England captain Harry Kane has combined current and former players as part of his favourite England XI.
The Three Lions’ record goalscorer has revealed his ‘Ultimate England team’ which includes a number of his team-mates as well as players from the ‘Golden Generation’.
Despite netting 62 times in 89 appearances, the Bayern Munich striker stopped short of including himself in the XI, and there were also some notable omissions.
Kane included four of his current England team-mates, starting off the XI with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
He told England Football: ‘We’re good mates, we like to play gold together and he’s been a big part of our journey since 2018. I’ve got a lot of good memories with him, particularly the penalty shootout against Colombia at the World Cup (in 2018).’
Harry Kane has selected his favourite England XI consisting of former and current players
Kane’s selection includes four of his current Three Lions team-mates including Harry Maguire
A number of ‘Golden Generation’ players make the team including David Beckham and Wayne Rooney
Moving onto defence, Kane selected Manchester City‘s Kyle Walker, hailing him as ‘one of the best right-backs England have had, if not the best.’
Ashley Cole was unsurprisingly handed the left-back berth as one of the best in his position in the world during his playing days.
He included Chelsea legend John Terry as he ‘loved the way he put his body on the line for his country,’ and surprisingly included Manchester United’s Harry Maguire alongside him.
Regarding Maguire, he said: ‘Another really good friend of mine. A fantastic performer for England. At the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and the last World Cup he had outstanding tournaments. I know how much H loves playing for England so he has to be part of my team.’
Kane opted for a 4-4-2 formation, and stuck with the midfield conundrum that several managers struggled to get the best out of, selecting Frank Lampard alongside Steven Gerrard.
The former Tottenham striker hailed Lampard for his goalscoring ability, while praised Gerrard as ‘one of the best ever to wear the shirt’ and that he ‘would have been a joy to play with.
At right-midfield he selected England icon David Beckham, as he said: ‘He was my favourite player growing up, he was my idol. I will remember the Greece free-kick forever, as I know a lot of England fans will.
‘He was from Chingford, where I’m from, and went to the same school as me when he was growing up. I met him when I was young and I loved everything about him.’
Unsurprisingly, Raheem Sterling made the team, with the pair forging an excellent partnership for the Three Lions, before the Chelsea winger lost his place in the team.’
Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker and Jordan Pickford (not pictured) make Kane’s favourite XI
Kane’s team includes newly-inducted Premier League Hall of Fame stars John Terry and Ashley Cole
Michael Owen also makes the XI after the massive impact he had for England before injuries slowed his career
Kane said that it ‘goes under the radar how good’ Sterling has been for England during his career.
Up front, he selected Wayne Rooney, who was England captain when Kane first broke into the team, and he praised the Manchester United legend for leaving a ‘great impression’ on him.
Alongside Rooney, he selected Michael Owen, as he said: ‘I was five when he scored that goal against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup so I was the kind of age where you start to remember.
‘And then 2002 was probably the tournament I remember most and he was a big part of the team then. It was a shame injuries hampered Owen a little bit but the way he burst onto the scene and the goals he scored was incredible.’
Alan Shearer (left) and Paul Gascoigne (right) were among the big-name absentees
Kane listed a number of honourable mentions, with the only current player on that list being former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.
He said: ‘Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham are two strikers I loved in the 1990s.
‘Jordan Henderson has been a huge part of what we achieved as a group and I could have easily put him in midfield. Paul Scholes, Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker – they’re all players who you can go back and watch produce special moments in England shirts.
‘Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch are two under-the-radar picks too, I loved playing with Jermain and Crouch did great in an England shirt.’
