England Squads

INTRODUCTION

This page looks at the England national football teams in World Cups and European Championships.

Charts

1.  Clubs by Number of Selections for England in Major Tournaments

2. Percentage of Black/Mixed Players in England Squads in Major Tournaments

3. Region of Birth of Players Selected for England in Major Tournaments

4. Selections for Different Positions by Region of Birth

5. Average Number of Caps Per Player in England Squads

6. England Squad Members in Major Tournaments by Club

7. England Squad Members in Major Tournaments by Region of Birth

Data Table

8. Players Selected for England in Major Tournaments by Position, Age, Caps, Club Place of Birth 

The two most successful clubs in English football history, Manchester United and Liverpool, unsurprisingly have had the most players selected for England in World Cups and European Championships. In 3rd place in Tottenham Hotspurs. Manchester City, the current Champions, are in 7th. Their relatively low position reflects their recent rise to dominance and large number of foreign players.

The chart begins in 1982. There has been a gradual rise in the number of black and mixed race players in England squads. A significant point was the 2002 World Cup when England under Sven Goran Ericsson had 39.1% of players who were non-white, nearly triple the previous squad in Euro 2000. Since then, the squad has never had less than 30% non-white players. In the last world cup in Russia, a majority of 52.2% of England players were non-white for the first time. The majority of black and mixed players come from London’s Caribbean communities such as John Barnes who was born in Jamaica and moved to London aged 12.

The North West region has had the most selections with 25.8%. Being the region of Manchester United and Liverpool, this is not surprising. London, the home of Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal is in 2nd with 22%. The 3rd place region, Yorkshire, is well behind on 10.9%. The dominance of the Northwest and London in English club football is reflected in England selections. The difference in regions in dependent both on the local culture but also on the biggest clubs in the region. Players born in one region are often developed from an early age by a club in another.

Forwards are far more likely to come from the north and the midlands than the south, particularly from the north. Among northern regions, the northeast has produced the most England forwards on a per capita basis. Two of England’s most famous forwards, Alan Shearer and Bobby Charlton, both hailed from the northeast. 

There is more parity for defenders when comparing the southern half of the country with the northern half. Among regions, London and the northwest are completely dominant in producing defenders for England, together accounting for a whopping 67% of defender selections for England. Since these two regions have the most established clubs, it’s likely that they would have a sizeable advantage over other regions in producing players in the less glorious position of defenders.

As with strikers, the northeast produces the most midfielders for England on a per capita basis. Paul Gascoigne, one of England’s most famous midfielders, is from the northeast. Unlike other southern regions, London has a fairly strong record of producing midfielders for England.

For goalkeepers, Yorkshire and the east midlands are the most productive regions. England’s most famous goalkeeper, Gordon Banks, was from Sheffield in Yorkshire. Since there are a relatively small number of goalkeepers, it’s difficult to say if this represents regional superiority in producing goalkeepers or the effects of a small sample.

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