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155 people have officially served ascaptains of the England national football teams. The currentcaptains areHarry Kane (men's) andLeah Williamson (women's).
The first England captain wasCuthbert Ottaway; he captained England in the first ever international match, againstScotland on 30 November 1872. He went on to captain England on just one further occasion, the third international match, on 7 March 1874, against the same opposition.Alexander Morten captained England in their first international on home soil, 8 March 1873, also against Scotland, and was the first international captain to win a match. Having previously played for Scotland against England,[1] this was his only international appearance for England. Morten remains England's oldest captain.
The first unofficial women's international match was contested by England andFrance in 1920, with theDick, Kerr Ladies "England" side captained byAlice Kell.[2] The England women's team was authorised in 1972 by theWomen's Football Association (WFA), originally unaffiliated withthe Football Association (FA), and hadSheila Parker as its first captain. The official England women's first international match was played againstScotland on 18 November 1972, in anticipation of the centenary of the equivalent men's match. Parker remained in her role for four years before being left out of the 1976 British Home Championship; her replacement,Carol Thomas (née McCune), was only 20 when she took the armband,[3] and retained it for nearly a decade. Women's players between 1972 and 1993 were not all officially recognised until 2022; there were also several prior to 1972, who were not sanctioned and are not recognised. Thomas is England's youngest official captain under the WFA;Keira Walsh is England's youngest official captain under the FA;Carol Wilson andCasey Stoney unofficially served as captains when younger than Thomas and Walsh.[a]
Billy Wright set the record for most captaincies of his country in 1959, with 90.Bobby Moore, who remains England's youngest men's captain and the only England captain to have lifted theWorld Cup, reached 90 captaincies in 1973, sharing the record with Wright.Steph Houghton has the record for captaincies of the women's team, and outright fourth-most caps as captain (72) behind Wright and Moore, and Kane. Seven male players were captain in their only international cap, the last of these being in 1925. Williamson is England's only captain to have lifted theEuro, which she has done twice, and the only England captain to win a major trophy outside of England.[5]
Several women's matches have seen two players start as co-captains.[6][7] The most players known to wear the captain's armband for England in one match is four, which has happened three times. On 3 June 2003,Michael Owen started as captain withEmile Heskey,Phil Neville, andJamie Carragher all wearing the armband.[8][9] On30 November 2021,Millie Bright started as captain, withEllen White, Keira Walsh, andAlex Greenwood also wearing the armband.[10][11] On 29 November 2025, Keira Walsh started as captain, andLucy Bronze,Alessia Russo andGeorgia Stanway also wore the armband.[12]
| Player | Tournament(s)[g] |
|---|---|
| Billy Wright | |
| Johnny Haynes | |
| Bobby Moore | |
| Kevin Keegan | |
| Mick Mills | |
| Bryan Robson | |
| Gary Lineker | |
| Tony Adams | |
| Alan Shearer | |
| David Beckham | |
| Steven Gerrard | |
| Wayne Rooney | |
| Harry Kane |
Figures include all recognised matches up to match played 2 December 2025. Only confirmed captaincies of named captains are counted.
The default order for this list is by most appearances as captain, then chronological order of first captaincy.
