Famous 20th Century British Football Players

This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

Find out more about the greatest 20th Century British Football Players, including Jamie Vardy, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville and Dele Alli.

Vote for Your Favourite 20th Century British Football Players

Michael Owen

(Football player)

Birthdate: December 14, 1979

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Chester, England

Alan Shearer

(Football Player)

Birthdate: August 13, 1970

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Gosforth, England

Former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer has also worked as a BBC football pundit and a football manager. The Euro 1996 Golden Boot-winner has also represented Southampton and Blackburn Rovers, winning the 1994-1995 Premier League with the latter. With 260 goals, he became the Premier League’s leading goal-scorer.

Gary Lineker

(One of the Greatest English Football Strikers)

Birthdate: November 30, 1960

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Leicester, England

Gary Lineker is a British former football player who currently works as a sports broadcaster. Considered one of the greatest British strikers of all time, Gary Lineker is the third-highest goal-scorer for England. During his 16-year playing career, Lineker never received a red or yellow card, due to which he was honored with the FIFA Fair Play Award in 1990.

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Bobby Charlton

(One of the Greatest Football Players of All Time)

Birthdate: October 11, 1937

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Ashington, Northumberland, England

Widely considered one of the greatest players ever, Bobby Charlton was an important member of the England national football team that emerged victorious at the 1966 FIFA World Cup. The recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Ballon d'Or, Charlton received a knighthood in 1994. He is the second-highest goalscorer for England.

Steven Gerrard

(Football Player)

Birthdate: May 30, 1980

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Whiston

Steven Gerrard spent most of his career as a Liverpool midfielder and also captained Liverpool and the English national team. His phenomenal performance in the 2006 FA Cup Final led it to be called The Gerrard Final. The Order of the British Empire member now manages the Scottish club Rangers.

Jack Grealish

(Association football player)

Birthdate: September 10, 1995

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Birmingham, England

Jack Grealish is an English professional footballer. At present, he is affiliated with Premier League club Manchester City and the England national team. He plays as a winger or attacking midfielder. He joined the Highgate United Youth Club as a boy and started playing professionally as a teenager. He is known for his ability to run and dribble past defenders.

Gareth Southgate

(British Football Manager and Former Player Who Played as a Defender and Midfielder)

Birthdate: September 3, 1970

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Watford, Hertfordshire, England

Gareth Southgate is an English football manager. A former player, he used to play as a defender and midfielder for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, and Crystal Palace. He retired in 2006, after more than 500 league appearances and began his stint as a football manager. He has been managing the England national team since 2016.

Tammy Abraham

(Association football player)

Birthdate: October 2, 1997

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Camberwell, England

Tammy Abraham is an English footballer. He currently plays as a striker for Serie A club Roma and the England national team. He is an academy graduate of Chelsea and made his first-team debut for the club in 2016. Since then, he has played for Bristol City and Aston Villa, scoring 25 goals in a single campaign for the team.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

(Association football player)

Birthdate: October 7, 1998

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Liverpool, England

James Milner

(Footballer)

Birthdate: January 4, 1986

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Wortley, Leeds, England

Harry Maguire

(Football player)

Birthdate: March 5, 1993

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Sheffield, England

Ian Wright

(Television and Radio Personality and Former Professional Footballer)

Birthdate: November 3, 1963

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Woolwich, London, United Kingdom

Ian Wright is an English former football player. Renowned for his speed, Wright played for popular clubs like Arsenal and helped his national team qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After retiring from the sport, Wright went on to become a TV and radio personality; he currently contributes as a commentator for ITV Sport and BBC Sport.

John Terry

(Association football player)

Birthdate: December 7, 1980

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Barking

Rio Ferdinand

(Football player)

Birthdate: November 7, 1978

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Camberwell, England

Aaron Ramsey

(Footballer)

Birthdate: December 26, 1990

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Caerphilly, Gwent, Wales

Kieran Trippier

(Football player)

Birthdate: September 19, 1990

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Bury, England

Gordon Banks

(Football player)

Birthdate: December 30, 1937

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Sheffield, England

Died: February 12, 2019

Paul Scholes

(English Former Football Player Who was One of the Best Midfielders of His Generation)

Birthdate: November 16, 1974

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Salford, England, United Kingdom

Paul Scholes, former Manchester United midfielder, had a 20-year stint with the team, winning major titles, including 11 Premier Leagues, 3 FA Cups, and 2 UEFA Champions Leagues. Over the course of his 718 appearances for the team, he has won 25 trophies. He now coaches Salford City.

Jack Wilshere

(Football - Midfielder for England)

Birthdate: January 1, 1992

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England

Kyle Walker

(Association football player)

Birthdate: May 28, 1990

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Sheffield

Ashley Cole

(Association football player)

Birthdate: December 20, 1980

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Stepney

Gary Neville

(Football player)

Birthdate: February 18, 1975

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Bury, England

Jermain Defoe

(Association football player)

Birthdate: October 7, 1982

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Beckton

Brendan Rodgers

(Football coach)

Birthdate: January 26, 1973

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Carnlough, Antrim, Northern Ireland

Eric Dier

(Football player)

Birthdate: January 15, 1994

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Cheltenham, England, UK

Andy Carroll

(Association football player)

Birthdate: January 6, 1989

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Gateshead

John Stones

(Association football player)

Birthdate: May 28, 1994

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Barnsley

Kenny Dalglish

(Association football player, Association football manager)

Birthdate: March 4, 1951

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Glasgow

Micah Richards

(Association football player)

Birthdate: June 24, 1988

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Birmingham

Mark Hughes

(Football manager)

Birthdate: November 1, 1963

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Wrexham, Wales

Bobby Moore

(Football - Defender for England)

Birthdate: April 12, 1941

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Barking, Essex, England

Died: February 24, 1993

Joe Cole

(Association football player)

Birthdate: November 8, 1981

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Paddington

Alex Scott

(Footballer)

Birthdate: October 14, 1984

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: London, England

Alex Scott is an English TV presenter and former professional football player. Apart from playing for popular clubs like Arsenal and Birmingham City, Scott also represented the women's national football team. She also played for Great Britain at the London Olympics. In 2019, she was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

Teddy Sheringham

(Football player)