List of England national football team captains
150 people have officially served as captains of the England national football teams. The current captains are Harry Kane (men's) and Leah Williamson (women's).
The first England captain was Cuthbert Ottaway; he captained England in the first ever international match, against Scotland on 30 November 1872. He went on to captain England on just one further occasion, the third international match, on 7 March 1874, against the same opposition. Alexander Morten captained England in their first international on home soil, 8 March 1873, also against Scotland, and was the first international captain to win a match. Having previously played for Scotland against England,[1] this was his only international appearance for England. Morten remains England's oldest captain.
The England women's team was authorised in 1972 by the Women's Football Association (WFA), originally unaffiliated with the Football Association (FA), with Sheila Parker as its first captain. The women's first international match was played against Scotland on 18 November 1972, in anticipation of the centenary of the equivalent men's match. Parker remained in her role for four years before being left out of the 1976 British Home Championship; her replacement, Carol Thomas (née McCune), was only 20 with five prior caps when she took the armband,[2] and retained it for nearly a decade. Women's players between 1972 and 1993 were not all officially recognised until 2022; there were also several prior to 1972, who were not sanctioned and are not recognised. Thomas is England's youngest official captain under the WFA; Keira Walsh is England's youngest official captain under the FA; Carol Wilson and Casey Stoney unofficially served as captains when younger than Thomas and Walsh.
Billy Wright set the record for most captaincies of his country in 1959, with 90. Bobby Moore, who remains England's youngest men's captain and the only England captain to have lifted the World Cup, reached 90 captaincies in 1973, sharing the record with Wright. Steph Houghton has the record for captaincies of the women's team, and outright second-most caps as captain behind Wright and Moore, with 72. Seven male players were captain in their only international cap, the last of these being in 1925.
Several women's matches have seen two players start as co-captains.[3][4] The most players to wear the captain's armband for England in one match is four, which has happened twice. On 3 June 2003, Michael Owen started as captain before Emile Heskey took over at half time, Phil Neville replaced him in the sixty-first minute, and Jamie Carragher was handed the armband in the eighty-seventh.[5][6] On 30 November 2021, Millie Bright started as captain before Ellen White took over at half time, Keira Walsh replaced her in the sixtieth minute, and Alex Greenwood took the armband in the seventy-first.[7][8]
Men's team
Captain chronology
- Bold indicates current captain
- Italics indicates still-active players
- Source unless specified:[9]
Tenure | Incumbent | |
---|---|---|
1870–1871 | Charles W. Alcock |
Captains by tournament
- Bold indicates tournament winners
- Italics indicates tournament hosts
- Source:[15]
Player | Tournament(s)[g] |
---|---|
Billy Wright | |
Johnny Haynes | |
Bobby Moore | |
Kevin Keegan | |
Mick Mills | |
Bryan Robson | |
Gary Lineker | |
Tony Adams | |
Alan Shearer | |
David Beckham | |
Steven Gerrard | |
Wayne Rooney | |
Harry Kane |
Women's team
Captain chronology
- Bold indicates current captain
- Italics indicates still-active players
- indicates player was captain for matches under the Women's Football Association[h]
Tenure | Incumbent | Team |
---|---|---|
1933 | Ethel Audaer | Terry's Ladies Football Club[20][21] |
1957–1966 | Doris Ashley | Manchester Corinthians/Nomad/All Stars Ladies[18][22][23][24][25][26] |
1960 | Margaret Griffiths | |
1969–1970 | Sue Lopez | British Independents[27][i] |
1971 | Carol Wilson |
Captains by tournament
- Bold indicates tournament winners
- Italics indicates tournament hosts
Player | Unrecognised tournament(s)[g] |
---|---|
Doris Ashley | |
Margaret Griffiths | |
Sue Lopez | |
Carol Wilson |
Player | Tournament(s)[g] |
---|---|
Carol Thomas (née McCune) |
|
Debbie Bampton |
|
Gillian Coultard | |
Debbie Bampton | |
Gillian Coultard | |
Mo Marley | |
Tara Proctor | |
Faye White | |
Casey Stoney | |
Steph Houghton | |
Leah Williamson |
Captains by appearances as captain
Figures include all recognised matches up to 30 November 2022. Only confirmed captaincies of named captains are counted.
The default order for this list is by most appearances as captain, then chronological order of first captaincy.
