Playing for your country is the ultimate honour for a football player, and representing England is no different, but some last longer on the international scene.
As of 12 months ago, 360 England players had just one cap to their name, and you can read about them all here.
Attempting to remember plenty of those will test even the most avid England fan, and with this list you may be tempted to have to google whether they REALLY managed to represent the Three Lions.
But don’t worry, we’ve done the hard work for you. Here are 10 players that you forgot played for England.
📰 Table Of Contents
10. Wilfried Zaha
Now of course known for his time playing for the Ivory Coast, there was a time when Wilfried Zaha was an England player. Part of the Three Lions youth set up, he was handed his first opportunity (like several more on this list) against Sweden in 2012, coming on as a late substitute in a 4-2 loss in which Zlatan Ibrahmovic scored THAT goal.
9 months later, he was back in the England senior set up for more friendlies, playing 15 minutes from the bench in a 3-2 win over Scotland. Following being overlooked in future squads, he opted to switch nationalities to the Ivory Coast, where he has appeared 30 times.
9. Ryan Mason
However, he was handed his England debut all the way back into 2015 by now-Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson, managing 16 minutes during an international friendly against Italy.
Replacing Jordan Henderson, the Spurs player joined a midfield trio then consisting of Phil Jones, Michael Carrick and Ross Barkley as they went on to grab a draw against the Azzurri.
8. Jay Bothroyd
Bothroyd managed an England call up while playing for Cardiff City in the Championship, a feat almost unheard of in recent memory. After 10 goals in the first 14 games of the season, he was selected by boss Fabio Capello for the November internationals, and replaced Andy Carroll for the final 18 minutes of a 2-1 defeat to France.
In the 13 years since his solitary cap in 2010, only Zaha and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone have managed to be called up while playing in England’s second tier, showing just how impressive a feat it was despite Bothroyd’s limited gametime.
7. Francis Jeffers
Once the joint top goalscorer for the England U21s (Until Eddie Nketiah took that record), Francis Jeffers had a career that promised much but ultimately delivered little.
Called up to the senior squad in 1999, it was not until four years later, during his second season with Arsenal, that he was given a chance to prove himself on the main stage.
Coming on at half time against Australia, he netted on his debut but it proved to be in vain, with the Three Lions falling to an embarrassing 3-1 defeat against the minnows. He was never picked again, and left Arsenal the following season.
6. Steven Caulker
The ex-QPR, Liverpool and Tottenham defender managed one appearance for the Three Lions, starting in central defence as England lost 4-2 to a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-inspired Sweden side in a 2012 friendly.
It was a night to remember on a personal note, though, as he found the back of the net even in defeat. Caulker has since gone on to rack up 13 appearances for Sierra Leone, captaining the side in their most recent African Cup of Nations games.
5. Matt Jarvis
Called up in the middle of a largely unremarkable season with Wolves back in 2011, Matt Jarvis is almost certainly someone that you have forgotten managed to snag an England cap.
But an England cap he managed, making just one substitute appearance in a friendly against Ghana. Coming on for Jack Wilshere in the final 21 minutes of a 1-1 draw, Jarvis was never handed another opportunity to impress by Fabio Capello, and even a move to West Ham couldn’t see him back into the Three Lions squad.
4. Jack Cork
Now 33-years-old, Cork is unlikely to work his way back into the Three Lions set up despite basically being an ever-present for Vincent Kompany in their return to the Premier League.
However, he did manage a solitary appearance all the way back in 2017, when Gareth Southgate thrust him on for the final four minutes of a drab 0-0 draw with Germany. Left on the bench against Brazil in the same international break, he never got another look in.
3. Fraizer Campbell
Formerly a talented youngster at Manchester United and a budding pro with Tottenham, Fraizer Campbell’s career never quite lived up to what many expected.
Finding himself at Sunderland, he was included in the 2012 squad for the March internationals alongside teammate Adam Johnson, despite having made just 12 appearances and scoring one goal that season.
Coming on for the final 10 minutes of the friendly against the Netherlands, he couldn’t make an impact as the Three Lions fell to a last-gasp 3-2 defeat to the Netherlands, courtesy of a strike from a certain Arjen Robben.
2. Lewis Cook
One of five players still playing football on this list, Lewis Cook is still just 26 years old and managed 28 Premier League appearances for Bournemouth in their most recent Premier League season.
However, he has yet to return to the England set up since his one and only appearance, when he made his debut aged just 21-years-old.
Cook replaced Jesse Lingard for the final 20 minutes of another 1-1 draw with Italy back in 2018, Gareth Southgate clearly didn’t like what he saw and he hasn’t been given another chance since.
1. Carl Jenkinson
Remember him? Still going strong in Australia, Carl Jenkinson never made more than 14 Premier League appearances in a season for Arsenal during his time with the Gunners, but that was enough to get him a call up to the Three Lions squad.
Part of the experimental squad that took on Sweden in 2012 (and also included Caulker), Jenkinson played just 14 minutes of international football in his career, coming on for the final minutes as a substitute for Glen Johnson
