British football player biography

Britain has produced some of the most talented football players to ever grace a football pitch. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all seen incredibly gifted players go on to have wonderful careers in the beautiful game.

Three of those nations have produced Ballon d'Or winners after all. From George Best to Kenny Dalglish, there are so many unique and brilliant players ot have hailed from these football fanatic nations.

That said, below are the 12 greatest British players ranked in order. As is always the case in football, it's all subjective. In order to come to the below rankings, the following factors have been considered:

• Team Trophies
• Individual Honours
• Importance to Their Teams
• Success at International Level
• Statistical Data (Goals, Assists, Clean Sheets etc.)

1 Sir Bobby Charlton

Career: 1956 - 1980

Sir Bobby Charlton's tragic passing in late 2023 left Manchester United and England supporters mourning the loss of one of their favourite sons. He is one of three men on th

English footballer (born 2003)

For the New Zealand opera singer, see Judy Bellingham.

Jude Victor William Bellingham (born 29 June 2003) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid and the England national team. Known for his pace, dribbling, passing, he is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world.

Bellingham joined Birmingham City as an under-8, became the club's youngest first-team player when he made his senior debut in August 2019, at the age of 16 years, 38 days, and played regularly during the 2019–20 season. He joined Borussia Dortmund in July 2020, and in his first appearance became their youngest goalscorer. Over three seasons with the club he made 132 appearances and won the 2020–21 DFB-Pokal; his performances in the 2022–23 season helped Dortmund finish as runners-up and earned him the Bundesliga Player of the Season award. Later that year he won both major awards for male footballers aged under 21: the Golden Boy, for nominees playing in Europe over the last calendar year, and the Kopa Trophy, for the world's best over the previous season. Bellingham then signed for Real Madrid for a fee of €103 million, and in his first season, was the club's top league scorer, helped them win the league title and the Champions League. In 2024, he was voted La Liga Player of the Season and finished 3rd both for the Ballon d'Or and FIFA The Best. Bellingham was included in the FIFPRO World 11 twice consecutively in 2023 and 2024 and was awarded as the best playmaker by IFFHS in 2024. Bellingham also won the Best Midfielder award at Globe Soccer Awards in 2024.

Bellingham represented England at under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-21 levels. He made his first appearance for the senior team in November 2020, and represented the country at UEFA Euro 2020 and 2024 as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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English footballer (born 1975)

David Robert Joseph Beckham (BEK-əm; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Primarily a right winger and known for his range of passing, crossing ability and free-kick taking, Beckham has been hailed as one of the greatest and most recognisable midfielders of his generation, as well as one of the best free-kick takers of all time. He won 19 major trophies in his career, and is the first English player to win league titles in four different countries: England, Spain, the United States and France.

Beckham's professional club career began with Manchester United, where he made his first-team debut in 1992 at age 17. With United, he won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, the FA Charity Shield twice, the Intercontinental Cup and the UEFA Champions League in 1999. He then played four seasons with Real Madrid, winning the La Liga championship in his final season with the club. In July 2007, Beckham signed a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club LA Galaxy. While a Galaxy player, he spent two loan spells in Italy with AC Milan in 2009 and 2010. He became the first British footballer to play 100 UEFA Champions League games. Following a four-month stint at Paris Saint-Germain, he retired in May 2013 after a 20-year career.

In international football, Beckham made his England debut on 1 September 1996, at the age of 21. He was captain for six years, earning 58 caps during his tenure. He made 115 career appearances in total, appearing at three FIFA World Cups in 1998, 2002 and 2006 as well as two UEFA European Championships in 2000 and 2004. Beckham held the England appearance record for an outfi