| # | Player | England career | Caps as captain | Total caps | First captaincy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billy Wright | 1946–1959 | 90 | 105 | 9 October 1948 |
| 1 | Bobby Moore | 1962–1973 | 90 | 108 | 29 May 1963 |
| 3 | Harry Kane | 2015–present | 87 | 112 | 10 June 2017 |
| 4 | Steph Houghton | 2007–2022 | 72[57] | 121 | 17 January 2014 |
| 5 | Bryan Robson | 1980–1991 | 65 | 90 | 17 November 1982 |
| 6 | David Beckham | 1996–2009 | 59 | 115 | 15 November 2000 |
| 7 | Carol Thomas (née McCune) | 1976–1985 | 49–51[l] | 56[l] | 22 May 1976 |
| 8 | Faye White | 1997–2012 | 48[61] | 90 | 7 March 2002 |
| 9 | Leah Williamson | 2018–present | 43[62] | 64 | 17 September 2021 |
| 10 | Gillian Coultard | 1981–2000 | 38+[m] | 119 | 25 November 1990 |
| 10 | Steven Gerrard | 2000–2014 | 38 | 114 | 31 March 2004 |
| 12 | Alan Shearer | 1992–2000 | 34 | 63 | 1 September 1996 |
| 12 | John Terry | 2003–2012 | 34 | 78 | 16 August 2006 |
| 14 | Kevin Keegan | 1972–1982 | 31 | 63 | 24 March 1976 |
| 15 | Debbie Bampton | 1978–1997 | 26+[m] | 95 | 22 September 1985 |
| 16 | Wayne Rooney | 2003–2018 | 23 | 120 | 14 November 2009 |
| 16 | Emlyn Hughes | 1969–1980 | 23 | 62 | 11 March 1974 |
| 18 | Bob Crompton | 1902–1914 | 22 | 41 | 2 March 1903 |
| 18 | Johnny Haynes | 1954–1962 | 22 | 56 | 15 May 1960 |
| 20 | Eddie Hapgood | 1933–1939 | 20 | 30 | 14 November 1934 |
| 20 | Millie Bright | 2016–present | 20 | 88 | 13 April 2021 |
| 22 | David Platt | 1989–1996 | 19 | 62 | 17 February 1993 |
| 22 | Casey Stoney | 2000–2017 | 19 | 130 | 7 March 2009[n] |
| 24 | Gary Lineker | 1984–1992 | 18 | 80 | 12 September 1990 |
| 25 | Mary Phillip | 1995–2008 | 17+[m] | 65 | 17 May 2003 |
| 26 | Norman Bailey | 1878–1887 | 15 | 19 | 12 March 1881 |
| 26 | Jimmy Armfield | 1959–1966 | 15 | 43 | 28 September 1961 |
| 26 | Peter Shilton | 1970–1990 | 15 | 125 | 25 May 1982 |
| 26 | Tony Adams | 1987–2000 | 15 | 66 | 12 October 1994 |
| 30 | Viv Woodward | 1903–1911 | 14 | 23 | 15 February 1908 |
| 31 | G. O. Smith | 1893–1901 | 13–16[d][e] | 20 | 4 April 1896 |
| 31 | George Hardwick | 1946–1948 | 13 | 13 | 28 September 1946 |
| 33 | Roy Goodall | 1926–1933 | 12 | 25 | 31 March 1928 |
| 34 | Sheila Parker | 1972–1983 | 11 | 33[64] | 18 November 1972 |
| 34 | Fara Williams | 2001–2019 | 11 | 172 | 5 March 2009 |
| 36 | Ray Wilkins | 1976–1986 | 10 | 84 | 22 September 1982 |
| 36 | Stuart Pearce | 1987–1999 | 10 | 78 | 8 June 1991 |
| 38 | Jordan Henderson | 2010–present | 9 | 88 | 8 October 2016 |
| 39 | Jack Hill | 1925–1929 | 8 | 11 | 2 April 1927 |
| 39 | Gerry Francis | 1974–1976 | 8 | 12 | 3 September 1975 |
| 39 | Mick Mills | 1972–1982 | 8 | 42 | 13 May 1978 |
| 39 | Michael Owen | 1998–2008 | 8 | 89 | 17 April 2002 |
| 39 | Frank Lampard | 1999–2014 | 8 | 106 | 9 February 2011 |
| 44 | George Wilson | 1921–1924 | 7 | 12 | 22 October 1921 |
| 44 | Terry Butcher | 1980–1990 | 7 | 77 | 12 November 1986 |
