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List of England national football team captains
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155 people have officially served as captains of the England national football teams. The current captains are Harry Kane (men's) and Leah Williamson (women's).
The first England captain was Cuthbert Ottaway; he captained England in the first ever international match, against Scotland 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, 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 and France in 1920, with the Dick, Kerr Ladies "England" side captained by Alice Kell. The England women's team was authorised in 1972 by the Women's Football Association (WFA), originally unaffiliated with the Football Association (FA), and had Sheila Parker as its first captain. The official England women's first international match was played against Scotland 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, 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 and Casey Stoney unofficially served as captains when younger than Thomas and Walsh.
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 the World 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 the Euro, which she has done twice, and the only England captain to win a major trophy outside of England.
Several women's matches have seen two players start as co-captains. On 30 November 2021, Millie Bright started as captain, with Ellen White, Keira Walsh, and Alex Greenwood also wearing the armband. On 29 November 2025, Keira Walsh started as captain, and Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway also wore the armband.
Men's team
Captain chronology
- Bold indicates current captain
- Italics indicates still-active players
- Source unless specified:
| Tenure | Incumbent | Reserve captains | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1872–1874 | [[File:Cuthbert Ottaway.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1873 | |||
| 1875 | [[File:Ranji 1897 page 364-2 Charles W. Alcock.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1876 | |||
| 1877 | |||
| 1878–1879 | |||
| 1879 | |||
| 1880 | |||
| 1880 | |||
| 1881 | |||
| 1881–1887 | , , | ||
| 1888 | [[File:Tinsley Lindley.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1889–1890 | [[File:Percy Melmoth Walters.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1890 | [[File:Arthur Melmoth Walters.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1891 | |||
| 1891 | [[File:Preston north end art (Goodall).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1891 | [[File:Billy Moon c1896.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1892 | |||
| 1893 | |||
| 1894 | [[File:Preston north end art (Holmes).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1894 | |||
| 1895 | |||
| 1895 | [[File:Wreford-Brown.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1895 | [[File:CunliffeGosling2.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1896–1901 | [[File:GOSmith.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1902 | [[File:RE Foster Cigarette Card.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1902 | [[File:Frank Forman.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1902 | [[File:StiveBloomer.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1903 | [[File:Howard Spencer - Aston Villa.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1903–1904 | [[File:Bob Crompton.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1905 | |||
