Famous 20th Century British Football Players

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

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David Beckham

(English Former Professional Footballer Who was One of the Greatest Midfielders of His Generation)

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Birthdate: May 2, 1975

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: London, England

David Beckham is a former English footballer who was football superstar on-field and a heartthrob off-field. A former player for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Milan, among others, Beckham was a free-kick specialist, a brilliant crosser of the ball and the first English player to win league titles in four countries. His passion for football, charisma and fashion style have made him an international sensation.

Alan Shearer

(One of the Best Strikers of His Generation and One of the Greatest Players in Premier League History)

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.

Ian Wright

(Former Professional Footballer: Now a Television and Radio Personality )

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.

Bobby Moore

(Captain of the England Team that Won the 1966 FIFA World Cup)

Birthdate: April 12, 1941

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Barking, Essex, England

Died: February 24, 1993

Dixie Dean

(Footballer)

Birthdate: January 22, 1907

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Birkenhead, England

Died: March 1, 1980

Steven Gerrard

(One of the Greatest Liverpool Footballers of All Time)

Birthdate: May 1, 1980

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Whiston, England, United Kingdom

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.

Kelly Smith

(Football player)

Birthdate: October 29, 1978

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Watford, England

James Maddison

(Football player)

Birthdate: November 23, 1996

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Coventry, England

Michail Antonio

(Footballer)

Birthdate: March 28, 1990

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Wandsworth, London, United Kingdom

Kalvin Phillips

(Football player)

Birthdate: December 2, 1995

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Leeds, England

Joe Gomez

(Football player)

Birthdate: May 23, 1997

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Catford, England

Brian Clough

(English Football Player Who Played as a Striker)

Birthdate: March 21, 1935

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Middlesbrough, England, United Kingdom

Died: September 20, 2004

Footballer and manager Brian Clough is remembered as one of the highest goal-scorers of the Football League. He had successful stints with Derby County and Nottingham Forest, as a manager, with Peter Taylor as his assistant manager. His rivalry with Don Revie inspired the book The Damned Utd.

Rio Ferdinand

(English Former Professional Footballer Who Played as A Centre-Back)

Birthdate: November 7, 1978

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Camberwell, England

Danny Rose

(Footballer)

Birthdate: July 2, 1990

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Doncaster, England

David Seaman

(Footballer)

Birthdate: September 19, 1963

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Rotherham, England

Ian Rush

(Association football player, Association football manager)

Birthdate: October 20, 1961

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: St Asaph

David James

(association football player)

Birthdate: August 1, 1970

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Welwyn Garden City

Mark Noble

(Football player)

Birthdate: May 8, 1987

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Canning Town, England

Tyrone Mings

(Football Player)

Birthdate: March 13, 1993

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Bath, England, UK

Jonny Evans

(Association football player)

Birthdate: January 3, 1988

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Belfast

Jonjo Shelvey

(Association football player)

Birthdate: February 27, 1992

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Romford

Paul Merson

(Football Player)

Birthdate: March 20, 1968

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Harlesden, London, England

Rhian Brewster

(Association football player)

Birthdate: April 1, 2000

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Chadwell Heath, England

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.

Matt Le Tissier

(Former Professional Football Attacking Midfielder)

Birthdate: October 14, 1968

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Saint Peter Port, Guernsey

Darren Fletcher

(Association football player)

Birthdate: February 1, 1984

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Dalkeith

Tony Adams

(Football manager)

Birthdate: October 10, 1966

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Romford, England

Demarai Gray

(Association football player)

Birthdate: June 28, 1996

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Birmingham

Darren Bent

(Association football player)

Birthdate: February 6, 1984

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Tooting

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.

Steve McClaren

(Association football player, Association football manager)

Birthdate: May 3, 1961

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Fulford

Jimmy Johnstone

(Association football player)

Birthdate: September 30, 1944

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Uddingston

Died: March 13, 2006

Mike Thalassitis

(Football player)

Birthdate: January 19, 1993

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: London, England, UK

Died: March 15, 2019

Wes Brown

(Football player)

Birthdate: October 13, 1979

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Longsight, Manchester, England

Ray Wilkins

(English Football Player and Coach)

Birthdate: September 14, 1956

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Hillingdon, England

Died: April 4, 2018

Leslie Ferdinand

(Footballer)

Birthdate: December 8, 1966

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: London, England

Tom Cleverley

(Association football player)

Birthdate: August 12, 1989

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Basingstoke

Jonathan Woodgate

(Association football player)

Birthdate: January 22, 1980

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Middlesbrough

Stanley Matthews

(Footballer)

Birthdate: February 1, 1915

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Hanley, England

Died: February 23, 2000

Chris Hughton

(British Professional Football Manager and Former Player)

Birthdate: December 11, 1958

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Forest Gate, Essex, England

Born to a Ghanaian father and an Irish mother, Chris Hughton became the first biracial footballer from Ireland. Mostly known for his stint with Tottenham Hotspur as a player, he later also coached the team. He was part of the FA Cup- and UEFA Cup-winning squads of Tottenham.

Phil Jagielka

(Association football player)