| 44 | Paul Ince | 1992–2000 | 7 | 53 | 9 June 1993 |
| 44 | Rio Ferdinand | 1997–2011 | 7 | 81 | 26 March 2008 |
| 44 | Eric Dier | 2015–2022 | 7 | 49 | 10 November 2017 |
| 44 | Keira Walsh | 2017–present | 7 | 97 | 4 September 2018 |
| 50 | George Male | 1934–1939 | 6 | 19 | 18 November 1936 |
| 50 | Alan Ball | 1965–1975 | 6 | 72 | 12 March 1975 |
| 50 | Phil Thompson | 1976–1982 | 6 | 42 | 22 November 1979 |
| 53 | Percy Walters | 1885–1890 | 5 | 13 | 13 March 1886 |
| 53 | Willis Edwards | 1926–1929 | 5 | 16 | 22 October 1928 |
| 53 | Ronnie Clayton | 1955–1960 | 5 | 35 | 17 October 1959 |
| 53 | Mo Marley | 1995–2001 | 5 | 41 | 4 June 2000 |
| 53 | Gary Cahill | 2010–2018 | 5 | 61 | 9 October 2015 |
| 53 | Jill Scott | 2006–2022 | 5 | 161 | 27 October 2015 |
| 53 | Lucy Bronze | 2013–present | 5 | 144 | 1 March 2018 |
| 53 | Harry Maguire | 2017–present | 5 | 64 | 7 September 2019 |
| 61 | Tinsley Lindley | 1886–1891 | 4 | 13 | 4 February 1888 |
| 61 | Stanley Harris | 1904–1906 | 4 | 6 | 25 February 1905 |
| 61 | Sam Wadsworth | 1922–1926 | 4 | 9 | 22 October 1924 |
| 61 | David Jack | 1924–1932 | 4 | 9 | 5 April 1930 |
| 61 | Ernie Blenkinsop | 1928–1933 | 4 | 26 | 9 December 1931 |
| 61 | Thomas Cooper | 1927–1934 | 4 | 15 | 14 April 1934 |
| 61 | Martin Peters | 1966–1974 | 4 | 67 | 19 May 1971 |
| 61 | Tara Proctor | 1995–2002 | 4 | 20 | 30 June 2001 |
| 61 | Kelly Smith | 1995–2014 | 4 | 117 | 28 September 2008 |
| 70 | Robert Holmes | 1888–1895 | 3 | 7 | 13 March 1893 |
| 70 | Howard Spencer | 1897–1905 | 3 | 6 | 14 February 1903 |
| 70 | Arthur Grimsdell | 1920–1923 | 3 | 6 | 9 April 1921 |
| 70 | Alfred Bower[o] | 1923–1927 | 3 | 5 | 8 December 1924 |
| 70 | Billy Walker | 1920–1932 | 3 | 18 | 21 May 1925 |
| 70 | Alfred Strange | 1930–1933 | 3 | 20 | 14 May 1931 |
| 70 | Sam Barkas | 1936–1937 | 3 | 18 | 23 October 1937 |
| 70 | Alf Ramsey | 1948–1953 | 3 | 32 | 15 November 1950 |
| 70 | Ron Flowers | 1955–1966 | 3 | 49 | 27 May 1964 |
| 70 | Bobby Charlton | 1958–1970 | 3 | 106 | 15 January 1969 |
| 70 | David V. Watson | 1974–1982 | 3 | 65 | 24 April 1981 |
| 70 | Sol Campbell | 1996–2007 | 3 | 73 | 24 May 1998 |
| 70 | Karen Walker | 1988–2003 | 3 | 83 | 24 February 2002 |
| 70 | Ellen White | 2010–2022 | 3 | 113 | 1 July 2017 |
| 70 | Mary Earps | 2017–2025 | 3 | 53 | 1 July 2023 |
| 70 | Kyle Walker | 2011–present | 3 | 96 | 20 November 2023 |
| 86 | Cuthbert Ottaway | 1872–1874 | 2 | 2 | 30 November 1872 |
| 86 | Charles Bambridge | 1879–1887 | 2 | 18 | 18 February 1882 |
| 86 | John Goodall | 1888–1898 | 2 | 14 | 7 February 1891 |
| 86 | Arthur Dunn | 1883–1892 | 2 | 4 | 15 March 1892 |
| 86 | George Cotterill | 1891–1893 | 2 | 4 | 25 February 1893 |
| 86 | Charles Wreford-Brown | 1889–1898 | 2 or 3[c] | 4 | 18 March 1895 |
| 86 | Jesse Pennington | 1907–1920 | 2 | 25 | 15 March 1920 |
| 86 | Charlie Buchan | 1913–1924 | 2 | 6 | 14 March 1921 |