| 1905 | [[File:Howard Spencer - Aston Villa.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1906 | |||
| 1907 | |||
| 1908–1910 | [[File:Vivian Woodward.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1910–1914 | |||
| 1914–1918: World War I | |||
| 1919 | |||
| 1920 | [[File:Jesse Pennington 1912.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1920 | |||
| 1921 | [[File:CharlesBuchan.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1921 | [[File:ArthurGrimsdell.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1921 | |||
| 1921–1922 | |||
| 1922–1923 | |||
| 1923–1924 | , , , | ||
| 1924 | |||
| 1924–1925 | |||
| 1925–1926 | , , | ||
| 1927 | |||
| 1927 | |||
| 1928 | |||
| 1928–1929 | |||
| 1929 | |||
| 1929 | |||
| 1930 | [[File:David Jack (1).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1930–1931 | |||
| 1931–1933 | , | ||
| 1933 | |||
| 1934 | [[File:Tom Cooper footballer.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1934–1939 | [[File:Eddie Hapgood crop (Tolnai Világlapja, 1939).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1939–1945: World War II | |||
| 1946–1948 | [[File:George Hardwick (1956).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1948–1959 | [[File:Billy Wright (1961).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1959–1960 | [[File:Ronnie Clayton.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1960–1962 | [[File:Johnny Haynes crop.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1962–1964 | [[File:Jimmy Armfield, CBE, opening the Heys Sports Complex, Oswaldtwistle, Sept 2012.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1964–1973 | [[File:Bobby Moore vs Josef Masopust 1963.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1974 | [[File:Emlyn Hughes (cropped).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1975 | [[File:Alan Ball (cropped).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1975–1976 | , | ||
| 1976–1982 | [[File:Kevin Keegan 2.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1982–1991 | [[File:Bryan Robson Thailand 2009-11-01 (2).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1990–1992 | [[File:Gary Lineker (cropped).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1992–1993 | [[File:Stuart Pearce (31651906441).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1993–1995 | [[File:DavidPlatt.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1995–1996 | [[File:Adams, Tony.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1996–2000 | [[File:Alan Shearer 2008.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 2000 | , | ||
| 2000–2006 | [[File:David Beckham.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 2006–2010 | [[File:JohnTerry.JPG | 100px]] | |
| 2010–2011 | [[File:Rio Ferdinand-en.JPG | 100px]] | |
| 2011–2012 | , , | ||
| 2012–2014 | [[File:SGerrard.JPG | 100px]] | |
| 2014–2017 | [[File:Wayne Rooney Euro 2012 vs Italy.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 2017–2018 | [[File:Jordan Henderson 2018-06-28 1.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 2018–present | [[File:Harry Kane 2023.jpg | 100px]] | ****** |
Captains by tournament
- Bold indicates tournament winners
- Italics indicates tournament hosts
- Source:
| Player | Tournament(s) |
|---|
Women's team
Captain chronology
- Bold indicates current captain
- Italics indicates still-active players
- indicates player was captain for matches under the Women's Football Association