- Bold indicates appointed captain of England
- Italics indicates still-active players
- Sources unless specified:[k][9]
# | Player | England career | Caps as captain | Total caps | First captaincy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Billy Wright | 1946–1959 | 90 | 105 | 9 October 1948 |
1 | Bobby Moore | 1962–1973 | 90 | 108 | 29 May 1963 |
3 | Steph Houghton | 2007–present | 72[58] | 121 | 17 January 2014 |
4 | Bryan Robson | 1980–1991 | 65 | 90 | 17 November 1982 |
5 | David Beckham | 1996–2009 | 59 | 115 | 15 November 2000 |
6 | Harry Kane | 2015–present | 56 | 73 | 10 June 2017 |
7 | Carol Thomas (née McCune) | 1976–1985 | 49–51[l] | 56[l] | 22 May 1976 |
8 | Faye White | 1997–2012 | 48[62] | 90 | 7 March 2002 |
9 | Gillian Coultard | 1981–2000 | 38+[m] | 119 | 25 November 1990 |
9 | Steven Gerrard | 2000–2014 | 38 | 114 | 31 March 2004 |
11 | Alan Shearer | 1992–2000 | 34 | 63 | 1 September 1996 |
11 | John Terry | 2003–2012 | 34 | 78 | 16 August 2006 |
13 | Kevin Keegan | 1972–1982 | 31 | 63 | 24 March 1976 |
14 | Debbie Bampton | 1978–1997 | 26+[m] | 95 | 22 September 1985 |
15 | Wayne Rooney | 2003–2018 | 23 | 120 | 14 November 2009 |
15 | Emlyn Hughes | 1969–1980 | 23 | 62 | 11 March 1974 |
17 | Bob Crompton | 1902–1914 | 22 | 41 | 2 March 1903 |
17 | Johnny Haynes | 1954–1962 | 22 | 56 | 15 May 1960 |
19 | Eddie Hapgood | 1933–1939 | 20 | 30 | 14 November 1934 |
20 | David Platt | 1989–1996 | 19 | 62 | 17 February 1993 |
20 | Casey Stoney | 2000–2017 | 19 | 130 | 7 March 2009[n] |
22 | Gary Lineker | 1984–1992 | 18 | 80 | 12 September 1990 |
22 | Leah Williamson | 2018–present | 18[64] | 39 | 17 September 2021 |
24 | Mary Phillip | 1995–2008 | 17+[m] | 65 | 17 May 2003 |
25 | Norman Bailey | 1878–1887 | 15 | 19 | 12 March 1881 |
25 | Jimmy Armfield | 1959–1966 | 15 | 43 | 28 September 1961 |
25 | Peter Shilton | 1970–1990 | 15 | 125 | 25 May 1982 |
25 | Tony Adams | 1987–2000 | 15 | 66 | 12 October 1994 |
29 | Viv Woodward | 1903–1911 | 14 | 23 | 15 February 1908 |
30 | G. O. Smith | 1893–1901 | 13–16[d][e] | 20 | 4 April 1896 |
30 | George Hardwick | 1946–1948 | 13 | 13 | 28 September 1946 |
32 | Roy Goodall | 1926–1933 | 12 | 25 | 31 March 1928 |
33 | Sheila Parker | 1972–1983 | 11 | 33[65] | 18 November 1972 |
33 | Fara Williams | 2001–2019 | 11 | 172 | 5 March 2009 |
35 | Ray Wilkins | 1976–1986 | 10 | 84 | 22 September 1982 |
35 | Stuart Pearce | 1987–1999 | 10 | 78 | 8 June 1991 |
37 | Jack Hill | 1925–1929 | 8 | 11 | 2 April 1927 |
37 | Gerry Francis | 1974–1976 | 8 | 12 | 3 September 1975 |
37 | Mick Mills | 1972–1982 | 8 | 42 | 13 May 1978 |
37 | Michael Owen | 1998–2008 | 8 | 89 | 17 April 2002 |
37 | Frank Lampard | 1999–2014 | 8 | 106 | 9 February 2011 |
37 | Jordan Henderson | 2010–present | 8 | 58 | 8 October 2016 |
37 | Millie Bright | 2016–present | 8 | 64 | 13 April 2021 |
44 | George Wilson | 1921–1924 | 7 | 12 | 22 October 1921 |
44 | Terry Butcher | 1980–1990 | 7 | 77 | 12 November 1986 |
44 | Paul Ince | 1992–2000 | 7 | 53 | 9 June 1993 |