| 86 | Basil Patchitt | 1923 | 2 | 2 | 21 May 1923 |
| 86 | Frank Swift | 1946–1949 | 2 | 19 | 16 May 1948 |
| 86 | Mick Channon | 1972–1977 | 2 | 46 | 28 May 1976 |
| 86 | Rachel Yankey | 1997–2013 | 2 | 129 | 29 July 2010[37] |
| 86 | Laura Bassett | 2003–2017 | 2 | 63 | 7 March 2014 |
| 86 | Jordan Nobbs | 2013–present | 2 | 71 | 11 March 2015 |
| 86 | Joe Hart | 2008–2017 | 2 | 75 | 13 November 2015 |
| 86 | Raheem Sterling | 2012–2022 | 2 | 82 | 7 June 2019 |
| 86 | Kieran Trippier | 2017–present | 2 | 54 | 8 October 2020 |
| 86 | Alex Greenwood | 2014–present | 2 | 107 | 19 February 2023 |
| 86 | Declan Rice | 2019–present | 2 | 72 | 26 March 2024[p] |
| 105 | Alexander Morten | 1873 | 1 | 1 | 8 March 1873 |
| 105 | Charles W. Alcock | 1875 | 1 | 1 | 6 March 1875[q] |
| 105 | Hubert Heron | 1873–1878 | 1 | 5 | 4 March 1876 |
| 105 | William Rawson | 1875–1877 | 1 | 2 | 3 March 1877 |
| 105 | Arthur Cursham | 1880–1884 | 1 or 2[r] | 6 | 2 March 1878 |
| 105 | Henry Wace | 1878–1879 | 1 or 2[r] | 3 | 5 April 1879 |
| 105 | Charles Wollaston | 1874–1880 | 1 | 4 | 13 March 1880 |
| 105 | Francis Sparks | 1879–1880 | 1 | 3 | 15 March 1880 |
| 105 | Jack Hunter | 1878–1882 | 1 | 7 | 26 February 1881 |
| 105 | John Hudson | 1883 | 1 | 1 | 24 February 1883 |
| 105 | John Brodie | 1889–1891 | 1 | 3 | 2 March 1889 |
| 105 | Arthur Walters | 1885–1890 | 1 | 9 | 5 April 1890 |
| 105 | Billy Moon | 1888–1885 | 1 | 7 | 6 April 1891 |
| 105 | R. Cunliffe Gosling | 1892–1895 | 1 or 2[c] | 5 | 6 April 1895 |
| 105 | William Oakley | 1895–1901 | 1 | 16 | 9 March 1901 |
| 105 | Ernest Needham | 1894–1902 | 1 | 16 | 18 March 1901 |
| 105 | Reginald Foster | 1900–1902 | 1 | 5 | 3 March 1902 |
| 105 | Frank Forman | 1898–1903 | 1 | 9 | 22 March 1902 |
| 105 | Stephen Bloomer | 1895–1907 | 1 or 2[f] | 23 | 3 May 1902[f] |
| 105 | Arthur Knight | 1919 | 1 | 1 | 25 October 1919 |
| 105 | Joseph McCall | 1913–1920 | 1 | 5 | 23 October 1920 |
| 105 | Ephraim Longworth | 1920–1923 | 1 | 5 | 21 May 1921 |
| 105 | Max Woosnam | 1922 | 1 | 1 | 13 March 1922 |
| 105 | Graham Doggart | 1923 | 1 | 1 | 1 November 1923 |
| 105 | Frank Moss | 1924 | 1 | 5 | 12 April 1924 |
| 105 | Claude Ashton[s] | 1925 | 1 | 1 | 24 October 1925 |
| 105 | Tommy Lucas | 1921–1926 | 1 | 3 | 24 May 1926 |
| 105 | Fred Kean | 1923–1929 | 1 | 9 | 21 May 1927 |
| 105 | Jack Barker | 1934–1936 | 1 | 11 | 17 October 1936 |
| 105 | Stan Cullis | 1937–1939 | 1 | 12 | 24 May 1939 |
| 105 | Alan Mullery | 1964–1971 | 1 | 35 | 3 February 1971 |
| 105 | Colin Bell | 1968–1975 | 1 | 48 | 23 May 1972 |
| 105 | Trevor Cherry | 1976–1980 | 1 | 27 | 31 May 1980 |
| 105 | Ray Clemence | 1972–1983 | 1 | 61 | 12 May 1981 |
| 105 | Phil Neal | 1976–1983 | 1 | 50 | 2 June 1982 |
| 105 | Peter Beardsley | 1986–1996 | 1 | 59 | 13 February 1988 |
| 105 | Mark Wright | 1984–1996 | 1 | 45 | 21 May 1991 |
| 105 | David Seaman | 1988–2003 | 1 | 75 | 10 September 1997 |