| Tenure | Incumbent | Reserve captains | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–1976 | |||
| 1976– | [[File:Carol Thomas (cropped).jpg | 100px]] | (née McCune) |
| 1983: WFA becomes a "County Association" of The Football Association | |||
| –1985 | (née McCune) | ||
| 1985– | [[File:Debbie Bampton.JPG | 100px]] | |
| 1990– | |||
| 1993: The team becomes incorporated into The Football Association | |||
| –1997 | |||
| –2000 | |||
| 2000–2001 | |||
| 2001–2002 | [[File:Tara Proctor.JPG | 100px]] | |
| 2002–2003 | [[File:Kaz Walker.JPG | 100px]] | |
| 2002–2012 | [[File:Faye White.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 2012–2014 | [[File:Arsenal LFC v Kelly Smith All-Stars XI (046) (cropped).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 2014–2022 | [[File:Arsenal LFC v Kelly Smith All-Stars XI (189) (cropped).jpg | 100px]] | |
| 2022–present | [[File:Leah Williamson (cropped).jpg | 100px]] | ****** |
Captains by tournament
- Bold indicates tournament winners
- Italics indicates tournament hosts
| Player | Tournament(s) |
|---|---|
| (née McCune) |
Captains by appearances as captain
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.
- Bold indicates permanent captain of England
- Italics indicates still-active players
- Sources unless specified:
| # | Player | England career | Caps as captain | Total caps | First captaincy | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | **** | 1946–1959 | 90 | 105 | 9 October 1948 | ||
| 1 | **** | 1962–1973 | 90 | 108 | 29 May 1963 | ||
| 3 | ****** | 2015–present | 87 | 112 | 10 June 2017 | ||
| 4 | **** | 2007–2022 | 72 | 121 | 17 January 2014 | ||
| 5 | **** | 1980–1991 | 65 | 90 | 17 November 1982 | ||
| 6 | **** | 1996–2009 | 59 | 115 | 15 November 2000 | ||
| 7 | (née McCune) | 1976–1985 | 49–51 | 56 | 22 May 1976 | ||
| 8 | **** | 1997–2012 | 48 | 90 | 7 March 2002 | ||
| 9 | ****** | 2018–present | 43 | 64 | 17 September 2021 | ||
| 10 | **** | 1981–2000 | 38+ | 119 | 25 November 1990 | ||
| 10 | **** | 2000–2014 | 38 | 114 | 31 March 2004 | ||
| 12 | **** | 1992–2000 | 34 | 63 | 1 September 1996 | ||
| 12 | **** | 2003–2012 | 34 | 78 | 16 August 2006 | ||
| 14 | **** | 1972–1982 | 31 | 63 | 24 March 1976 | ||
| 15 | **** | 1978–1997 | 26+ | 95 | 22 September 1985 | ||
| 16 | **** | 2003–2018 | 23 | 120 | 14 November 2009 | ||
| 16 | **** | 1969–1980 | 23 | 62 | 11 March 1974 | ||
| 18 | **** | 1902–1914 | 22 | 41 | 2 March 1903 | ||
| 18 | **** | 1954–1962 | 22 | 56 | 15 May 1960 | ||
| 20 | **** | 1933–1939 | 20 | 30 | 14 November 1934 | ||
| 20 | 2016–present | 20 | 88 | 13 April 2021 | |||
| 22 | **** | 1989–1996 | 19 | 62 | 17 February 1993 | ||
| 22 | **** | 2000–2017 | 19 | 130 | 7 March 2009 | ||
| 24 | **** | 1984–1992 | 18 | 80 | 12 September 1990 | ||
| 25 | 1995–2008 | 17+ | 65 | 17 May 2003 | |||
| 26 | **** | 1878–1887 | 15 | 19 | 12 March 1881 | ||
| 26 | **** | 1959–1966 | 15 | 43 | 28 September 1961 | ||
| 26 | 1970–1990 | 15 | 125 | 25 May 1982 | |||
| 26 | **** | 1987–2000 | 15 | 66 | 12 October 1994 | ||
| 30 | **** | 1903–1911 | 14 | 23 | 15 February 1908 | ||
| 31 | **** | 1893–1901 | 13–16 | 20 | 4 April 1896 | ||
| 31 | **** | 1946–1948 | 13 | 13 | 28 September 1946 | ||
| 33 | **** | 1926–1933 | 12 | 25 | 31 March 1928 | ||
| 34 | **** | 1972–1983 | 11 | title=Sheila Parker Hall of Fame profile | url=https://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/sheila-parker/ | access-date=2022-10-09}} | 18 November 1972 |
