Famous 21st Century British Sportspersons

The name Lewis Hamilton has become synonymous with Formula One, and such is the greatness of Hamilton. Honoured with MBE by the Queen, Lewis Hamilton is one of the most successful Formula One Grand Prix Racing Driver. Hamilton was the first Black driver to win the Championship and has 6 World Championship titles and 90 race victories to his name.

Regarded as one of the best football players of the current era, Wayne Rooney is the record goal-scorer for the Manchester United FC and England national team. Originally a boxer, Wayne continues to pursue boxing as a recreational activity. Wayne has been controversy's favorite child for many years now; from allegations of infidelity to legal issues, he has faced them all!

A 2-time world heavyweight champion, British Tyson Fury has had an undefeated run in his 32 matches, with 31 wins and 1 unlucky draw in a match against Deontay Wilder. He has also released a bestselling memoir, Behind The Mask, and was named to the Forbes list of the World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2020.

Jenson Button is a British racing driver best known for winning the Formula One World Championship title in 2009. A popular driver, Button is the recipient of several prestigious awards such as the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy and the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy. In 2017, Jenson Button was made an inductee of the FIA Hall of Fame.

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.

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.

Chris Froome is an English professional road racing cyclist best known for winning two bronze medals in the Olympic Games so far; he won the medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. In 2017, Froome won a bronze medal at the UCI Road World Championships in Bergen, Norway. Froome has won many prestigious awards, such as the Vélo d'Or.

Jessica Ennis-Hill is a British retired track and field athlete. She specialized in multi-eventing disciplines and 100 meters hurdles. In 2012, she won an Olympic gold in the heptathlon. She was introduced to sports as a young girl and immediately took an interest in athletics. She has won several other titles as well in addition to her Olympic gold. 

Jadon Sancho is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team. He is known for his technical skills as a winger and formidable pace. He started playing as a young boy and was part of the England youth team that won the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. 

Marcus Rashford is a prominent football player for the Manchester United Football Club and England national team. He became the youngest British footballer to score in his debut match for England. He uses his popularity to fight against issues like child food poverty and homelessness in the United Kingdom. He is often praised for his political activism.

Considered a late bloomer in the world of soccer, Jamie Vardy became the oldest player to win the Premier League Golden Boot award when he scored the maximum number of goals during the 2019–20 Premier League season. Apart from his goal-scoring abilities, Jamie is also known for his direct approach and relentless running.

One of the best British professional tennis players of all time, Andy Murray is popularly known as the Great Scot since he was born in Scotland. He is the only tennis player to have won two Olympic gold medals in singles competition. Also known for his charitable work, Andy Murray has played key roles in raising money for many charity organizations.

Professional footballer Raheem Sterling currently plays as a winger and attacking midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City. He also plays for the England national team. Born in Jamaica, he moved to England as a child and started playing professional football when he was a teenager. He was named the FWA Footballer of the Year in the 2018-19 season.

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. 

Damon Hill is a British retired racing driver best known for winning the Formula One World Championship title in 1996. He is currently a part of the broadcasting team of Sky Sports F1, providing expert analysis. Damon Hill is also known as the son of former Formula One World Champion, Graham Hill.

The current head coach of Chelsea Football Club, Lampard spent most of his playing career with Chelsea. He is widely considered one of the greatest midfielders and greatest Chelsea players of his generation. While playing for the England national team, he represented England at three World Cups. In 2015, he was appointed an OBE for his services to football.

Widely regarded as one of the best active boxers in the world, Anthony Joshua is the first British heavyweight to win both a major world title and an Olympic gold medal. Having avoided a life of crime, Joshua focused solely on boxing; his rags to riches story serves as an inspiration. He is one of the most influential Black Britons.

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. 

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. 

English professional footballer, Adebayo Akinfenwa, currently plays as a striker for the EFL Championship club Wycombe Wanderers. He started playing as a teenager and received praise for his abilities. However, he faced much racial discrimination as he is a man of color. He has been named Wycombe Wanderers Player of the Season twice.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is an English football player. He is an important member of the England national team and the Premier League club Liverpool. In 2012, he became the second-youngest player to play for England at the UEFA European Football Championship, only behind the legendary player Wayne Rooney. He also represented his national team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Ben Stokes is an English cricketer. Considered one of the most important players in all three formats of the game, Stokes was honored with the ICC Award for Best Men's Cricketer in 2019. In 2019 and 2020, he was adjudged the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World. Ben Stokes is currently serving as the captain of the England Test team.

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.

Before being an actor, Vinnie Jones had a brilliant career as a footballer and had even led the Welsh national football team and excelled as a midfielder. He was later mostly seen playing criminals on screen. Fans adore him for his roles in X-Men: The Last Stand, Elementary, and Arrow.

Eddie Hall is a British former professional strongman who won the World's Strongest Man 2017 competition. Previously, he had won the UK's Strongest Man and England's Strongest Man competitions many times. As a young man, he trained as a bodybuilder and entered the strongman circuit. He is the subject of the documentary titled Eddie: Strongman.

Midfielder Ross Barkley joined Everton’s youth system at 11, gradually joining its senior team and then the English national team. He now plays for Aston Villa, on loan from Chelsea. He was part of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He has also played for Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday.

Denise Lewis is a British sports commentator and former athlete. She won the heptathlon gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and became the first European to win Olympic gold in the heptathlon. A two-time Commonwealth Games champion, Lewis also won silver medals in the 1997 and 1999 World Championships. She was also the 1998 European Champion.