The best English players of the 1980s
Chris Waddle starred for a string of top clubs and the England national team during the 80s
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The 1980s were a decade of great success for English clubs on the continent, as Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Aston Villa all lifted the European Cup. Meanwhile, the national team reached the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup, having come close to the semis four years earlier.
Steve Hodge at the 1986 World Cup
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32. Steve Hodge
Bookending the 80s with spells at hometown club Nottingham Forest and turning out for Aston Villa and Tottenham in between, Steve Hodge was a reliable midfielder who featured prominently in Englandâs run to the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals.
Craig Johnston in action for Liverpool in 1981
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31. Craig Johnston
Liverpool favourite Craig âSkippyâ Johnston was born in South Africa to Australian parents, but he spent almost his entire career in England and once remarked that playing football for Australia would be âlike surfing forâ his adopted home.
Sammy Lee in action for England in 1982
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30. Sammy Lee
A midfield teammate of Craig Johnstonâs at Anfield, Sammy Lee rose through the Liverpool youth ranks to make almost 300 appearances for his local club and win two European Cups.
Chris Woods in action for Norwich during the 1985 League Cup final
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29. Chris Woods
Goalkeeper Chris Woods had to play second fiddle to Peter Shilton for a good while but ultimately featured 43 times for his country.
Alvin Martin in action for West Ham in 1983
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28. Alvin Martin
The Liverpudlian who became a bona fide legend at West Ham, Alvin Martin spent almost two decades at Upton Park â taking in the entirety of the 80s, a decade which began with FA Cup success.
Phil Thompson with England in 1980
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27. Phil Thompson
Phil Thompsonâs hugely successful Liverpool career drew to a close in 1984, but the 42-cap England centre-back remained an important player for the Reds and his nation at the start of the decade.
Phil Neal in action for England in 1980
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26. Phil Neal
The only English player to get their hands on the European Cup / Champions League four times, Phil Neal was crucial to Liverpoolâs 1980/81 and 1983/84 continental successes â scoring in the 1984 final against Roma, such was his habit of nabbing important goals.
Tony Adams in action for Arsenal in 1987
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25. Tony Adams
In November 1983, 17-year-old Tony Adams made his Arsenal debut; barely four years later, he was named club captain.
Clive Allen in action for Tottenham during the 1987 FA Cup final
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24. Clive Allen
Tottenham legend Clive Allen did the 1986/87 double of PFA Playersâ Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year, amassing a veritably prolific 49 goals in 54 outings that season.
Kerry Dixon at Chelsea in 1987
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23. Kerry Dixon
Joint top scorer with 24 goals in the 1984/85 First Division as Chelsea returned to the top flight with a bang, Kerry Dixon was up there with the most prolific English strikers of his generation.
Steve McMahon in action for England in 1988
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22. Steve McMahon
A popular figure at Anfield, Steve McMahon joined Liverpool from Aston Villa in 1985 â having begun the 80s, and his career, across Stanley Park at Everton.
Trevor Steven in action for Everton in 1984
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21. Trevor Steven
An England regular during the latter half of the 80s, wide midfielder Trevor Steven was integral to Evertonâs huge success under the great Howard Kendall â winning two First Division titles, the FA Cup and Cup Winnersâ Cup with the Toffees.
Mick Mills in action at the 1982 World Cup
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20. Mick Mills
England skipper at the 1982 World Cup in the absence of the injured Kevin Keegan, iconic Ipswich full-back Mick Mills began the decade by captaining the Tractor Boys to their historic UEFA Cup triumph.
Gary Stevens, 1986
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19. Gary Stevens
Quite humorously one of two defenders named Gary Stevens in Englandâs 1986 World Cup squad, Michael Gary Stevens broke into the Everton first-team in the early 80s and went on to star in all of the Toffees major triumphs during the decade.
Mark Hateley at Milan in 1984
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18. Mark Hateley
Having caught the eye at Portsmouth, Mark Hateley spent his peak years abroad, scoring 21 goals across an injury-hit three-season stay at Milan â before firing Monaco to the 1987/88 Ligue title.
Tony Woodcock at Arsenal in 1984
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17. Tony Woodcock
After helping hometown side Nottingham Forest to European Cup glory at the end of the 70s, striker Tony Woodcock spent most of the 80s in the Bundesliga â where he scored 39 goals across two spells with 1. FC Koln, before retiring at Fortuna Koln.
