by Jonathan Greengrass

Created on: July 07, 2010

England has produced a multitude of great players over its long and storied soccer history. From excellent goalkeepers like Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton to fearsome strikers like Lineker, Charlton and Greaves, England's finest rank among the best of all time. This article is about those few.

Bobby Moore OBE:

The first, and so far only englishman to captain his nation to World Cup glory. The iconic image of his life remains of him wiping his hands before shaking hands with the Queen. He changed the way an english centre half was seen. Instead of being gritty. hard tackling and good in the air, Moore was a reader of the game. What he lacked in pace and strength he made up for in being able to anticipate the flow of the game and react accordingly. His career is held in high regard by the football community, with both Pele and Sir Alex Ferguson describing Moore as the greatest defender in the history of football. At club level he enjoyed almost 700 first team appearances, mostly with West Ham, for whom he played between 1958 and 1974. Near the end of his career he was part of the exodus to America, playing for San Antonio and Seattle before retiring in 1978. His 108 international appearances for England was a record for outfield players until David Beckham gained his 109th cap in 2009. Truly an english lion, his statue stands outside Wembley stadium as a tribute to his distinguished career.

Sir Bobby Charlton:

Charlton's greatness was to overcome adversity to stand as one of the greatest players in the game's history. A survivor of the 1958 Munich air disaster that claimed the lives of  23 people, including many Manchester United players. Like Moore, he was part of England's 1966 World Cup triumph. He was known throughout his career as both a scorer of great goals and a prolific goalscorer. It is rare in football that a player be known for both. Indeed his 49 England goals and his 249 Manchester united goals remain records almost 40 years since he stopped playing. A true gentleman of the game, he only ever received one yellow card, in the quarter final of the '66 World Cup against Argentina. His contribution to the game continued after his retirement. After a brief spell in management, Charlton has served since as a director of Wigan, and then Manchester United since 1981, a post he still occupies today. Charlton stands apart from other English legends, his story and talent are the best of this country.

David Beckham:

Beckham deserves a spot on this list as a representative of England's newest crop of players. Although his footballing powers have diminished since his prime, he still remains one of the sweetest strikers of a football in the game. His ability from set pieces and laser passing are his most obvious traits, but he also carries with him a determination and pride unparalleled in world football. After the 2006 world cup, he resigned as England's captain. The next England manager, Steve McClaren, decided to drop Beckham from the side altogether. This,coupled with a move to LA Galaxy, was seen as the end of Beckham as a major player in world football. However, Beckham didn't see it that way. He continued to work and strive, and eventually achieved redemption as he was recalled to England, for whom he now holds the record for appearences by an outfield player. In his club career, he has won every trophy out there. A european champion with Manchester United, he also won a handful of English league titles, the spanish La Liga title as well as the FA cup. A more dedicated servant to his country England may never see, Beckham wove his name into the history of the game

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