44 | Rio Ferdinand | 1997–2011 | 7 | 81 | 26 March 2008 |
44 | Eric Dier | 2015–present | 7 | 45 | 10 November 2017 |
49 | George Male | 1934–1939 | 6 | 19 | 18 November 1936 |
49 | Alan Ball | 1965–1975 | 6 | 72 | 12 March 1975 |
49 | Phil Thompson | 1976–1982 | 6 | 42 | 22 November 1979 |
52 | Percy Walters | 1885–1890 | 5 | 13 | 13 March 1886 |
52 | Willis Edwards | 1926–1929 | 5 | 16 | 22 October 1928 |
52 | Ronnie Clayton | 1955–1960 | 5 | 35 | 17 October 1959 |
52 | Mo Marley | 1995–2001 | 5 | 41 | 4 June 2000 |
52 | Gary Cahill | 2010–2018 | 5 | 61 | 9 October 2015 |
52 | Jill Scott | 2006–2022 | 5 | 161 | 27 October 2015 |
52 | Lucy Bronze | 2013–present | 5 | 100 | 1 March 2018 |
52 | Harry Maguire | 2017–present | 5 | 32 | 7 September 2019 |
60 | Tinsley Lindley | 1886–1891 | 4 | 13 | 4 February 1888 |
60 | Stanley Harris | 1904–1906 | 4 | 6 | 25 February 1905 |
60 | Sam Wadsworth | 1922–1926 | 4 | 9 | 22 October 1924 |
60 | David Jack | 1924–1932 | 4 | 9 | 5 April 1930 |
60 | Ernie Blenkinsop | 1928–1933 | 4 | 26 | 9 December 1931 |
60 | Thomas Cooper | 1927–1934 | 4 | 15 | 14 April 1934 |
60 | Martin Peters | 1966–1974 | 4 | 67 | 19 May 1971 |
60 | Tara Proctor | 1995–2002 | 4 | 20 | 30 June 2001 |
60 | Kelly Smith | 1995–2014 | 4 | 117 | 28 September 2008 |
69 | Robert Holmes | 1888–1895 | 3 | 7 | 13 March 1893 |
69 | Howard Spencer | 1897–1905 | 3 | 6 | 14 February 1903 |
69 | Arthur Grimsdell | 1920–1923 | 3 | 6 | 9 April 1921 |
69 | Alfred Bower[o] | 1923–1927 | 3 | 5 | 8 December 1924 |
69 | Billy Walker | 1920–1932 | 3 | 18 | 21 May 1925 |
69 | Alfred Strange | 1930–1933 | 3 | 20 | 14 May 1931 |
69 | Sam Barkas | 1936–1937 | 3 | 18 | 23 October 1937 |
69 | Alf Ramsey | 1948–1953 | 3 | 32 | 15 November 1950 |
69 | Ron Flowers | 1955–1966 | 3 | 49 | 27 May 1964 |
69 | Bobby Charlton | 1958–1970 | 3 | 106 | 15 January 1969 |
69 | David V. Watson | 1974–1982 | 3 | 65 | 24 April 1981 |
69 | Sol Campbell | 1996–2007 | 3 | 73 | 24 May 1998 |
69 | Karen Walker | 1988–2003 | 3 | 83 | 24 February 2002 |
69 | Ellen White | 2010–2022 | 3 | 113 | 1 July 2017 |
83 | Cuthbert Ottaway | 1872–1874 | 2 | 2 | 30 November 1872 |
83 | Charles Bambridge | 1879–1887 | 2 | 18 | 18 February 1882 |
83 | John Goodall | 1888–1898 | 2 | 14 | 7 February 1891 |
83 | Arthur Dunn | 1883–1892 | 2 | 4 | 15 March 1892 |
83 | George Cotterill | 1891–1893 | 2 | 4 | 25 February 1893 |
83 | Charles Wreford-Brown | 1889–1898 | 2 or 3[c] | 4 | 18 March 1895 |
83 | Jesse Pennington | 1907–1920 | 2 | 25 | 15 March 1920 |
83 | Charlie Buchan | 1913–1924 | 2 | 6 | 14 March 1921 |
83 | Basil Patchitt | 1923 | 2 | 2 | 21 May 1923 |
83 | Frank Swift | 1946–1949 | 2 | 19 | 16 May 1948 |
83 | Mick Channon | 1972–1977 | 2 | 46 | 28 May 1976 |
83 | Rachel Yankey | 1997–2013 | 2 | 129 | 29 July 2010[40] |
83 | Laura Bassett | 2003–2017 | 2 | 63 | 7 March 2014 |
83 | Jordan Nobbs | 2013–present | 2 | 69 | 11 March 2015 |
83 | Joe Hart | 2008–2017 | 2 | 75 | 13 November 2015 |
83 | Raheem Sterling | 2012–present | 2 | 61 | 7 June 2019 |
99 | Alexander Morten | 1873 | 1 | 1 | 8 March 1873 |