| 105 | Martin Keown | 1992–2002 | 1 | 43 | 11 September 2000 |
| 105 | Gareth Barry | 2000–2012 | 1 | 53 | 29 March 2011 |
| 105 | Scott Parker | 2003–2013 | 1 | 11 | 29 February 2012 |
| 105 | Ashley Cole | 2001–2014 | 1 | 107 | 29 May 2013[t] |
| 105 | Alex Scott | 2004–2017 | 1 | 140 | 31 October 2013 |
| 105 | Karen Bardsley | 2005–2022 | 1 | 81 | 9 March 2015 |
| 105 | Phil Jagielka | 2008–2016 | 1 | 40 | 12 October 2015 |
| 105 | James Milner | 2009–2016 | 1 | 61 | 29 March 2016 |
| 105 | Chris Smalling | 2011–2017 | 1 | 31 | 27 May 2016 |
| 105 | Toni Duggan | 2012–present | 1 | 76 | 8 November 2018[u] |
| 105 | Fabian Delph | 2014–2019 | 1 | 20 | 15 November 2018 |
| 105 | Marcus Rashford | 2016–present | 1 | 68 | 6 June 2021 |
| 105 | John Stones | 2014–present | 1 | 87 | 10 October 2024 |
Players who started as captain at under 25 years of age.[69]
| # | Player | Date of birth | First captaincy | Age | #W | #M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 20 | ||||||
| 1 | Carol Thomas (née McCune)[v] | (1955-06-05)5 June 1955 | 22 May 1976 | 20 years, 352 days | 1 | – |
| Age 21 | ||||||
| 2 | Keira Walsh | (1997-04-08)8 April 1997 | 4 September 2018 | 21 years, 149 days | 2 | – |
| Age 22 | ||||||
| 3 | Bobby Moore | (1941-04-12)12 April 1941 | 29 May 1963 | 22 years, 47 days | – | 1 |
| 4 | Jordan Nobbs | (1992-12-08)8 December 1992 | 11 March 2015 | 22 years, 93 days | 3 | – |
| 5 | Tinsley Lindley | (1865-10-27)27 October 1865 | 4 February 1888 | 22 years, 100 days | – | 2 |
| 6 | Michael Owen | (1979-12-14)14 December 1979 | 17 April 2002 | 22 years, 124 days | – | 3 |
| 7 | Cuthbert Ottaway | (1850-07-20)20 July 1850 | 30 November 1872 | 22 years, 133 days | – | 4 |
| 8 | Jack Hudson | (1860-10-11)11 October 1860 | 24 February 1883 | 22 years, 136 days | – | 5 |
| 9 | William Rawson | (1854-10-14)14 October 1854 | 3 March 1877 | 22 years, 140 days | – | 6 |
| 10 | Percy Walters | (1863-09-30)30 September 1863 | 13 March 1886 | 22 years, 164 days | – | 7 |
| 11 | Stan Cullis | (1916-10-25)25 October 1916 | 24 May 1939 | 22 years, 211 days | – | 8 |
| 12 | Basil Patchitt | (1900-08-08)8 August 1900 | 21 May 1923 | 22 years, 286 days | – | 9 |
| 13 | Billy Moon | (1868-06-07)7 June 1868 | 4 April 1891 | 22 years, 301 days | – | 10 |
| Age 23 | ||||||
| 14 | G. O. Smith | (1872-11-25)25 November 1872 | 4 April 1896 | 23 years, 131 days | – | 11 |
| 15 | Bob Crompton | (1879-09-26)26 September 1879 | 2 March 1903 | 23 years, 157 days | – | 12 |
| 16 | Charles Bambridge | (1858-07-30)30 July 1858 | 18 February 1882 | 23 years, 203 days | – | 13 |
| 17 | Marcus Rashford | (1997-10-31)31 October 1997 | 6 June 2021 | 23 years, 218 days | – | 14 |
| 18 | Stan Harris | (1881-07-19)19 July 1881 | 25 February 1905 | 23 years, 221 days | – | 15 |
| 19 | Norman Bailey | (1857-07-23)23 July 1857 | 12 March 1881 | 23 years, 232 days | – | 16 |
