best was capped 37 times for Northern Ireland National Football Team between 1964 and 1977, scoring nine goals. He is regarded as one of the greatest players never to have played at a World Cup.

Danny Blanchflower was born on 10 February 1926 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. He died on 9 December 1993 in the UK.

Sir Robert Charlton is an English former footballer who played either as a midfielder or a forward. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, he was a member of the England team that won the 1966 FIFA World Cup, the year he also won the Ballon d'Or. He played almost all of his club football at Manchester United, where he became renowned for his attacking instincts, his passing abilities from midfield and his ferocious long-range shot, as well as his fitness and stamina. He was cautioned only twice in his career; once against Argentina in the 1966 World Cup, and once in a league match against Chelsea. His elder brother Jack, who was also in the World Cup-winning team, was a former defender for Leeds United and international manager.

Ashley Cole (born 20 December 1980) is an English professional footballer who plays as a left back for Championship club Derby County. Cole is considered by many critics and fellow professional players as one of the best defenders of his generation, and by some, for the better part of his career, as the best left back in the world. Born in Stepney, London, Cole began his youth career at Arsenal and made his full debut for the club in November 1999, going on to make 228 appearances and scoring nine goals for the North London club. With Arsenal he won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and was an integral member of "The Invincibles" team of the 2003-04 season, who went the entire league season undefeated. Cole also made an appearance in Arsenal's first UEFA Champions League final in 2006; the club lost 2-1 to Barcelona.

In August 2006, after a protracted transfer saga, Cole completed a move to rival club Chelsea, with whom he won further hon-ours, including the Premier League in the 2009-10 season, four FA Cups, one Football League Cup and one UEFA Champions League. He was released by Chelsea at the end of the 2013-14 season. With seven winners' medals, Cole has won the FA Cup more times than any other player in history, and is one of two players to have won the Double with two clubs, along with Nicolas Anelka.

Cole was an England international from 2001 to 2014, playing at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups, as well as Euro 2004 and Euro 2012. He was voted England Player of the Year in 2010. When he retired from international football in 2014, he had won 107 caps, making him England's most capped full back.

Kenny Dalglish was born on 4 March 1951 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He is an actor and editor, known for First Division Liverpool FC versus Derby County (1978), Eyewitness to History (1959) and Will (2011). He has been married to Marina Dalglish since 26 November 1976. They have four children.

Dixie Dean was born on 22 January 1907 in Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, England, UK. He died on 1 March 1980 in Liverpool, England, UK.

Duncan Edwards is an English footballer who played for Manchester United F.C. and the England National Football Team. He was one of The Busby Babes, the young United team formed under manager Matt Busby in the mid-1950s, playing 177 matches for the club. One of eight players who died as a result of the Munich air disaster, he survived initially but succumbed to his injuries in hospital two weeks later.

Born in Woodside, Dudley, Edwards signed for Manchester United F.C. as a teenager and went on to become the youngest player to play in the Football League First Division and at the time the youngest England player since the Second World War, going on to play 18 times for his country at top level. In a professional career of less than five years he helped United to win two Football League championships and two FA Charity Shields, and reach the semi-finals of the European Cup.

Sir Thomas "Tom" Finney, CBE was an English footballer, famous for his loyalty to his hometown club, Preston North End F.C., for whom he made 569 first-class appearances, as well as for his performances for the England National Football Team.

Finney was born at his family home in Preston, Lancashire in 1922 to his parents Margaret (née Mitchell) and Alfred Finney.

For his various charitable work, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1961 New Year Honours and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1992 New Year Honours, and was finally knighted six years later in the 1998 New Year Honours.

Often described as a footballing "genius", and cited by his former teammate Chris Waddle in 2018 as England's last "real creative midfield player", Paul Gascoigne, usually referred to simply as "Gazza", started his career at Newcastle United, where he played in 92 games and scored 21 goals. He then went to the London club Tottenham Hotspur, where he also played in 92 games and scored nearly as many goals, 19 in total.

It was while at Tottenham that he was first called up to the England squad by manager Bobby Robson. He was a key member of England's 1990 FIFA World Cup team that reached the semi-finals, which was the best run of an England team since they won the 1966 World Cup. He became something of a national hero during the tournament due to his sparkling performances, with Bobby Robson later saying that he had been the best young player of the tournament (although FIFA disagreed, awarding that honour to Yugoslavia's Robert Prosinecki). However, Gascoigne was recognized as England's star of the tournament when he finished fourth in the Ballon d'Or for 1990 behind Lothar Matthäus, Totò Schillaci and Andreas Brehme, while no other English player made it into the top ten.