99 | Charles W. Alcock | 1875 | 1 | 1 | 6 March 1875 |
99 | Hubert Heron | 1873–1878 | 1 | 5 | 4 March 1876 |
99 | William Rawson | 1875–1877 | 1 | 2 | 3 March 1877 |
99 | Arthur Cursham | 1880–1884 | 1 or 2[p] | 6 | 2 March 1878 |
99 | Henry Wace | 1878–1879 | 1 or 2[p] | 3 | 5 April 1879 |
99 | Charles Wollaston | 1874–1880 | 1 | 4 | 13 March 1880 |
99 | Francis Sparks | 1879–1880 | 1 | 3 | 15 March 1880 |
99 | Jack Hunter | 1878–1882 | 1 | 7 | 26 February 1881 |
99 | John Hudson | 1883 | 1 | 1 | 24 February 1883 |
99 | John Brodie | 1889–1891 | 1 | 3 | 2 March 1889 |
99 | Arthur Walters | 1885–1890 | 1 | 9 | 5 April 1890 |
99 | Billy Moon | 1888–1885 | 1 | 7 | 6 April 1891 |
99 | R. Cunliffe Gosling | 1892–1895 | 1 or 2[c] | 5 | 6 April 1895 |
99 | William Oakley | 1895–1901 | 1 | 16 | 9 March 1901 |
99 | Ernest Needham | 1894–1902 | 1 | 16 | 18 March 1901 |
99 | Reginald Foster | 1900–1902 | 1 | 5 | 3 March 1902 |
99 | Frank Forman | 1898–1903 | 1 | 9 | 22 March 1902 |
99 | Stephen Bloomer | 1895–1907 | 1 or 2[f] | 23 | 3 May 1902[f] |
99 | Arthur Knight | 1919 | 1 | 1 | 25 October 1919 |
99 | Joseph McCall | 1913–1920 | 1 | 5 | 23 October 1920 |
99 | Ephraim Longworth | 1920–1923 | 1 | 5 | 21 May 1921 |
99 | Max Woosnam | 1922 | 1 | 1 | 13 March 1922 |
99 | Graham Doggart | 1923 | 1 | 1 | 1 November 1923 |
99 | Frank Moss | 1924 | 1 | 5 | 12 April 1924 |
99 | Claude Ashton[q] | 1925 | 1 | 1 | 24 October 1925 |
99 | Tommy Lucas | 1921–1926 | 1 | 3 | 24 May 1926 |
99 | Fred Kean | 1923–1929 | 1 | 9 | 21 May 1927 |
99 | Jack Barker | 1934–1936 | 1 | 11 | 17 October 1936 |
99 | Stan Cullis | 1937–1939 | 1 | 12 | 24 May 1939 |
99 | Alan Mullery | 1964–1971 | 1 | 35 | 3 February 1971 |
99 | Colin Bell | 1968–1975 | 1 | 48 | 23 May 1972 |
99 | Trevor Cherry | 1976–1980 | 1 | 27 | 31 May 1980 |
99 | Ray Clemence | 1972–1983 | 1 | 61 | 12 May 1981 |
99 | Phil Neal | 1976–1983 | 1 | 50 | 2 June 1982 |
99 | Peter Beardsley | 1986–1996 | 1 | 59 | 13 February 1988 |
99 | Mark Wright | 1984–1996 | 1 | 45 | 21 May 1991 |
99 | David Seaman | 1988–2003 | 1 | 75 | 10 September 1997 |
99 | Martin Keown | 1992–2002 | 1 | 43 | 11 September 2000 |
99 | Gareth Barry | 2000–2012 | 1 | 53 | 29 March 2011 |
99 | Scott Parker | 2003–2013 | 1 | 11 | 29 February 2012 |
99 | Ashley Cole | 2001–2014 | 1 | 107 | 29 May 2013[r] |
99 | Alex Scott | 2004–2017 | 1 | 140 | 31 October 2013 |
99 | Karen Bardsley | 2005–2022 | 1 | 81 | 9 March 2015 |
99 | Phil Jagielka | 2008–2016 | 1 | 40 | 12 October 2015 |
99 | James Milner | 2009–2016 | 1 | 61 | 29 March 2016 |
99 | Chris Smalling | 2011–2017 | 1 | 31 | 27 May 2016 |
99 | Keira Walsh | 2017–present | 1 | 54 | 4 September 2018 |
99 | Toni Duggan | 2012–present | 1 | 76 | 8 November 2018[s] |
99 | Fabian Delph | 2014–2019 | 1 | 20 | 15 November 2018 |
99 | Kieran Trippier | 2017–present | 1 | 27 | 8 October 2020 |
99 | Marcus Rashford | 2016–present | 1 | 41 | 6 June 2021 |
Captains by age
- Bold indicates appointed captain of England (not necessarily at time of the relevant match/es)