| 20 | Sol Campbell | (1974-09-18)18 September 1974 | 29 May 1998 | 23 years, 253 days | – | 17 |
| 21 | Gerry Francis | (1951-12-06)6 December 1951 | 3 September 1975 | 23 years, 271 days | – | 18 |
| 22 | Eric Dier | (1994-01-15)15 January 1994 | 10 November 2017 | 23 years, 299 days | – | 19 |
| 23 | Steven Gerrard | (1980-05-30)30 May 1980 | 31 March 2004 | 23 years, 306 days | – | 20 |
| 24 | Harry Kane | (1993-07-28)28 July 1993 | 10 June 2017 | 23 years, 317 days | – | 21 |
| 25 | R. E. Foster | (1878-04-16)16 April 1878 | 3 March 1902 | 23 years, 321 days | – | 22 |
| 26 | Debbie Bampton[v] | (1961-10-07)7 October 1961 | 22 September 1985 | 23 years, 350 days | 4 | – |
| Age 24 | ||||||
| 27 | Wayne Rooney | (1985-10-24)24 October 1985 | 14 November 2009 | 24 years, 21 days | – | 23 |
| 28 | Faye White | (1978-02-02)2 February 1978 | 7 March 2002 | 24 years, 33 days | 5 | – |
| 29 | Hubert Heron | (1852-01-30)30 January 1852 | 4 March 1876 | 24 years, 34 days | – | 24 |
| 30 | Leah Williamson | (1997-03-29)29 March 1997 | 17 September 2021 | 24 years, 172 days | 6 | – |
| 31 | Raheem Sterling | (1994-12-08)8 December 1994 | 6 June 2019 | 24 years, 180 days | – | 25 |
| 32 | Billy Wright | (1924-02-06)6 February 1924 | 9 October 1948 | 24 years, 246 days | – | 26 |
| 33 | Claude Ashton | (1901-02-19)19 February 1901 | 24 October 1925 | 24 years, 247 days | – | 27 |
| 34 | Francis Sparks | (1855-07-04)4 July 1855 | 15 March 1880 | 24 years, 255 days | – | 28 |
| 35 | George Cotterill | (1868-04-04)4 April 1868 | 25 February 1893 | 24 years, 327 days | – | 29 |
| 36 | Sheila Parker[v][w] | 1947 | 18 November 1972 | ~24 years and 11 months[x] | 7 | – |
| 37 | Arthur Cursham | (1853-03-14)14 March 1853 | 2 March 1878 | 24 years, 353 days | – | 30 |
Players who started as captain at over 35 years of age.[71]
| # | Player | Date of birth | Last captaincy | Age | #W | #M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 41+ | ||||||
| 1 | Alexander Morten | 1831 or 1832[72] | 8 March 1873 | 41 or 42[72] | – | 1 |
| Age 40 | ||||||
| 2 | Peter Shilton | (1949-09-18)18 September 1949 | 7 July 1990 | 40 years, 292 days | – | 2 |
| Age 36 | ||||||
| 3 | Gillian Coultard | (1963-07-22)22 July 1963 | 13 May 2000 | 36 years, 296 days | 1 | – |
| 4 | Jesse Pennington | (1883-08-23)23 August 1883 | 10 April 1920 | 36 years, 231 days | – | 3 |
| 5 | Frank Lampard | (1978-06-20)20 June 1978 | 24 June 2014 | 36 years, 4 days | – | 4 |
| Age 35 | ||||||
| 6 | Debbie Bampton | (1961-10-07)7 October 1961 | 11 May 1997 | 35 years, 216 days | 2 | – |
| 7 | Billy Wright | (1924-02-06)6 February 1924 | 28 May 1959 | 35 years, 111 days | – | 5 |
| 8 | Billy Walker | (1897-10-29)29 October 1897 | 7 December 1932 | 35 years, 39 days | – | 6 |
| 9 | Stuart Pearce | (1962-04-24)24 April 1962 | 24 May 1997 | 35 years, 30 days | – | 7 |
These players may have officially captained England, but sources are either uncertain or differ.
