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England's most-capped players in history after Harry Kane's landmark appearance

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter

Published: June 10 2025 | 22:46

Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at England's most-capped players of all time after Harry Kane's joined their legendary list of international centurions.

Pulling on the famed England jersey once is a far-fetched dream for many, but a handful of esteemed male and female players can proudly boast an astounding three-figure appearance tally for the Three Lions or the Lionesses.

One of those centurions is none other than clinical captain Harry Kane, who was on the right side of history once again when the 1966 World Cup winners welcomed Senegal to the City Ground for a friendly contest on June 10, 2025.

The result was nothing short of catastrophic for England, as the African outfit stormed to a warranted 3-1 victory in Nottingham, although another landmark goal came on a landmark appearance for Kane.

The Bayern Munich talisman became the first man to score in a manager's first four games in charge of England, bagging his 73rd strike for his country on his 107th appearance, one that saw him overtake Sir Bobby Charlton and Frank Lampard and draw level with legendary left-back Ashley Cole.

Here, Sports Mole counts down the 10 players to have made the most appearances for the England men's senior team.

10. Billy Wright (CB | 1946-1959 | 105)

The first man to hit a century of appearances for the England national team - or indeed for any country - centre-back Billy Wright enjoyed a distinguished 13-year career with the Three Lions crest on his chest, totalling 105 appearances from 1946 to 1959. The latter year saw Wright win his 100th England cap in a 1-0 win over near neighbours Scotland, and 70 consecutive international appearances was briefly a men's record before Andoni Zubizarreta played 86 straight matches for Spain. Ninety of Wright's 105 appearances for England came as captain - only Bobby Moore managed as many as skipper - and he competed at three World Cup finals from 1950 to 1958. A one-club man, Wright played 490 times for Wolverhampton Wanderers - the fourth-most in the club's history - and he finished second in the 1957 Ballon d'Or to the great Alfredo Di Stefano.

9. Bobby Charlton (AM | 1958-1970 | 106)

One of two men to make exactly 106 appearances for England, Sir Bobby Charlton was one of the last two surviving members of the 1966 World Cup until his death in October 2023, leaving Sir Geoff Hurst as the final luminary standing. Blessed with a notoriously venomous shot, versatility that would have made him perfectly suited to the modern game and exceptional on-field behaviour - being booked just twice in his career - Charlton's 106 caps brought 49 goals, only fewer than Kane himself and Wayne Rooney. While the Manchester United icon was nullified in the 1966 World Cup final by Franz Beckenbauer, he won both the Golden Ball and that year's Ballon d'Or, and he remains just one of two England players to have scored in three separate decades alongside Stanley Matthews.

=. Frank Lampard (CM | 1999-2014 | 106)

Matching Charlton's record of 106 England appearances - albeit in an international career that spanned over two more years - Frank Lampard's Three Lions adventure will unfortunately be mostly remembered for the wrong reasons. The midfielder's look of bewilderment at his 2010 World Cup ghost goal still burns painfully in the memory of Three Lions supporters, who had also witnessed Lampard miss their first penalty in their quarter-final loss to Portugal three years before. There were plenty of cheerful moments too; the Chelsea legend bagged 29 goals for his country and was named England's Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005, also being named in the European Championship Team of the Tournament in the former year.

7. Harry Kane (CF | 2015-present | 107)

Even if Kane unexpectedly downed tools and called time on his England career right this second, he would still sit pretty in joint-seventh place in the all-time men's list. Not every striker can translate their prolific club form into a glut of goals for their country, but Tottenham Hotspur's all-time leading scorer did so with consummate ease, and 71 efforts is more than any other English man or woman has netted for their country. Six of those strikes came at the 2018 World Cup, where Kane took home the Golden Boot, and he also shared the Euro 2024 top scorer accolade with five other players, even if his overall play failed to set the continent alight.