Youngest captains
Players who started as captain at under 25 years of age.[70]
# | Player | Date of birth | First captaincy | Age | #W | #M |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age 20 | ||||||
1 | Carol Thomas (née McCune)[t] | 5 June 1955 | 22 May 1976 | 20 years, 11 months and 17 days | 1 | – |
Age 21 | ||||||
2 | Keira Walsh | 8 April 1997 | 4 September 2018 | 21 years, 4 months and 27 days | 2 | – |
Age 22 | ||||||
3 | Bobby Moore | 12 April 1941 | 29 May 1963 | 22 years, 1 month and 17 days | – | 1 |
4 | Jordan Nobbs | 8 December 1992 | 11 March 2015 | 22 years, 3 months and 3 days | 3 | – |
5 | Tinsley Lindley | 27 October 1865 | 4 February 1888 | 22 years, 3 months and 8 days | – | 2 |
6 | Michael Owen | 14 December 1979 | 17 April 2002 | 22 years, 4 months and 3 days | – | 3 |
7 | Cuthbert Ottaway | 20 July 1850 | 30 November 1872 | 22 years, 4 months and 10 days | – | 4 |
8 | Jack Hudson | 11 October 1860 | 24 February 1883 | 22 years, 4 months and 13 days | – | 5 |
9 | William Rawson | 14 October 1854 | 3 March 1877 | 22 years, 4 months and 17 days | – | 6 |
10 | Percy Walters | 30 September 1863 | 13 March 1886 | 22 years, 5 months and 13 days | – | 7 |
11 | Stan Cullis | 25 October 1916 | 24 May 1939 | 22 years, 6 months and 29 days | – | 8 |
12 | Basil Patchitt | 8 August 1900 | 21 May 1923 | 22 years, 9 months and 13 days | – | 9 |
13 | Billy Moon | 7 June 1868 | 4 April 1891 | 22 years, 9 months and 28 days | – | 10 |
Age 23 | ||||||
14 | G. O. Smith | 25 November 1872 | 4 April 1896 | 23 years, 4 months and 10 days | – | 11 |
15 | Bob Crompton | 26 September 1879 | 2 March 1903 | 23 years, 5 months and 4 days | – | 12 |
16 | Charles Bambridge | 30 July 1858 | 18 February 1882 | 23 years, 6 months and 19 days | – | 13 |
17 | Marcus Rashford | 31 October 1997 | 6 June 2021 | 23 years, 7 months and 6 days[u] | – | 14 |
18 | Stan Harris | 19 July 1881 | 25 February 1905 | 23 years, 7 months and 6 days[u] | – | 15 |
19 | Norman Bailey | 23 July 1857 | 12 March 1881 | 23 years, 7 months and 17 days | – | 16 |
20 | Sol Campbell | 18 September 1974 | 29 May 1998 | 23 years, 8 months and 11 days | – | 17 |
21 | Gerry Francis | 6 December 1951 | 3 September 1975 | 23 years, 8 months and 28 days | – | 18 |
22 | Eric Dier | 15 January 1994 | 10 November 2017 | 23 years, 9 months and 26 days | – | 19 |
23 | Steven Gerrard | 30 May 1980 | 31 March 2004 | 23 years, 10 months and 1 day | – | 20 |
24 | Harry Kane | 28 July 1993 | 10 June 2017 | 23 years, 10 months and 13 days | – | 21 |
25 | R. E. Foster | 16 April 1878 | 3 March 1902 | 23 years, 10 months and 15 days | – | 22 |
26 | Debbie Bampton[t] | 7 October 1961 | 22 September 1985 | 23 years, 11 months and 15 days | 4 | – |
Age 24 | ||||||
27 | Wayne Rooney | 24 October 1985 | 14 November 2009 | 24 years and 21 days | – | 23 |
28 | Faye White | 2 February 1978 | 7 March 2002 | 24 years, 1 month and 5 days[v] | 5 | – |
29 | Hubert Heron | 30 January 1852 | 4 March 1876 | 24 years, 1 month and 4 days[v] | – | 24 |