| Player | England career | Caps as captain | Total caps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Daft | 1889–1892 | 1 or 0[73] | 5 |
| Vaughan Lodge | 1894–1896 | 0 or 1[d] | 5 |
| George Raikes | 1895–1896 | 0 or 1[d] | 4 |
The following players have never been named, i.e. started a match as, captain, but were given the armband partway through a match after that game's captain was eithersent off orsubstituted. As records for such mid-game changes are not often kept, this list may be incomplete:
| Player | England career | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Gareth Southgate | 1995–2004 | 25 May 2001[74] |
| Robbie Fowler | 1996–2002 | 27 March 2002[75] |
| Danny Mills | 2001–2004 | 12 February 2003[76] |
| Emile Heskey | 1999–2010 | 3 June 2003[8] |
| Phil Neville | 1996–2007 | 3 June 2003[8] |
| Jamie Carragher | 1999–2010 | 3 June 2003[8] |
| David James | 1997–2010 | 28 May 2005[77] |
| Gary Neville | 1995–2007 | 1 July 2006[78] |
| Joleon Lescott | 2007–2013 | 26 May 2012[79] |
| Michael Carrick | 2001–2015 | 15 August 2012[80] |
| Georgia Stanway | 2018–present | 15 November 2022[81] |
| Rachel Daly | 2016–present | 19 February 2023[82] |
| Katie Zelem | 2021–present | 19 February 2023[83] |
| Alessia Russo | 2020–present | 29 November 2025 |
For a period after the introduction of professionalism, the England team split into two teams that represented the nation internationally, one only including amateur players. This or other amateur English teams also represented Great Britain at the Olympics, when known as "England" in certain early competitions.[y]
| Tenure | Incumbent | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Henry Haslam | Upton Park[84] | |
| 1908 |  | Vivian Woodward | England amateurs[85] |
Before the men's and women's teams each became officially associated, different teams represented them in international tournaments.
| Tenure | Incumbent | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870–1871 |  | Charles W. Alcock | England (representative) |
| Tenure | Incumbent | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 |  | Alice Kell | Dick, Kerr Ladies[2][87][88] |
| 1925 |  | Florrie Redford | |
| 1933 | Ethel Audaer | Terry's Ladies[89][90] | |
| 1953 | Stella Briggs | Dick, Kerr Ladies[91] | |
| 1957–1966 | Doris Ashley | Manchester Corinthians/Nomad/All Stars Ladies[24][92][93][94][95][96] | |
| 1960 | Margaret Griffiths | ||
| 1969–1970 | Sue Lopez | British Independents[53][z] | |
| 1971 | Carol Wilson | ||
| Player | Tournament(s)[g] |
|---|---|
| Doris Ashley | |
| Margaret Griffiths | |
| Sue Lopez | |
| Carol Wilson |
The following players have never captained England officially, but have started a match as named captain of a team representing England, with the match and/or team not officially recognised:
Only known, confirmed, non-official caps as captain are included.
| Player | England career | Caps as captain | First captaincy | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice Kell | 1920 | 8+ | ~April 1920 | [aa] |
| Doris Ashley | 1957–1966 | 5+ | 2 November 1957 | [94][100] |
| Carol Wilson | 1971 | 4 | 2 June 1971 | [53] |
| Sue Lopez | 1969–1970 | 2+ | 1 November 1969 | [53] |
| Florrie Redford | 1925 | 1+ | ~June 1925 | [88] |
| Margaret Griffiths | 1960 | 1+ | April 1960 | [92] |
| Stella Briggs | 1952–1953 | 1+ | 23 July 1953 | [91] |
| Stanley Briggs | 1899 | 1 | 23 November 1899 | [101] |
| Ethel Audaer | 1933 | 1 | 9 August 1933 | [89] |
Unofficial young captaincies
| Player | Date of birth | First unofficial captaincy | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 18 | |||
| Carol Wilson[v] | June 1952 | 2 June 1971[ab] | ~18 years and 11 months |
| Age 20 | |||
| Casey Stoney | (1982-05-13)13 May 1982 | 25 February 2003[n] | 20 years, 288 days |
| Age 21 | |||
| Alice Kell | (1898-06-24)24 June 1898 | ~April 1920[aa] | ~21 years and 9 months |
| Age 23 | |||
| Georgia Stanway | (1999-01-03)3 January 1999 | 15 November 2022 | 23 years, 316 days |
| Age 24 | |||
| Sue Lopez[v] | (1945-09-01)1 September 1945 | 1 November 1969[ab] | 24 years, 61 days |
Unofficial old captaincies
| Player | Date of birth | Last unofficial captaincy | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doris Ashley | ~1923[100][103] | 17 July 1966[93] | ~42 |
When [Keira] Walsh went off, Alex Greenwood took the captaincy, I think that's four England captains we've had tonight; has there ever been any more than that? Four in one evening: one for the women's football historians out there.
The captain's armband has gone from Keira Walsh, to Lucy Bronze, to Alessia Russo, and now to Georgia Stanway.
And in 1920 the then captain of the Dick, Kerr Ladies team, Alice Kell, wrote a passionate article in support of women's football in the run up to a small number of games the team were to play against the French women's football team. [Quoting World's Pictorial News of the day article "Death-Knell of Cheap Vanity, Says England Captain"]
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