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England's capped greats

Author: Rose Young
Date: 05/04/2009

When David Beckham came on as a substitute against Slovakia last weekend the former England captain broke Bobby Moore's England outfield appearance record of 108.

It provided ammunition for those critics who argue that Beckham owes his place in the history books due to his celebrity status, not his footballing ability.

But one thing is for sure - only a handful of players have won over 100 caps for England and all are memorable in their own right.

125 caps: Peter Shilton. It is too often forgotten that the record Beckham is breaking is appearances as an outfield player, not total caps for England.

The question must be asked as to why appearances for outfield players have become heralded far above that of goalkeepers?

The argument goes that keepers naturally have longer careers. However, it is also the case that history has a way of remembering certain figures because of what they stood for, or how popular they were, rather than for any necessary achievement.

The fact is that Shilton was a world-class keeper and his ability allowed him to play in over 1,000 competitive matches. Yet his list of club teams reads as a who's who of unfashionable teams - Leicester City, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County and Plymouth Argyle.

He also played for an unfashionable and unsuccessful England team which failed to qualify for an international tournament between 1971 and 1979 and was asked to follow in the footsteps of a popular legend, Gordon Banks, and the popular World Cup winning team of the 1960s.

108 caps: Bobby Moore. An opposite a figure to Shilton as one could find. Moore was a talisman, a pin-up and one of the most popular men in the country in his time.

He was even given an OBE after captaining England to World Cup victory in 1966. Unlike Shilton, he spent almost his whole career at the well-supported West Ham United, playing in the demanding role of centre-half.

Moore represented a growing trend of footballers as celebrities and was celebrated for it. Yet, unlike the argument surrounding Beckham, no-one doubts that Moore's footballing abilities were worthy of over 100 England caps.

Becks will no doubt be one of many to overcome Moore's record, but no one will outgrow the image he created for himself in the 1960s and 70s.

109 caps: David Beckham. To say that Beckham's appearance record is not reflective of his ability or standing in football is probably harsh.

There have been few better in recent times at crossing and delivering set-pieces. However, the celebrity culture around him does make distinguishing fact from publicity stunt an almost impossible task, much to the detriment of the player.

106 caps: Sir Bobby Charlon. Only the fifth footballer ever to be knighted, Charlton's standing in Britain reflects his popularity.

As an attacking midfielder he was prolific, holding the record for most England international goals with 49, while scoring almost 200 goals for Manchester United.

Charlton was also fortunate to play in Moore's World Cup-winning team, sealing his popularity and ensuring he left a lasting legacy.

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