| 34 | 2001–2019 | 11 | 172 | 5 March 2009 | |||
| 36 | 1976–1986 | 10 | 84 | 22 September 1982 | |||
| 36 | **** | 1987–1999 | 10 | 78 | 8 June 1991 | ||
| 38 | ****** | 2010–present | 9 | 88 | 8 October 2016 | ||
| 39 | **** | 1925–1929 | 8 | 11 | 2 April 1927 | ||
| 39 | **** | 1974–1976 | 8 | 12 | 3 September 1975 | ||
| 39 | 1972–1982 | 8 | 42 | 13 May 1978 | |||
| 39 | 1998–2008 | 8 | 89 | 17 April 2002 | |||
| 39 | 1999–2014 | 8 | 106 | 9 February 2011 | |||
| 44 | **** | 1921–1924 | 7 | 12 | 22 October 1921 | ||
| 44 | 1980–1990 | 7 | 77 | 12 November 1986 | |||
| 44 | 1992–2000 | 7 | 53 | 9 June 1993 | |||
| 44 | **** | 1997–2011 | 7 | 81 | 26 March 2008 | ||
| 44 | 2015–2022 | 7 | 49 | 10 November 2017 | |||
| 44 | ** | 2017–present | 7 | 97 | 4 September 2018 | ||
| 50 | 1934–1939 | 6 | 19 | 18 November 1936 | |||
| 50 | **** | 1965–1975 | 6 | 72 | 12 March 1975 | ||
| 50 | 1976–1982 | 6 | 42 | 22 November 1979 | |||
| 53 | **** | 1885–1890 | 5 | 13 | 13 March 1886 | ||
| 53 | **** | 1926–1929 | 5 | 16 | 22 October 1928 | ||
| 53 | **** | 1955–1960 | 5 | 35 | 17 October 1959 | ||
| 53 | **** | 1995–2001 | 5 | 41 | 4 June 2000 | ||
| 53 | 2010–2018 | 5 | 61 | 9 October 2015 | |||
| 53 | 2006–2022 | 5 | 161 | 27 October 2015 | |||
| 53 | ** | 2013–present | 5 | 144 | 1 March 2018 | ||
| 53 | ** | 2017–present | 5 | 64 | 7 September 2019 | ||
| 61 | **** | 1886–1891 | 4 | 13 | 4 February 1888 | ||
| 61 | **** | 1904–1906 | 4 | 6 | 25 February 1905 | ||
| 61 | **** | 1922–1926 | 4 | 9 | 22 October 1924 | ||
| 61 | **** | 1924–1932 | 4 | 9 | 5 April 1930 | ||
| 61 | **** | 1928–1933 | 4 | 26 | 9 December 1931 | ||
| 61 | **** | 1927–1934 | 4 | 15 | 14 April 1934 | ||
| 61 | 1966–1974 | 4 | 67 | 19 May 1971 | |||
| 61 | **** | 1995–2002 | 4 | 20 | 30 June 2001 | ||
| 61 | 1995–2014 | 4 | 117 | 28 September 2008 | |||
| 70 | **** | 1888–1895 | 3 | 7 | 13 March 1893 | ||
| 70 | **** | 1897–1905 | 3 | 6 | 14 February 1903 | ||
| 70 | **** | 1920–1923 | 3 | 6 | 9 April 1921 | ||
| 70 | **** | 1923–1927 | 3 | 5 | 8 December 1924 | ||
| 70 | 1920–1932 | 3 | 18 | 21 May 1925 | |||
| 70 | 1930–1933 | 3 | 20 | 14 May 1931 | |||
| 70 | 1936–1937 | 3 | 18 | 23 October 1937 | |||
| 70 | 1948–1953 | 3 | 32 | 15 November 1950 | |||
| 70 | 1955–1966 | 3 | 49 | 27 May 1964 | |||
| 70 | 1958–1970 | 3 | 106 | 15 January 1969 | |||
| 70 | 1974–1982 | 3 | 65 | 24 April 1981 | |||
| 70 | 1996–2007 | 3 | 73 | 24 May 1998 | |||
| 70 | **** | 1988–2003 | 3 | 83 | 24 February 2002 | ||
| 70 | 2010–2022 | 3 | 113 | 1 July 2017 | |||
| 70 | 2017–2025 | 3 | 53 | 1 July 2023 | |||
| 70 | ** | 2011–present | 3 | 96 | 20 November 2023 | ||
| 86 | **** | 1872–1874 | 2 | 2 | 30 November 1872 | ||
| 86 | 1879–1887 | 2 | 18 | 18 February 1882 | |||
| 86 | **** | 1888–1898 | 2 | 14 | 7 February 1891 | ||
| 86 | **** | 1883–1892 | 2 | 4 | 15 March 1892 | ||
| 86 | **** | 1891–1893 | 2 | 4 | 25 February 1893 | ||
| 86 | **** | 1889–1898 | 2 or 3 | 4 | 18 March 1895 | ||
| 86 | **** | 1907–1920 | 2 | 25 | 15 March 1920 | ||
| 86 | **** | 1913–1924 | 2 | 6 | 14 March 1921 | ||
| 86 | 1923 | 2 | 2 | 21 May 1923 | |||
| 86 | 1946–1949 | 2 | 19 | 16 May 1948 | |||
| 86 | 1972–1977 | 2 | 46 | 28 May 1976 | |||
| 86 | 1997–2013 | 2 | 129 | 29 July 2010 | |||
| 86 | 2003–2017 | 2 | 63 | 7 March 2014 | |||
| 86 | ** | 2013–present | 2 | 71 | 11 March 2015 | ||
| 86 | 2008–2017 | 2 | 75 | 13 November 2015 | |||