The next few years were a barren spell for England under the management of Robson's successor Graham Taylor, with an exit at the group stage of Euro '92 (which didn't feature Gascoigne due to injury) and failure to even qualify for the 1994 World Cup, which led to Taylor's sacking. However, between 1995 and 1998, Gascoigne had his best goalscoring spell while at the Scottish club Rangers, scoring 30 goals in 74 games. In 1996, England manager Terry Venables, who had previously managed Gascoigne at Tottenham, included him in the England squad for Euro '96, which was being held at home. Gascoigne won acclaim for a brilliant goal against Scotland and for his role in the astounding 4-1 defeat of the Netherlands, although he also narrowly missed an incredible chance to score a winning goal against Germany in the semifinal when he lunged for the ball in front of the goal and just failed to connect. England eventually lost the game in a penalty shootout following a miss from Gareth Southgate and Germany went on to the final, which they won against the Czech Republic.

The next England manager, Glenn Hoddle, controversially decided not to include the 31-year-old Gascoigne in the England squad for the 1998 World Cup, citing his lack of fitness, and this marked the end of his England career, in which he played a total of 57 games and scored ten goals. He also left Rangers in 1998, moving to Middlesbrough, although he was no longer in his previous form, scoring just four goals in 41 games for the club. He also made 32 appearances for Everton between 2000 and 2002, and finished his career at Burnley, Gansu Tianma in China and Boston United.

Despite never winning a major tournament with the national team, Gascoigne remains one of England's most iconic footballers and has been interviewed numerous times about his career, including for Piers Morgan's Life Stories (2009), Alan Shearer's Euro 96: When Football Came Home (2016) and Bobby Robson: More Than a Manager (2018).

Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English professional football manager and former player, who manages Premier League club Aston Villa. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of his generation's greatest players, Gerrard spent the majority of his playing career as a central midfielder for Liverpool and the England national team, captaining both.

Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh football coach and former player. He was most recently the manager of the Wales national team. He is also a co-owner of Salford City. Giggs played his entire professional career for Manchester United and briefly served as the club's interim manager after the sacking of David Moyes in April 2014. Giggs is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.

The son of rugby union and Wales international rugby league footballer Danny Wilson, Giggs was born in Cardiff but moved to Manchester at the age of six when his father joined Swinton RLFC. Predominantly a left midfielder, he began his career with Manchester City, but joined Manchester United on his 14th birthday in 1987. He made his professional debut for the club in 1991 and spent the next 23 years in the Manchester United first team. At the end of the 2013-14 season, he was named as Manchester United's interim player-manager following the sacking of David Moyes. He was named as assistant manager under Moyes' permanent replacement, Louis van Gaal, on 19 May 2014; he retired from playing the same day holding the club record for competitive appearances - 963. At international level, Giggs played for the Wales national team 64 times between 1991 and 2007 and was named as the captain of the Great Britain team that competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He is one of only 28 players to have made over 1,000 career appearances.

Giggs is one of the most decorated footballers of all time. During his time at United, he won 13 Premier League winner's medals- more than any other player in history, four FA Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals, two UEFA Champions League winner's medals, a FIFA Club World Cup winners medal, an Intercontinental Cup winner's medal, a UEFA Super Cup winner's medal and nine FA Community Shield winner's medals. Manchester United and Liverpool are the only clubs in English football history to have won more league championships than Giggs. Giggs captained United on numerous occasions, particularly in the 2007-08 season when regular captain Gary Neville was ruled out with various injuries.

Giggs also has many personal achievements. He was the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards (1992 and 1993), though he did not win the PFA Player of the Year award until 2009. He was the only player to play in each of the first 22 seasons of the Premier League, as well as the only player to score in each of the first 21 seasons. He was elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, the Premier League Team of the Decade in 2003, as well as the FA Cup Team of the Century. Giggs holds the record for the most assists in Premier League history, with 162. He was named as BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009. In addition to the many honors Giggs has received within football, he was appointed an OBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours List for his services to football.

Jimmy Greaves was born on 20 February 1940 in Poplar, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for After Hours (1958), Mike Bassett: Manager (2005) and World Cup Extra (2002). He was married to Irene Barden. He died on 19 September 2021 in Danbury, Essex, England, UK.

Pat Jennings is known for Man and Woman (1920).

Jimmy Johnstone was born on 30 September 1944 in Viewpark, Scotland, UK. He was married to Agnes Johnstone. He died on 13 March 2006 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.

"Striker Harry Kane was born on 28 July 1993 and was raised in Walthamstow, North London. Harry began his professional career at Tottenham Hotspur, joining the academy in July, 2009, and has since gone on to become one of the best strikers in world football.

After spending time on loan at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City, Harry started to emerge into the Spurs first team during the 2013/14 season and made 19 appearances in all competitions. He was handed his first Premier League start in Tottenham colours against Sunderland in April, 2014, and responded with a first top flight goal - the first of three in as many games.

It was in 2014/15, however, that he really shot to fame. Harry earned himself a first Spurs start in the Premier League against Stoke City on November 9, and he never looked back, going on to score 31 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions, thus becoming the first Spur to break the 30-goal barrier since Gary Lineker in 1991/92. He hit 21 goals in 34 Premier League outings - matching the totals of Gareth Bale (2012-13) and Teddy Sheringham (1992/93) - and became the first home-grown player to bag 20 league goals in a season since Mark Falco in 1984/85.