=. Ashley Cole (LB | 2001 to 2014 | 107)

One of the first names that springs to mind when thinking of all-time great left-backs - arguably in the same bracket as Marcelo and Roberto Carlos - Ashley Cole hung up his England jersey with 107 caps to his name. It comes as no surprise to learn that the former Arsenal and Chelsea man - who is certainly held in higher regard by the blue side of London - is England's most-capped male full-back of all time, although Lucy Bronze and Alex Scott have won more for the women's team. Cole took home one England Player of the Year prize in 2010, but he also holds an unwanted national team record, making more appearances for the Three Lions without scoring than any other player.

5. Bobby Moore (CB | 1962 to 1973 | 108)

Will there ever be a more iconic image in the history of the sport? In a glittering international career spanning 11 years, the late Bobby Moore captained England to their first and only senior men's World Cup triumph to date in 1966, cementing his legacy as one of the best defenders to ever grace the game. A West Ham United icon, Moore also reached 100 caps for his country quicker than any man before or indeed after him, and his astounding tackle on Brazil wing wizard Jairzinho at the 1970 World Cup will be played on repeat for years to come.

4. Steven Gerrard (CM | 2000 to 2014 | 114)

Another England titan with a unique record to his name, all of Steven Gerrard's 114 caps for the Three Lions came while he was representing Liverpool, meaning that he has played more games for the men's team with one club than anybody else. The Reds legend competed in three World Cups and three European Championships during his playing heyday, making him just one of four Englishmen to appear at six major tournaments, joining Rooney, Sol Campbell and Jordan Henderson in that exclusive party; it would have been seven had injury not crushed his 2002 World Cup dreams. Gerrard ended his international journey with a respectable 21 goals to his name, although captaining the Three Lions to a chastening group-stage exit at the 2014 World Cup was a low point.

3. David Beckham (RM | 1996 to 2009 | 115)

That free kick against Greece. That penalty against Argentina. That crestfallen look at the 2006 World Cup finals. An international career littered with savoury and unsavoury moments came to an end in 2009, when David Beckham made his 115th and final England appearance. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid man's early England career was marred by the Diego Simeone incident and the subsequent fan furore, but he quickly won the hearts of the Three Lions faithful by bending it like only he could to send his nation to the 2002 World Cup. That trademark set-piece was one of 17 goals that Beckham scored for his nation, whom he never officially retired from representing, but injury extinguished his chances of a 2010 World Cup call-up before Fabio Capello overlooked him for Euro 2012. More recently, Beckham brought a tear to the eye when paying tribute to his former manager and dear friend Sven-Goran Eriksson following the Swede's death in August 2024.

2. Wayne Rooney (CF | 2003 to 2018 | 120)

No outfield player can boast more than Wayne Rooney's 120 caps for the England men's team, but after already surpassing his colleague's goalscoring record, the appearance feat is surely the next that Kane has in his sights. Over a 15-year international career from 2003 to 2018, Rooney was responsible for a staggering 53 goals, a record that stood until Kane's 54th for his nation against Italy in March 2023. Still the youngest-ever player to score a senior goal for England's men's team - bagging his first at the tender age of 17 - Rooney was also bestowed with four England Player of the Year awards, a tally that remains unparalleled.

1. Peter Shilton (GK | 1970 to 1990 | 125)

One of many living examples that goalkeepers are the tortoises of the football world, Peter Shilton proudly donned his country's colours for 20 years from 1970 to 1990, winning an unrivalled 125 caps in the process. Owing to the incredibly stiff competition provided by Ray Clemence, Shilton was a late bloomer when it came to major tournaments - not appearing in a World Cup finals until he was 32 - but he still boasts more appearances at the competition than any other Englishman (17). Victim of Diego Maradona's Hand of God and Goal of the Century at the 1986 World Cup, Shilton still holds the record for all-time competitive appearances at both club and international level, featuring in between the sticks in an astronomical 1,411 matches.