| 86 | 2012–2022 | 2 | 82 | 7 June 2019 | |||
| 86 | 2017–present | 2 | 54 | 8 October 2020 | |||
| 86 | ** | 2014–present | 2 | 107 | 19 February 2023 | ||
| 86 | ** | 2019–present | 2 | 72 | 26 March 2024 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1873 | 1 | 1 | 8 March 1873 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1875 | 1 | 1 | 6 March 1875 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1873–1878 | 1 | 5 | 4 March 1876 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1875–1877 | 1 | 2 | 3 March 1877 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1880–1884 | 1 or 2 | 6 | 2 March 1878 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1878–1879 | 1 or 2 | 3 | 5 April 1879 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1874–1880 | 1 | 4 | 13 March 1880 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1879–1880 | 1 | 3 | 15 March 1880 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1878–1882 | 1 | 7 | 26 February 1881 | ||
| 105 | 1883 | 1 | 1 | 24 February 1883 | |||
| 105 | 1889–1891 | 1 | 3 | 2 March 1889 | |||
| 105 | **** | 1885–1890 | 1 | 9 | 5 April 1890 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1888–1885 | 1 | 7 | 6 April 1891 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1892–1895 | 1 or 2 | 5 | 6 April 1895 | ||
| 105 | 1895–1901 | 1 | 16 | 9 March 1901 | |||
| 105 | 1894–1902 | 1 | 16 | 18 March 1901 | |||
| 105 | **** | 1900–1902 | 1 | 5 | 3 March 1902 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1898–1903 | 1 | 9 | 22 March 1902 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1895–1907 | 1 or 2 | 23 | 3 May 1902 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1919 | 1 | 1 | 25 October 1919 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1913–1920 | 1 | 5 | 23 October 1920 | ||
| 105 | **** | 1920–1923 | 1 | 5 | 21 May 1921 | ||
| 105 | 1922 | 1 | 1 | 13 March 1922 | |||
| 105 | 1923 | 1 | 1 | 1 November 1923 | |||
| 105 | 1924 | 1 | 5 | 12 April 1924 | |||
| 105 | 1925 | 1 | 1 | 24 October 1925 | |||
| 105 | 1921–1926 | 1 | 3 | 24 May 1926 | |||
| 105 | 1923–1929 | 1 | 9 | 21 May 1927 | |||
| 105 | 1934–1936 | 1 | 11 | 17 October 1936 | |||
| 105 | 1937–1939 | 1 | 12 | 24 May 1939 | |||
| 105 | 1964–1971 | 1 | 35 | 3 February 1971 | |||
| 105 | 1968–1975 | 1 | 48 | 23 May 1972 | |||
| 105 | 1976–1980 | 1 | 27 | 31 May 1980 | |||
| 105 | 1972–1983 | 1 | 61 | 12 May 1981 | |||
| 105 | 1976–1983 | 1 | 50 | 2 June 1982 | |||
| 105 | 1986–1996 | 1 | 59 | 13 February 1988 | |||
| 105 | 1984–1996 | 1 | 45 | 21 May 1991 | |||
| 105 | 1988–2003 | 1 | 75 | 10 September 1997 | |||
| 105 | 1992–2002 | 1 | 43 | 11 September 2000 | |||
| 105 | 2000–2012 | 1 | 53 | 29 March 2011 | |||
| 105 | 2003–2013 | 1 | 11 | 29 February 2012 | |||
| 105 | 2001–2014 | 1 | 107 | 29 May 2013 | |||
| 105 | 2004–2017 | 1 | 140 | 31 October 2013 | |||
| 105 | 2005–2022 | 1 | 81 | 9 March 2015 | |||
| 105 | 2008–2016 | 1 | 40 | 12 October 2015 | |||
| 105 | 2009–2016 | 1 | 61 | 29 March 2016 | |||
| 105 | 2011–2017 | 1 | 31 | 27 May 2016 | |||
| 105 | 2012–present | 1 | 76 | 8 November 2018 | |||
| 105 | 2014–2019 | 1 | 20 | 15 November 2018 | |||
| 105 | ** | 2016–present | 1 | 68 | 6 June 2021 | ||
| 105 | ** | 2014–present | 1 | 87 | 10 October 2024 |
Captains by age
- Bold indicates permanent captain of England (not necessarily at time of the relevant match/es)
Youngest captains
Players who started as captain at under 25 years of age.
