Former Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney included a surprise former Liverpool player among his three favourite Three Lions teammates. But perhaps even more surprisingly, he left Paul Scholes out in the cold.
Indeed, 'Wazza' only played alongside four players more often than he did the 'Ginger Prince', with the pair winning eight major honours together across 242 appearances for club and country. That glittering haul includes five Premier League titles and a Champions League crown, which made it no surprise when Rooney named Scholes in his XI of the greatest Man United teammates he ever played with.
If his picks for his favourite England teammates are anything to go by, however, then it can only be concluded that the Three Lions had an embarrassment of riches at their disposal.
The trophy cabinet at Wembley Stadium compared to the one at Old Trafford may tell a different story, but Rooney's selections seem to suggest otherwise, with him only naming one Man United player compared to two from the old enemy.
Rooney Names his Three Favourite England Teammates
David Beckham and Wayne Rooney in action for England
Taking part in a recent Q&A on Reddit, Rooney - who has been working for the BBC as a pundit during the 2026 World Cup while he weighs up his next managerial move - was presented with the difficult question. He answered (see below):
"I had two. I think one would probably surprise you. One was Steven Gerrard. Well, three, actually. Steven Gerrard, I just really liked playing with Stevie. David Beckham was also excellent to play with because, as a forward, you knew when he got the ball out of his feet, it was coming in the box so you could make your run.
"The other one was Emile Heskey, who I really liked and enjoyed playing up front with. I could play off him when he'd hold the ball up well. And then I could play behind and in front of him and get on the ball, and he was really good to play with."
David Beckham remains England's all-time leading assist provider, registering 39 assists across 115 international appearances between 1996 and 2009.
Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard captained Rooney during the final tournaments of his England career, which goes a long way towards explaining why both men got the nod. After all, they often operated just behind him, pulling the strings and serving chances up on a plate for the striker to feast on.
Emile Heskey Remains One of England's Most Underrated Strikers Ever
Emile Heskey
Humble and hard-working, Heskey was an England regular under the tenure of Sven Goran Eriksson. But he was also subjected to plenty of dismissive comments about his ability and whether or not he merited a place in England’s starting eleven, and quickly became one of those players that his nation's population just couldn't seem to watch without mocking.
This sometimes even spilled into hatred, which seemed particularly disrespectful when the Liverpool cult hero was simply fulfilling a role given to him, to hold the ball up and bring midfielders into play. It’s true, he wasn’t prolific as a striker, with 154 goals in 742 club appearances, but he could not be accused of not giving his all for his teammates in those games.
Heskey has remained involved in football since hanging up his boots, working as a forwards coach for Macclesfield FC. He has also worked as the head of women's football development at Leicester, and as the assistant manager for the England under-18s, proving his undying love for the beautiful game. Having once been named by Rivaldo as the one English player that could have fit into Brazil's 2002 squad, and now being lauded by Rooney, perhaps some revisionism is needed.