World Cup 2022: Sheffield shown to be nation's second-biggest producer of England footballers

New research by Barratt Holmes has shown that 39 Sheffielders have gone on to represent the Three Lions on the international stage – the second most of any city behind only Liverpool (41). Two current England stars are among the 39 – with Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker in the side looking to deliver a first major tournament triumph since 1966.

The most-capped Sheffield native is Gordon Banks, who made 70 appearances in an England shirt and was part of the 1966 World Cup winning squad as well as making arguably the greatest save in World Cup history when he tipped away Pele’s header four years later (a moment immortalised in Baddiel and Skinner’s cult classic song Three Lions). Other notable Sheffielders to wear the famous white shirt include Stocksbridge born Jamie Vardy and Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Between them, the 39 players have won 354 England caps at time of writing.

The research also found that South Yorkshire ranks fourth for development of England World Cup stars with 15 players from the region playing on the grandest stage of them all. A total of 77 South Yorkshiremen have represented England in a full international and have combined for a total of 831 caps.

Of the six Sheffielders to play in a World Cup (Banks, Maguire, Walker, Vardy, Laurie Scott, and Albert Quixall), only Banks has a winners medal to show for it – something Maguire and Walker will be hoping to change in Doha over the coming weeks.