He hit new heights in terms of his goalscoring in 2017/18, reaching 30 goals in the Premier League and 41 in all competitions, including back-to-back hat-tricks at the end of 2017 against Burnley and Southampton to break Alan Shearer's record for the most Premier League goals scored in a calendar year with 39. Equalling the record for the most 'Premier League Player of the Month' awards in a single season by claiming his fifth and sixth prizes in September and December, 2017, he also began to work his way up the club's top 10 goalscorers of all time list and on 13 January, 2018, he became Tottenham Hotspur's record Premier League goalscorer, overtaking Teddy Sheringham with his 98th in a 4-0 home win against Everton.

He captained his national team for the first time in a World Cup qualifier away to Scotland in June, 2017, when he scored a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw and was subsequently appointed England captain for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, where he claimed the tournament's 'Golden Boot' with six goals, as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals before eventually finishing fourth."

Kevin Keegan was born on 14 February 1951 in Armthorpe, Yorkshire, England, UK. He is a director and actor, known for English Premier League 1995/1996 (1995), Football's 47 Best Worst Songs (2018) and ESPN UK: Barclays Premier League (2009). He has been married to Jean since 23 September 1974. They have two children.

Frank Lampard was born on 20 June 1978 in Romford, Essex, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Outnumbered (2007), Adidas - Impossible Team (2006) and Open Source (2008). He has been married to Christine Lampard since 20 December 2015. They have two children.

Denis Law was born on 24 February 1940 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for The Perfect Match (1995), 3-2-1 (1978) and FA Cup Final: 1963 - Manchester United vs Leicester (1963). He was married to Diana Law. He died on 17 January 2025 in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK.

Gary Winston Lineker OBE was English football's most famous striker in the 1980s and early 1990s. A unique blend of skill, intelligence and charm, he was venomous up front and yet also a superb professional, who rarely lost his temper. During his 14 year long professional career, Lineker was never cautioned, let alone sent off - very few footballers have achieved this feat.

He achieved stardom with Everton F.C., after initially playing for Leicester City F.C. He then had spells with F.C. Barcelona and other big clubs before returning to Tottenham Hotspur. After this, he played two years in Japan for Nagoya Grampus Eight before a foot injury finished his career and he returned to England, to become a TV pundit and presenter for the BBC. Through all these years, he was England's man up front, saving them more than once during the big matches. He has captained them for a few years too.

As an example of his value: in the 1986 World Cup, England had a lousy 1 point from the first two matches against Portugal and Morocco. Lineker's hat-trick saw England win 3-0 against Poland, and on England went into the quarter-finals, where they beat Paraguay 3-0 as well, before crashing out to Argentina, thanks to one of the greatest goals of all-time scored by Diego Maradona. Guess who scored England's only goal of the match...

When England was trailing 1-2 to Cameroon in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Lineker produced two penalties by his dazzling runs, and scored from both, securing England's 3-2 victory. In the next match, he became one of only three England men's players ever to have scored in a World Cup semi-final (the others being Bobby Charlton against Portugal in 1966 and Kieran Trippier against Croatia in 2018) when he capitalized on a rare mistake by the West German defence and equalized for England with an extremely cold-blooded strike when England were trailing 1-0. The equalizer in the 80th minute sent the game into extra time and then penalties, making it one of the most epic and memorable games in England's history.

Dave Mackay was born on 14 November 1934 in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He died on 2 March 2015 in Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK.

Stanley Matthews was an English footballer. Regarded as one of the greatest players of the British game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing football, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year awards.

Matthews kept fit enough to play at the top level until he was 50 years old. Matthews was also the oldest player ever to play in England's top football division (50 years and 5 days) and the oldest player ever to represent the country (42 years and 104 days).

He spent 19 years with Stoke City F.C., playing for the Potters from 1932 to 1947, and again from 1961 to 1965. He helped Stoke to the Second Division title in 1932-33 and 1962-63. Between his two spells at Stoke he spent 14 years with Blackpool F.C., where, after being on the losing side in the 1948 and 1951 FA Cup finals, he helped Blackpool to win the cup with a formidable personal performance in the "Matthews Final" of 1953. In 1956, he was named the winner of the inaugural Ballon d'Or, a prize given to the best European footballer each year. Between 1934 and 1957, he won 54 caps for England, playing in the FIFA World Cup in 1950 and 1954, and winning nine British Home Championship titles.

To anyone even remotely interested in football, the name of Billy Meredith is legendary; he was truly one of the greatest players of his era. His career was spent between both Manchester clubs for whom he played thirty-five years of League football, between 1894 and 1924. He also played forty-eight games for his national team Wales over a thirty-five year period, winning his first cap in 1895. Meredith firmly believed in players' rights and throughout his career he held the view that they should be allowed to move from club to club. He also helped to form the players' union, and was responsible for a strike as the union went into dispute with the F.A.