Fans left furious after newspaper ranks the 10 greatest English players of all time

A German newspaper has ranked the 10 greatest English players of all time - and it has naturally caused plenty of debate.

There have been a huge number of English football icons over the years, with all of them staking their claim to be among the best of all time for different reasons.

Key members of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad, such as Sir Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore and Jimmy Greaves - as well as hat-trick hero Sir Geoff Hurst - all have plenty of leverage when it comes to that debate.

And more modern-day greats such as Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker are certainly in the discussion.

Going further back, Sir Tom Finney was a star of the early post-war England teams, while Sir Stanley Matthews' iconic international career began in 1932 and ended some 25 years later.

And in future years, Jude Bellingham will no doubt be at the forefront of the discussion if he continues and maintains his incredible rise to the top of world football.

German outlet Bild have attempted the thankless task of naming the 10 greatest English players in football history and, via journalist Jan Aage Fjortoft, here's what they came up with:

• 1. Sir Bobby Charlton
• 2. Bobby Moore
• 3. Gordon Banks
• 4. David Beckham
• 5. Sir Stanley Matthews
• 6. Alan Shearer
• 7. Gary Lineker
• 8. Jimmy Greaves
• 9. Paul Gascoigne
• 10. Sir Geoff Hurst

German @SPORTBILD with with the 10 best English players EVER

1. Sir Bobby Charlton
2. Bobby Moore
3. Gordon Banks
4. Beckham
5. Sir Stanley Matthews
6. @alanshearer
7. @GaryLineker
8. Jimmy Greaves
9. Gascoigne
10. Sir Geoff Hurst

Can you live with the list Alan and Gary? pic.twitter.com/U6sbhvc4Xf

— Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🏳️‍🌈 🇳🇴 💛💙 (@JanAageFjortoft) October 26, 2023

With any list such as this, you can predict how fans reacted on X (Twitter).

One wrote: "Rooney robbed as usual."

A second opined: "Scandalous they've left out Kevin Keegan."

A third agreed: "Missing Keegan and Bryan Robson who both carried the team on their own for years. Beckham and Shearer overrated for me."

Another added: "Sir Tom Finney should be on that list."

And a fifth claimed: "The disrespect on Ashley Cole and Harry Kane!"

Another said: "At no stage was Beckham even the best player in any England team in which he played. As for who should take his place, I respectfully vote for Sir Tom Finney."

Who would make your top 10 list of all time England greats? Let us know in the comments.

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