Best Enlish player since Gazza?

[big nuts]

Now I know why I don't contribute often to football threads on NSC as most people haven't got a clue if they think Beckham is the best English player since Gazza.

Out of the seven players listed I can only really make a case for him being better than Rooney and possibly Lampard.

The thread also implies English player not England player so whether Scholes or Shearer retired from International football is completely irrelevant.

 

[Mellotron]

Now I know why I don't contribute often to football threads on NSC as most people haven't got a clue if they think Beckham is the best English player since Gazza.

Out of the seven players listed I can only really make a case for him being better than Rooney and possibly Lampard.

The thread also implies English player not England player so whether Scholes or Shearer retired from International football is completely irrelevant.

I thought it was bizarre that Beckham was even in the list, so you can imagine my reaction when I saw the poll results

Are people on here even into football?

Best English player? Paul Scholes
Best player FOR England? Ashley Cole. By an absolute MILE.

 

[Philzo-93]

Owen Hargreaves!

 

[Jim Van Winkle]

Now I know why I don't contribute often to football threads on NSC as most people haven't got a clue if they think Beckham is the best English player since Gazza.

Out of the seven players listed I can only really make a case for him being better than Rooney and possibly Lampard.

The thread also implies English player not England player so whether Scholes or Shearer retired from International football is completely irrelevant.

I thought it was bizarre that Beckham was even in the list, so you can imagine my reaction when I saw the poll results

Are people on here even into football?

How Beckham is winning this poll is unbelievable. Saying Beckham is the best player for England since Gazza is the equivalent of saying Alex Revell is the best player for the Albion since Peter Ward. Just because he ran around a lot and tried hard.

I've attached an article with various quotes from Scholes peer's. Says it all really.

http://www.givemesport.com/344869-paul-scholes-the-best-quotes

 

[big nuts]

How Beckham is winning this poll is unbelievable. Saying Beckham is the best player for England since Gazza is the equivalent of saying Alex Revell is the best player for the Albion since Peter Ward. Just because he ran around a lot and tried hard.

I've attached an article with various quotes from Scholes peer's. Says it all really.

http://www.givemesport.com/344869-paul-scholes-the-best-quotes

Beckham was a very good player, tremendous delivery but not in the same league as Scholes who would be my pick ahead of Shearer and as Mellotron points out Ashley Cole has been England's best player of the last ten years.

 

[maltaseagull]

No brainer from me too, full back in world football is a position that will expose you big time if you are not us to scratch. How many bad games has Cole had for England? ( I don't watch them all but I do watch the BIG ones and he has often looked the only world class player in the England side in those games imo)

Have to agree, there are a lot of things that I don't like about him ,but he is a great player.

 

[Puppet Master]

Owen Hargreaves!

Not a bad shout.

Beckham was an amazing crosser and a real trier granted, but why is he even on that list.

 

[Jim Van Winkle]

Beckham was a very good player, tremendous delivery but not in the same league as Scholes who would be my pick ahead of Shearer and as Mellotron points out Ashley Cole has been England's best player of the last ten years.

Which begs the question can you really compare players that played in different positions? That's why I only considered Scholes, Gerrard or Lampard to answer the question.

True Ashely Cole has been England's most consistent performer for quite some time now. What does that say about the national team if our left back is our best player. Which is another question for another day.

Before Ashley Cole, Joe Cole was performing very well and consistently for England before injuries.

 

[Husty]

Cole's one of the very best in the world in his chosen position, always performs and hasn't retired embarrassingly earlier.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

Beckham was twice runner up in the WORLD player of the year award...so people dismissing him as simply 'a trier' are being quite harsh as he was clearly more than that. Probably didn't have enough great games in tournaments to be considered.

Scholes was probably the most gifted, but for several reasons (retiring early, not being used properly) never REALLY lived up to it at international level...despite some moments of brilliance.

Gerrard and Lampard have never lived up to the hype for the national team. Gerrard especially as I feel he has had teams built around him but hasn't imposed himself enough at international level. When they retire how many great moments will people remember of them in an England shirt...I'm really struggling to come up with a handful of examples for each

Shearer was decent and we've certainly missed him...shame he retired so early really as he could, and probably should, have gone on to be Englands top goalscorer.

Rooney? Definitely not. For me he's had ONE decent tournament (2004) and has disappointed since.

Ashley Cole is the one England player who I feel has consistently done himself justice at international level....as mentioned above, the fact that our best player is a LEFT BACK is a sad one.

 

[piersa]

Now I know why I don't contribute often to football threads on NSC as most people haven't got a clue if they think Beckham is the best English player since Gazza.

Out of the seven players listed I can only really make a case for him being better than Rooney and possibly Lampard.

The thread also implies English player not England player so whether Scholes or Shearer retired from International football is completely irrelevant.

It was intended to be best English player, not best player for England. Beckham is clearly not the best English player

 

[big nuts]

Beckham was twice runner up in the WORLD player of the year award...so people dismissing him as simply 'a trier' are being quite harsh as he was clearly more than that. Probably didn't have enough great games in tournaments to be considered.

Scholes was probably the most gifted, but for several reasons (retiring early, not being used properly) never REALLY lived up to it at international level...despite some moments of brilliance.

Gerrard and Lampard have never lived up to the hype for the national team. Gerrard especially as I feel he has had teams built around him but hasn't imposed himself enough at international level. When they retire how many great moments will people remember of them in an England shirt...I'm really struggling to come up with a handful of examples for each

Shearer was decent and we've certainly missed him...shame he retired so early really as he could, and probably should, have gone on to be Englands top goalscorer.

Rooney? Definitely not. For me he's had ONE decent tournament (2004) and has disappointed since.

Ashley Cole is the one England player who I feel has consistently done himself justice at international level....as mentioned above, the fact that our best player is a LEFT BACK is a sad one.

This isn't purely a thread about International football, unless I'm misreading the OP's initial intentions.

*The OP has confirmed this post above two minutes ago*

 

[Wilko]

Interesting that many on the continent would suggest that Steve McManaman was the best of all the English export in some time! Thoughts?

 

[Mellotron]

It was intended to be best English player, not best player for England. Beckham is clearly not the best English player

Nor anywhere near best player for England.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

This isn't purely a thread about International football, unless I'm misreading the OP's initial intentions.

you're right...although I do tend to judge a player on how well they do at international level, as I consider that to be the pinnacle of football and therefore a good way of evaluating a players career. I'd make an exception with Scholes as I think he was poorly used for England (left midfield ffs) when he should really have had the team built around him.

Scholes is probably the best....Cole has performed the best at the highest level

 

[shaolinpunk]

Scholes is one of the best players of his generation

 

[piersa]

Nor anywhere near best player for England.

Not sure about that. I saw England play on many occasions and he and Ashley Cole were the two stand out players along with Scholes before he retired. Beckham was immense for England IMO.

 

[Mellotron]

you're right...although I do tend to judge a player on how well they do at international level, as I consider that to be the pinnacle of football

I think it used to be, but not anymore.

 

[Horsham Gull]

Lampard

 

[big nuts]

Interesting that many on the continent would suggest that Steve McManaman was the best of all the English export in some time! Thoughts?

I think thats more a reflection on the lack of English or British players that have played overseas over the past twenty years. Off the top of my head:-

Platt, Gascoigne & Walker in Italy early nineties. Since then Ince, Beckham, Owen & McManaman have been the biggest names to ply there trade in foreign leagues. Hargreaves started his career abroad and was highly successful too.