| # | Player | Date of birth | First captaincy | Age | #W | #M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 20 | ||||||
| 1 | (née McCune) | 22 May 1976 | 1 | – | ||
| Age 21 | ||||||
| 2 | 4 September 2018 | 2 | – | |||
| Age 22 | ||||||
| 3 | **** | 29 May 1963 | – | 1 | ||
| 4 | 11 March 2015 | 3 | – | |||
| 5 | **** | 4 February 1888 | – | 2 | ||
| 6 | 17 April 2002 | – | 3 | |||
| 7 | **** | 30 November 1872 | – | 4 | ||
| 8 | 24 February 1883 | – | 5 | |||
| 9 | **** | 3 March 1877 | – | 6 | ||
| 10 | **** | 13 March 1886 | – | 7 | ||
| 11 | 24 May 1939 | – | 8 | |||
| 12 | 21 May 1923 | – | 9 | |||
| 13 | **** | 4 April 1891 | – | 10 | ||
| Age 23 | ||||||
| 14 | **** | 4 April 1896 | – | 11 | ||
| 15 | **** | 2 March 1903 | – | 12 | ||
| 16 | 18 February 1882 | – | 13 | |||
| 17 | 6 June 2021 | – | 14 | |||
| 18 | **** | 25 February 1905 | – | 15 | ||
| 19 | **** | 12 March 1881 | – | 16 | ||
| 20 | 29 May 1998 | – | 17 | |||
| 21 | **** | 3 September 1975 | – | 18 | ||
| 22 | 10 November 2017 | – | 19 | |||
| 23 | **** | 31 March 2004 | – | 20 | ||
| 24 | **** | 10 June 2017 | – | 21 | ||
| 25 | 3 March 1902 | – | 22 | |||
| 26 | **** | 22 September 1985 | 4 | – | ||
| Age 24 | ||||||
| 27 | **** | 14 November 2009 | – | 23 | ||
| 28 | **** | 7 March 2002 | 5 | – | ||
| 29 | **** | 4 March 1876 | – | 24 | ||
| 30 | **** | 17 September 2021 | 6 | – | ||
| 31 | 6 June 2019 | – | 25 | |||
| 32 | **** | 9 October 1948 | – | 26 | ||
| 33 | 24 October 1925 | – | 27 | |||
| 34 | **** | 15 March 1880 | – | 28 | ||
| 35 | **** | 25 February 1893 | – | 29 | ||
| 36 | Sheila Parker | 1947 | 18 November 1972 | ~24 years and 11 months | 7 | – |
| 37 | **** | 2 March 1878 | – | 30 |
Oldest captains
Players who started as captain at over 35 years of age.
| # | Player | Date of birth | Last captaincy | Age | #W | #M | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 41+ | |||||||||||
| 1 | **** | date=2010-10-05 | title=Who is England's oldest ever debutant? The Knowledge | url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/oct/06/england-football-oldest-debutant-knowledge | access-date=2022-10-06 | website=the Guardian | language=en}} | 8 March 1873 | 41 or 42 | – | 1 |
| Age 40 | |||||||||||
| 2 | 7 July 1990 | – | 2 | ||||||||
| Age 36 | |||||||||||
| 3 | **** | 13 May 2000 | 1 | – | |||||||
| 4 | **** | 10 April 1920 | – | 3 | |||||||
| 5 | 24 June 2014 | – | 4 | ||||||||
| Age 35 | |||||||||||
| 6 | **** | 11 May 1997 | 2 | – | |||||||
| 7 | **** | 28 May 1959 | – | 5 | |||||||
| 8 | 7 December 1932 | – | 6 | ||||||||
| 9 | **** | 24 May 1997 | – | 7 |
Others
Disputed captains
These players may have officially captained England, but sources are either uncertain or differ.