Steve Coppell in action for Manchester United in 1980
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16. Steve Coppell
A superbly well-rounded winger who became an England regular in the late 70s, Manchester United great Steve Coppell had his career cruelly cut short aged just 28 by a horrific injury which obliterated his knee.
Kenny Sansom at Arsenal in 1986
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15. Kenny Sansom
Consistency personified at left-back, Kenny Sansom made every PFA Team of the Year from 1980 to 1987 â the first while playing for Crystal Palace; the remaining seven at Arsenal, where he gained legendary status.
Viv Anderson in action for Nottingham Forest in 1980
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14. Viv Anderson
One of the greatest players in Nottingham Forestâs history, iconic right-back Viv Anderson began the decade in style by playing a key role in Brian Cloughâs sideâs retention of the European Cup (having starred in their first triumph in the competition).
Peter Reid in action for Everton in 1986
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13. Peter Reid
Voted PFA Playersâ Player of the Year as Everton were crowned champions of England in 1985, Peter Reid is nothing short of a legend at Goodison Park â where he also enjoyed FA Cup and Cup Winnersâ Cup success.
Peter Beardsley, 1986
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12. Peter Beardsley
Among the most entertaining English footballers of his era, Peter Beardsley made his mark for boyhood club Newcastle and Liverpool during the latter part of the 80s â having begun the decade with stints at Carlisle United and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Ray Clemence in action for Tottenham in 1981
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11. Ray Clemence
Up there with the finest goalkeepers ever to pull on the gloves, Ray Clemence earned the last of his 61 England caps in 1983 â having served as the Three Lionsâ number one at Euro 1980.
A bloodied Terry Butcher celebrates after England’s 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw with Sweden, 1989
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10. Terry Butcher
The subject of one of the most famous football photos of all time, Terry Butcher invariably showed complete and utter commitment to the England cause (whether it left him drenched in blood or not).
Ray Wilkins, 1986
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9. Ray Wilkins
A cultured deep-lying midfielder who kept things ticking with class and poise, Ray Wilkins was a key man for England at several major tournaments during the 80s.
Trevor Francis in action for Sampdoria against Diego Maradona’s Napoli circa 1984
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8. Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis made history in 1979 when he became Britianâs first ÂŁ1m footballer by switching from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest â and he remained a fine player indeed well into the 80s.
Kevin Keegan at Euro 1980
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7. Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keeganâs main decade was the 70s, but the permed England icon was still up there with the very best players in the world at the turn of the decade, earning the last of his 63 Three Lions caps in 1982.
Peter Shilton at the 1986 World Cup
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6. Peter Shilton
Retiring from international football with an England record 125 caps to his name, Peter Shilton was hic countryâs undisputed first choice in goal for most of the 80s, fulfilling the role at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups.
John Barnes in action for England in 1988
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5. John Barnes
Still playing non-League football for Sudbury Court at the start of the 80s, John Barnesâ rose â via a quality-confirming spell at Watford â to superstardom for Liverpool and England by the end of the decade, bamboozling opposing full-backs and delighting fans with his electric wing play.
Bryan Robson in action for Manchester United in 1985
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4. Bryan Robson
Dubbed âCaptain Marvelâ by Manchester United fans, Bryan Robson wore the armband for club and country with distinction.
Chris Waddle in action for Marseille in 1989
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3. Chris Waddle
By the late 80s, Chris Waddle stood out as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe, becoming one of the most expensive players in history when he joined Marseille from Tottenham for ÂŁ4.5m in 1989.
Gary Lineker celebrates after scoring against Paraguay at the 1986 World Cup
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2. Gary Lineker
In 1986, Gary Lineker became Englandâs first World Cup Golden Boot winner and finished second in the voting for the Ballon dâOr â a sign of the elite goalscoring prowess which made him one of the Three Lionsâ all-time leading marksmen.
Glenn Hoddle in action for England against Scotland in 1987
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1. Glenn Hoddle
A quite mesmerising midfielder who could just about do it all, Glenn Hoddle was one of the most eminently watchable footballers of the 80s, boasting technical ability and tactical astuteness in abundance.
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open…
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