30 | Leah Williamson | 29 March 1997 | 17 September 2021 | 24 years, 5 months and 19 days | 6 | – |
31 | Raheem Sterling | 8 December 1994 | 6 June 2019 | 24 years, 5 months and 29 days | – | 25 |
32 | Billy Wright | 6 February 1924 | 9 October 1948 | 24 years, 8 months and 3 days | – | 26 |
33 | Claude Ashton | 19 February 1901 | 24 October 1925 | 24 years, 8 months and 5 days | – | 27 |
34 | Francis Sparks | 4 July 1855 | 15 March 1880 | 24 years, 8 months and 11 days | – | 28 |
35 | George Cotterill | 4 April 1868 | 25 February 1893 | 24 years, 10 months and 21 days | – | 29 |
36 | Sheila Parker[t][w] | 1947 | 18 November 1972 | ~24 years and 11 months[x] | 7 | – |
37 | Arthur Cursham | 14 March 1853 | 2 March 1878 | 24 years, 11 months and 16 days | – | 30 |
Unofficial young captaincies
Player | Date of birth | First unofficial captaincy | Age |
---|---|---|---|
Age 18 | |||
Carol Wilson[t] | June 1952 | 2 June 1971[y] | ~18 years and 11 months |
Age 20 | |||
Casey Stoney | 13 May 1982 | 25 February 2003[n] | 20 years, 9 months and 12 days |
Age 23 | |||
Georgia Stanway | 3 January 1999 | 15 November 2022 | 23 years, 10 months and 12 days |
Age 24 | |||
Sue Lopez[t] | 1 September 1945 | 1 November 1969[y] | 24 years and 2 months |
Oldest captains
Players who started as captain at over 35 years of age.[72]
# | Player | Date of birth | Last captaincy | Age | #W | #M |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age 41+ | ||||||
1 | Alexander Morten | 1831 or 1832[73] | 8 March 1873 | 41 or 42[73] | – | 1 |
Age 40 | ||||||
2 | Peter Shilton | 18 September 1949 | 7 July 1990 | 40 years, 9 months and 19 days | – | 2 |
Age 36 | ||||||
3 | Gillian Coultard | 22 July 1963 | 13 May 2000 | 36 years, 9 months and 21 days | 1 | – |
4 | Jesse Pennington | 23 August 1883 | 10 April 1920 | 36 years, 7 months and 18 days | – | 3 |
5 | Frank Lampard | 20 June 1978 | 24 June 2014 | 36 years and 4 days | – | 4 |
Age 35 | ||||||
6 | Debbie Bampton | 7 October 1961 | 11 May 1997 | 35 years, 7 months and 4 days | 2 | – |
7 | Billy Wright | 6 February 1924 | 28 May 1959 | 35 years, 3 months and 22 days | – | 5 |
8 | Billy Walker | 29 October 1897 | 7 December 1932 | 35 years, 1 month and 8 days | – | 6 |
9 | Stuart Pearce | 24 April 1962 | 24 May 1997 | 35 years and 1 month | – | 7 |
Unofficial old captaincies
Player | Date of birth | Last unofficial captaincy | Age |
---|---|---|---|
Doris Ashley | ~1923[74][75] | 17 July 1966[23] | ~42 |
Disputed captains
These players may have officially captained England, but sources are either uncertain or differ.
Player | England career | Caps as captain | Total caps |
---|---|---|---|
Harry Daft | 1889–1892 | 1 or 0[76] | 5 |
Vaughan Lodge | 1894–1896 | 0 or 1[d] | 5 |
George Raikes | 1895–1896 | 0 or 1[d] | 4 |
Captains of non-official matches
The following players have never captained England officially, but have started a match as named captain of a team representing England, with the match and/or team not officially recognised:
Only known, confirmed, non-official caps as captain are included.
