England National Team All-Time Top Scorers

By Jamie Spencer | Oct 12, 2020, 5:30 PM GMT+1

Over 1,250 players have represented England in nearly 150 years of international matches since 1872. Countless legends are part of that number, with goalscorers celebrated more than most.

Here's a look at the all-time top scorers in the history of the England national team...

31. Danny Welbeck

England Career: 2011 - present

England Goals: 16

England Appearances: 42

Welbeck was at his most prolific for England in 2012 and 2014, scoring five goals in each of those calendar years alone.

30. Tony Woodcock

England Career: 1978 - 1986

England Goals: 16

England Appearances: 42

Woodcock had notable spells at Nottingham Forest, where he was a European Cup winner, Koln (twice) and Arsenal during his club career.

29. Tommy Taylor

England Career: 1953 - 1957

England Goals: 16

England Appearances: 19

Taylor's career is the subject of a huge 'what if' had the Munich air disaster not tragically claimed his life in 1958.

28. David Beckham

England Career: 1996 - 2009

England Goals: 17

England Appearances: 115

Beckham scored several famous England goals during his 13-year international career, but none more so than that free-kick against Greece.

27. George Camsell

England Career: 1929 - 1936

England Goals: 18

England Appearances: 9

Middlesbrough legend Camsell has the best goals per game ratio of any England player in history with more than one appearance.

26. Johnny Haynes

England Career: 1954 - 1962

England Goals: 18

England Appearances: 56

Known as the first English player to be paid £100 per week, Haynes was England captain between legends Billy Wright and Bobby Moore.

25. Roger Hunt

England Career: 1962 - 1969

England Goals: 18

England Appearances: 34

Liverpool legend Hunt played all six games en-route to England winning the World Cup on home soil in 1966, scoring three times.

24. Dixie Dean

England Career: 1927 - 1932

England Goals: 18

England Appearances: 16

Dean remains the only player in English league history to score 60 goals in a single season and his international career was also prolific.

23. Martin Peters

England Career: 1966 - 1974

England Goals: 20

England Appearances: 67

The late Peters had only just been given his England debut on the eve of the 1966 World Cup and finished the tournament by scoring in the final.

22. Jermain Defoe

England Career: 2004 - 2017

England Goals: 20

England Appearances: 57

Despite a 13-year international career that lasted until 2017, Defoe was only selected for major tournaments by England in 2010 and 2012.

21. Steven Gerrard

England Career: 2000 - 2014

England Goals: 21

England Appearances: 114

Gerrard's first ever international goal came in the 5-1 thrashing of Germany in September 2001, the strike that put England ahead.

20. Kevin Keegan

England Career: 1972 - 1982

England Goals: 21

England Appearances: 63

England missed out on two World Cups during the 1970s, which meant that 1982 was Keegan's only chance to play at the tournament.

19. Mick Channon

England Career: 1972 - 1977

England Goals: 21

England Appearances: 46

Southampton were a Second Division club for a significant part of Channon's England career, which makes his record more impressive.

18. Peter Crouch

England Career: 2005 - 2010

England Goals: 22

England Appearances: 42

Crouch scored more than a goal every other game in an England shirt, with a 2006 hat-trick against Jamaica giving birth to his 'robot' celebration.

17. Tommy Lawton

England Career: 1938 - 1948

England Goals: 22

England Appearances: 23

Lawton was among a generation of players whose football career was cruelly interrupted by the Second World War.

16. Stan Mortensen

England Career: 1947 - 1953

England Goals: 23

England Appearances: 25

A Blackpool legend at club level, Mortensen was a leading name in the first ever England squad that went to a World Cup in 1950.

15. Geoff Hurst

England Career: 1966 - 1972

England Goals: 24

England Appearances: 49

In close to a century of World Cup history, Hurst remains the only male player ever to a hat-trick in the final, doing so in 1966.

14. Bryan Robson

England Career: 1980 - 1991

England Goals: 26

England Appearances: 90

Robson enjoyed an impressive goal return from midfield throughout his illustrious career for both Manchester United and England.

13. David Platt

England Career: 1989 - 1996

England Goals: 27

England Appearances: 62

Platt's most famous goal in an England shirt was the dramatic late extra-time volleyed winner against Belgium at the 1990 World Cup.

12. Steve Bloomer

England Career: 1895 - 1907

England Goals: 28

England Appearances: 23

Derby and Middlesbrough legend Bloomer was a star of Victorian football in the late 19th century, making his England debut in 1895.

11. Frank Lampard

England Career: 1999 - 2014

England Goals: 29

England Appearances: 106

Lampard didn't start playing regularly for England until 2003, but soon became an important goal threat - he scored three times at Euro 2004.

10. Vivian Woodward

England Career: 1903 - 1911

England Goals: 29

England Appearances: 23

Woodward, who also played regularly for England Amateurs, was England's record goalscorer for 47 years between 1911 and 1958.

9. Tom Finney

England Career: 1946 - 1958

England Goals: 30

England Appearances: 76

A career delayed by the Second World War, Finney made his England debut in the country's very first international after the fighting was over.

8. Alan Shearer

England Career: 1992 - 2000

England Goals: 30

England Appearances: 63

Shearer, who was top scorer at Euro '96 with five goals, announced his shock retirement from international football when he was still only 29.

7. Nat Lofthouse

England Career: 1950

England Goals: 30

England Appearances: 33

Bruising centre forward Lofthouse was given the nickname 'Lion of Vienna' thanks to a particular performance against Austria in 1952.

6. Harry Kane

England Career: 2015 - present

England Goals: 32

England Appearances: 48

Kane became the first England player in 32 years to win a World Cup Golden Boot when he scored six times at the 2018 tournament.

5. Michael Owen

England Career: 1998 - 2008

England Goals: 40

England Appearances: 89

Owen burst onto the scene for England at just 18, scoring that goal against Argentina, but he was only 28 when he played his last game.

4. Jimmy Greaves

England Career: 1959 - 1967

England Goals: 44

England Appearances: 57

But for a group stage injury, it could have been Greaves and not Geoff Hurst who was England's goalscoring hero at the 1966 World Cup.

3. Gary Lineker

England Career: 1984 - 1992

England Goals: 48

England Appearances: 80

Golden Boot winner at the 1986 World Cup, Lineker scored ten goals in total in the various editions of the competition, more than any other English player.

2. Bobby Charlton

England Career: 1958 - 1970

England Goals: 49

England Appearances: 106

Charlton won both the World Cup and Ballon d'Or in 1966, while his England goalscoring record stood for 45 long years until it was finally broken.

1. Wayne Rooney

England Career: 2003 - 2018

England Goals: 53

England Appearances: 120

Rooney succeeded Bobby Charlton as both England and Manchester United's all-time record goalscorer.