Best English players of the 00s

David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney celebrate an England goal against Northern Ireland in March 2005.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

England were blessed with a talented group of players in the early 2000s – even if that was not really reflected in the Three Lions’ results in major tournaments.

The so-called Golden Generation did not make it beyond the quarter-finals at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, nor at Euro 2004.

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Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world – including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America – and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.