Player | England career | Caps as captain | First captaincy | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stanley Briggs | 1899 | 1 | 23 November 1899 | [77] |
Ethel Audaer | 1933 | 1 | 9 August 1933 | [20] |
Doris Ashley | 1957–1966 | 5+ | 2 November 1957 | [24][74] |
Margaret Griffiths | 1960 | 1+ | April 1960 | [22] |
Sue Lopez | 1969–1970 | 2+ | 1 November 1969 | [27] |
Carol Wilson | 1971 | 4 | 2 June 1971 | [27] |
Unofficial captains
The following players have never been named, i.e. started a match as, captain, but were given the armband partway through a match after that game's captain was either sent off or substituted. As records for such mid-game changes are not often kept, this list will be incomplete:
Player | England career | Date |
---|---|---|
Gareth Southgate | 1995–2004 | 25 May 2001[78] |
Robbie Fowler | 1996–2002 | 27 March 2002[79] |
Danny Mills | 2001–2004 | 12 February 2003[80] |
Emile Heskey | 1999–2010 | 3 June 2003[5] |
Phil Neville | 1996–2007 | 3 June 2003[5] |
Jamie Carragher | 1999–2010 | 3 June 2003[5] |
David James | 1997–2010 | 28 May 2005[81] |
Gary Neville | 1995–2007 | 1 July 2006[82] |
Joleon Lescott | 2007–2013 | 26 May 2012[83] |
Michael Carrick | 2001–2015 | 15 August 2012[84] |
Alex Greenwood | 2014–present | 30 November 2021[8][85] |
Mary Earps | 2017–present | 11 October 2022[86] |
Georgia Stanway | 2018–present | 15 November 2022[87] |
Notes
- ^ The Football Association officially separated association football ("soccer") and rugby football ("rugby", itself unseparated) in 1872; prior to this, "football" games could be played as either format indiscriminately. The creation of another national football association, the Scottish Football Association, in 1873 allowed international games to be played (the first England vs Scotland game, though, preceded this foundation by several months). A codified set of FA rules for association football was firmly established in 1877.
- ^ a b Reserve captains are players that have taken the captain's armband on a one-off match basis when the incumbent is unavailable. Unlike unofficial captaincies the player is given the responsibility prior to the game and are officially recognised by the FA as having officially captained England, whereas unofficial captains receive the armband part way through a match due to the substitution or the receiving of a red card by the captain.[11]
- ^ a b c d Sources differ concerning the captaincy for England vs Wales, 12 March 1894. It was either Charles Wreford-Brown or Cunliffe Gosling.
- ^ a b c d The captaincy for England vs Ireland, 7 March 1896 is disputed between G. O. Smith (13 confirmed captaincies), and George Raikes and Vaughan Lodge, neither of whom had captained England in another match.
- ^ a b The match on 16 March 1896 may have been captained by Gilbert (G. O.) Smith.
- ^ a b c Bloomer captained two successive games in 1902, with the first, on 5 April 1902, seeing the 1902 Ibrox disaster occur. This match was, afterwards, declared null and void by the Football Association.
- ^ a b c Tournaments for which the player has been officially named as captain, not including tournaments where they have stepped up as a reserve captain or have been otherwise substituted for a match/es. Only major tournaments.
- ^ The Women's Football Association fielded their first England team in 1972, and was the governing body of women's football in England until the Football Association incorporated the team in 1993, marking a change in the formal organisation of it.[16] Few of the international matches contested by the team were considered official.[17] In 2019, women's sports history researcher Jean Williams found that "many of the games before 1993 were not recognised as official internationals, [...] and, though recognised by the FA with a virtual cap as representative games, many women players do not have more than one or two caps for their country as a result."[18] The WFA had so little funding that one woman hand-stitched caps for players.[18] The FA announced in 2022 that it would seek to recognise all former women's internationals.[19]
- ^ Women were banned from top flight football in England until 1972, with the early pseudo-international British Independents teams specifically disavowed and blacklisted.[28]
- ^ Houghton was named a vice-captain but did not wear the armband under Williamson.
- ^ Women's matches (Englandfootballonline.com indices):[27][3][4][39][49]
- ^ a b Contemporary to the end of her career, the Guinness Book of Records listed Thomas with 49 caps as captain from 56 overall international caps,[59] which it repeated in every edition through 1990.[60] When Thomas was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2021, they reported 51 caps as captain, still from 56 international caps.[61] Assuming Thomas captained every England women's match from her first cap as captain to the end of the 1985 Mundialito, the online record shows 50 matches (inclusive), at least four of which continue, as of 2022, to be considered unofficial;[27] the record does not show a 17 August 1985 game against Wales, which Thomas has stated is the only one during her era that she did not captain.[18]
- ^ a b c Some teamsheets from the appropriate period are unavailable, incomplete, or do not indicate captain.
