Sheffield's proud record of producing England internationals

Everyone knows that Sheffield is the home of football, with the world’s oldest club and the rule book for the game both coming from the city.
By Nancy.Frostick1
Published 7th Jun 2019, 14:37 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2019, 15:37 BST
Sheffield-born England duo Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker.Sheffield-born England duo Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker.
Sheffield-born England duo Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker.

But England’s national football team can also thank the Steel City for being one of the top producers of international players over the years.

New analysis has revealed that 38 Sheffield-born players have gone on to play for the Three Lions – a record that can only be beaten by Birmingham (40) and Liverpool (39).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

South Yorkshire has an impressive record too, with Mexborough among the top exporters of England internationals by population as one in every 2,541 residents goes on to play for the national team.

Yorkshire and the Humber has produced a total of 121 internationals in the history of the England team – an average of 43,941 people per player across the region.

Sheffield natives Millie Bright and Jade Moore are both heading to the Women’s World Cup with England this week while Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker were both involved in the Three Lions’ Nations League semi-final defeat to the Netherlands yesterday.

By population, Sheffield produced an England international for every 14,665 people born in the city.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Steel City’s England players for the men’s team are as follows:

Jesse Pye (debut 1949)

Tony Leach (debut 1930)

Tony Kay (debut 1963)

Harry Maguire (debut 2017)

Kyle Walker (debut 2011)

Jackie Bestall (debut 1935)

Albert Quixhall (debut 1953)

Frank Bradshaw (debut 1908)

Graham Shaw (debut 1958)

Frank Barson (debut 1920)

Billy Betts (debut 1889)

Charlie Clegg (debut 1872)

Harry Johnson (debut 1900)

William Clegg (debut 1873)

Laurie Scott (debut 1946)

Ken Willingham (debut 1937)

Jamie Vardy (debut 2015)

Jack Hunter (debut 1878)

Jack Hudson (debut 1883)

William Carr (debut 1885)

Johnny Fatham (debut 1961)

Thomas Heathcote Sorby (debut 1879)

Fred Kean (debut 1923)

Frank Pawson (debut 1883)

Billy Mosforth (debut 1887)

Kevin Davies (debut 2010)

Jack Frogatt (debut 1949)

John Morton (debut 1937)

Gary Cahill (debut 2010)

Wally Boyes (debut 1935)

Gordon Banks (debut 1963)

Tom Crawshaw (debut 1895)

Mel Sterland (debut 1988)

Fred Hill (debut 1962)