At the origin of many modern sports, England has given and continues to give the world a number of famous athletes. Some of England’s best-known sportsmen and women include some of the biggest names in football as well as other sports. Water polo, cricket, snooker and football are just some of the modern sports with roots in Britain that have since spread across the globe. Find out more about sports and where to bet on nj online gambling if you are a fan of football.
English Athletes – Field Tennis
Andrew “Andy” Murray can successfully enter the top of the most loved English sportsmen. He is Britain’s best-known professional tennis player, thanks to his notable performances and titles collected throughout his career. He achieved the highest ever ranking of a British tennis player in the ATP rankings, climbing to 3rd place in 2009. One of the best years of his career was 2012, when he played in the Wimbledon final, was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open and an Olympic gold medallist. Also in 2012 he won his first Grand Slam tournament at the US Open beating Novak Djokovic in the final.
English sportsmen – Snooker
Snooker is a popular sport in the UK, no wonder professional snooker players are among the best in the world. The best-known British snooker player is Ronnie O’Sullivan. His exceptional talent has earned him no less than 6 world titles, won in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2020, and he has also won the UK Championship 4 times, in 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2007. These achievements certainly place him among any top British athletes.
English athletes – Rugby
Martin Johnson is considered one of England’s greatest rugby players of all time. He played for Leicester, where he played for no less than 16 seasons. He also captained the England national team for a long period, leading them to 39 caps. In this capacity he reached the quarter-finals of the 1999 World Cup with England and won the Six Nations in 2003. Also in 2003, under his stewardship, England became Rugby World Cup champions, with the final won that year also marking his retirement.
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The list of English sportsmen and women goes on and on, but we’ve only mentioned a few of them to make room for the sport of rugby and to focus on a few famous English footballers from the UK.
Famous English footballers
Football is a much-loved sport in the UK, with a huge number of professional players in England. Of these, some have managed to make a name for themselves over the years thanks to their talent with a round ball or notable performances during their professional careers.
Bobby Charlton
Perhaps tops the list of famous English footballers thanks to records set during his career, some of which are still unmatched. He made his debut for Manchester United’s senior team in 1956 and became a first-team regular after just two seasons played. He won the league title with that team in 1965 and 1967. In 1966, he became world champion with the England national team. He captained the team in the 1968 European Champions Cup final, where he scored two goals, making Manchester United the first English team to win the competition. As well as holding the record for most appearances in a United shirt, he scored the most goals for both United and the England national team. Regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, he became renowned for his irresistible forays into the opposition half and for possessing a powerful long-range shot. Thanks to these skills, he managed to score a host of spectacular goals for both club and country.
David Beckham
An iconic player in the gallery of famous English footballers, now retired, he was born in 1975 somewhere in East London. He has played for the England national football team many times, second only to goalkeeper Peter Shilton. He is the only English player to have scored in 3 different World Cups and was captain of the England national team from 2000-2006. He made his professional debut for Manchester United in 1992, when he was just 17 years old, and in 1999 he won both the English league and cup, as well as the Champions League, and achieved the treble. Throughout his career he has played for major football clubs such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Milan, PSG and LA Galaxy (a US team) and has achieved numerous records. He was the first English player to win titles in 4 different countries (England, Spain, USA and France), the first English player to score in three different world championships and the first British footballer to play 100 Champions League matches.
Wayne Rooney
The English footballer was born in Liverpool in 1985 and made his debut for Everton, setting the record for money paid for a teenage player, this was because he was seen as one of the most promising young footballers at the time. After just two seasons with Liverpool, he moved to Manchester United in 2004, where he played for 13 seasons. He gained international fame when he played with the England national football team at the European Championship, scoring no less than 4 goals, beating his more experienced strike partner Michael Owen. After a brief return to Everton, he moved to Derby County in the Championship, where he finished his playing career and is now coaching.
Conclusions
Great Britain is and will certainly remain for a long time an important name in world sport, especially in terms of football. Competitions featuring some of today’s best-known British sportsmen and women can be found in the bookmakers’ offerings, including online. Bet on your favourite sports too!