| Player | England career | Caps as captain | Total caps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1889–1892 | 1 or 0 | 5 | |
| 1894–1896 | 0 or 1 | 5 | |
| 1895–1896 | 0 or 1 | 4 |
Unofficial captains
Substitute captains 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 either sent off or substituted. As records for such mid-game changes are not often kept, this list may be incomplete:
| Player | England career | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–2004 | 25 May 2001 | |
| 1996–2002 | 27 March 2002 | |
| 2001–2004 | 12 February 2003 | |
| 1999–2010 | 3 June 2003 | |
| 1996–2007 | 3 June 2003 | |
| 1999–2010 | 3 June 2003 | |
| 1997–2010 | 28 May 2005 | |
| 1995–2007 | 1 July 2006 | |
| 2007–2013 | 26 May 2012 | |
| 2001–2015 | 15 August 2012 | |
| 2018–present | 15 November 2022 | |
| 2016–present | 19 February 2023 | |
| 2021–present | 19 February 2023 | |
| Alessia Russo | 2020–present | 29 November 2025 |
Amateurs
Main article: England national amateur football team, Great Britain men's Olympic football team
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.
| Tenure | Incumbent | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Upton Park | ||
| 1908 | [[File:Vivian Woodward.jpg | 100px]] |
Captains of other non-official teams
Before the men's and women's teams each became officially associated, different teams represented them in international tournaments.
| Tenure | Incumbent | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870–1871 | [[File:Ranji 1897 page 364-2 Charles W. Alcock.jpg | 100px]] |
| Tenure | Incumbent | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | [[File:Alice-Kell-Copy.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1925 | [[File:Carmen Pomies y Florrie Redford - El Gráfico 310.jpg | 100px]] | |
| 1933 | |||
| 1953 | |||
| 1957–1966 | |||
| 1960 | |||
| 1969–1970 | |||
| 1971 |
- Bold indicates tournament winners
| Player | Tournament(s) |
|---|
Non-official captains by appearances as captain
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) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 8+ | ~April 1920 | |||||||
| 1957–1966 | 5+ | 2 November 1957 | date=4 Sep 2007 | title=Damenfußball in der Verbotszeit [Ladies' football in the banned era] | url=https://www.bpb.de/themen/sport/graue-spielzeit/65065/damenfussball-in-der-verbotszeit/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218220314/https://www.bpb.de/themen/sport/graue-spielzeit/65065/damenfussball-in-der-verbotszeit/ | archive-date=18 Feb 2022 | website=BPB}} | |
| 1971 | 4 | 2 June 1971 | |||||||
| 1969–1970 | 2+ | 1 November 1969 | |||||||
| 1925 | 1+ | ~June 1925 | |||||||
| 1960 | 1+ | April 1960 | |||||||
| 1952–1953 | 1+ | 23 July 1953 | |||||||
| 1899 | 1 | 23 November 1899 | |||||||
| 1933 | 1 | 9 August 1933 |
Others by age
- Bold indicates permanent captain of England (not necessarily at time of the relevant match/es)
Unofficial young captaincies
| Player | Date of birth | First unofficial captaincy | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 18 | |||
| **** | June 1952 | 2 June 1971 | ~18 years and 11 months |
| Age 20 | |||
| **** | 25 February 2003 | ||
| Age 21 | |||
| **** | ~April 1920 | ~21 years and 9 months | |
| Age 23 | |||
| 15 November 2022 | |||
| Age 24 | |||
| **** | 1 November 1969 |
Unofficial old captaincies
| Player | Date of birth | Last unofficial captaincy | Age | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **** | title=Manchester Ladies FC – Post WW2 Pioneers My Tribute to the Great Marian Bindotti RIP Part 2 | url=https://www.playingpasts.co.uk/articles/football/manchester-ladies-fc-post-ww2-pioneers-my-tribute-to-the-great-marian-bindotti-rip-part-2/ | access-date=2022-10-17 | website=Playing Pasts}} | 17 July 1966 | ~42 |
Notes
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