- ^ a b Casey Stoney was first handed the captain's armband on an unofficial basis on 25 February 2003 (age 20) when captain Karen Walker was substituted off;[63] this captaincy is not counted as she was not named/did not start as captain. She first made an appearance as a named captain, starting the match as captain (as reserve for Faye White), on 7 March 2009 (age 26).
- ^ Alfred Bower was the last amateur player to captain England.
- ^ a b Sources differ concerning the captaincy for England vs Wales, 18 January 1879. It was either Arthur Cursham or Henry Wace.
- ^ Claude Ashton was the last player to be appointed captain for his solitary England appearance.
- ^ Cole was never a formal reserve or vice captain, but started with the armband as a gesture to celebrate his 100th cap. The match was actually Cole's 102nd cap, and there was reported surprise that he accepted the offer, as he had previously scorned the captaincy.[66]
- ^ Duggan took the place of captain Steph Houghton so that Houghton could defer her 100th England cap by a match to play it at home rather than away. Other recent stand-in captains were unavailable — Keira Walsh was injured,[67] Lucy Bronze also did not travel, and Jordan Nobbs was an unused substitute[68] — and manager Phil Neville said he selected Duggan due to her importance in the team.[69]
- ^ a b c d e WFA era
- ^ a b There are more shorter months between Rashford's birthday and his captain debut than there are for Harris; though the same number of months in age, as these months are shorter, Rashford is younger in days.
- ^ a b As 1876 was a leap year and January is a longer month, while Heron may seem to have been younger than White in number of months and days, he would have been a day older when accounting for the length of the months.
- ^ The FA announced in 2022 that it would award caps to the 1972 first official women's team, including captain Parker.[19]
- ^ Parker was appointed captain in 1972 aged 24.[65] She was 74 on 31 December 2021.[71] Provided she was 24 at the time of her first match on 18 November 1972, Parker must have been born in November or December 1947.
- ^ a b Wilson and Lopez' captaincies, which were not authorised and occurred while women's football was still banned in England, are not recognised by any official body.
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When [Keira] Walsh went off, Alex Greenwood took the captaincy, I think that's four England captains we've had tonight; has there ever been any more than that? Four in one evening: one for the women's football historians out there.
{{cite AV media}}
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Lavery, Glenn (14 February 2015). "Morgan's header gives USA narrow win over England". The FA.
Lavery, Glenn (8 April 2016). "Jill Scott rescues late point for England's Lionesses". The FA.
Lavery, Glenn (12 April 2016). "Karen Carney's late winner sees off resilient Bosnia in Zenica". The FA.
Richards, Josh (4 June 2016). "Clinical Carney hits a hat-trick as England blow away Serbia". The FA.
Serbia Women 0-7 England Women (Euro 2017 Qualifying) | Goals & Highlights. The FA. 7 June 2016 – via YouTube.
"Spain defeats England 1-0 on final match day of 2020 SheBelieves Cup". US Soccer. 11 March 2020.; Marsh, Charlotte (12 March 2020). "England Women 0-1 Spain Women: Lionesses end SheBelieves with defeat". Sky Sports. – Houghton, nominally captain, started on the bench then took the armband either when she came on or when reserve captain J. Scott went off later in the match. - ^ McWhirter, Norris D. (1986). The Guinness Book of Records 1987. Guinness Superlatives. p. 251. ISBN 978-0-85112-439-1.
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- ^ Additional sources:
"England-Northern Ireland | UEFA Women's EURO 2009". UEFA. Retrieved 6 October 2022. – White, nominally captain at the time, started on the bench and came on to replace her reserve captain in the seventy-fourth minute.
"England women 0-2 Iceland women". BBC Sport. 21 December 2013. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
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"Malta 0-6 England Women | Women's World Cup qualifier". the Guardian. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2022. - ^ "England women Fixtures and Results, 2004/05". Cresswell Wanderers FC. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
- ^ Additional sources:
"England 0-0 Spain: Arnold Clark Cup women's football friendly – as it happened". the Guardian. 20 February 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022. – Though nominally the acting captain at the time, Williamson played but did not wear the armband in this match, so it is not counted.
"Northern Ireland 0-5 England". The FA. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
"What a night at Elland Road!". The FA. Retrieved 6 October 2022. - ^ a b "Sheila Parker Hall of Fame profile". Retrieved 9 October 2022.
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