Gary Lineker is one of England's greatest ever strikers. With 48 goals from 80 caps, the former Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham star boasted an exceptional hit rate at international level, and was even crowned the World Cup Golden Boot winner in 1986.
Accordingly, his opinions on the England national team are certainly worth listening to. While generally discussed far less than the Golden Generation of the 2000s, who continually disappointed at major tournaments despite having world-class players, and the current crop, who have reached a succession of finals under Sir Gareth Southgate, Lineker's Three Lions era saw the side reach the semi-final at the 1990 World Cup, their best showing since winning the tournament in 1966.
There were immense disappointments as well; the former Barcelona front-man was on the pitch when Diego Maradona eliminated England from the 1986 World Cup with two of the most memorable goals in football history, while he never got past the group stages of the European Championship.
Nonetheless, England still produced some great players during the 1980s and early 1990s, and Lineker's One-2-Eleven composed entirely of England team-mates is testament to that.
Goalkeeper - Peter Shilton
125 England caps
Peter Shilton
"This was probably my easiest pick, primarily because he was my boyhood hero. I ended up playing with him for England and also roomed with him for a number of years. And he was still playing when I retired!"
Shilton was indeed a long-time servant to the Three Lions and remains their all-time record appearance holder with 125 caps. Lineker and Shilton were both Leicester born-and-bred, but didn't overlap within the Foxes' first team. By the time Lineker had broken through in 1978, Shilton was busy winning the First Division and subsequently back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest.
Shilton remains a legendary goalkeeper within English football, famed for being an imposing physical presence despite measuring in at just 6 foot, and also possessing exceptional shot-stopping ability.
Right-Back - Viv Anderson
30 England caps
Viv Anderson for Arsenal
"He was a brilliant athlete. He could go up and down that right-hand side. An intelligent footballer and a really great character. Great fun."
Another member of Forest's Europe-conquering side, Anderson enjoyed an incredible club career that also saw him represent Arsenal and Manchester United, although his success with them was limited to only a League Cup and FA Cup respectively.
Anderson represented England across ten years but only picked up 30 caps in that time; he faced competition for the right back berth from Phil Neal, an eight-time title-winner with Liverpool, and later Everton's Gary Stevens.
Nonetheless, Anderson clearly left a lasting impression on Lineker and he's fondly remembered as just the third non-white player to ever represent the Three Lions, doing so at a time when Black footballers were beginning to become far more prominent in English football.
Left-Back - Stuart Pearce
78 England caps
Stuart Pearce bearing the scars of Basile Boli's headbutt at Euro 1992
"I'd be too terrified to leave him out. I remember playing against him at Forest. He hit a free kick - I was in the wall - he hit it so hard and it hit me in the proverbials, and he just looked at me and thought it was hilarious. It's one of the few times I've actually seen him smile. But a terrific player, and so strong."
Nicknamed 'Psycho' for his aggressive style of play and a scruffy demeanor that made him look slightly unhinged, Stuart Pearce is a cult hero of English football.
He made over 500 appearances for Forest, winning the League Cup and Full Members' Cup twice, and held down England's left-back slot for more or less a decade, accumulating 78 caps, after replacing Kenny Samson.
While Pearce is predominantly remembered for no-nonsense tackles, he was also something of a dead ball specialist and finished his club career with over 100 goals.
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Centre-Back - Des Walker
69 England caps
Des Walker with Paul Gascoigne for England
"Des wasn't the greatest footballer in the world. He probably couldn't pass it from me to the camera. But he was unbelievably quick, had a brilliant defensive mind."
Before the backpass rule came into effect in 1992, Des Walker was one of the best defenders around. Blessed with immense athleticism and defensive nous, the security of being able to roll the ball back to his goalkeeper at any point allowed Walker to carry out his job with maximum efficiency.
He was also rarely absent, making 40+ appearances in 15 seasons, having never suffered serious injuries or picked up bookings, keeping suspensions to a minimum. Walker represented England for just five years but in that time made a staggering 59 appearances, failing to feature in just five games.
While he struggled more after the backpass rule came into effect, coinciding with a loss of pace, he was incredibly good at what he did. Never in the spotlight - to the extent that he scored just a single career goal - and yet always vital to his team's fortunes.
Centre-Back - Terry Butcher
77 England caps
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"The other central defender had to be Terry Butcher. Great defender and a really good player as well."
In an era of tough, no-nonsense centre-backs, they didn't come much tougher than Terry Butcher. While his club career saw limited success by today's standards - a UEFA Cup with Ipswich Town and a series of title wins with Rangers in Scotland - he remains a legendary figure within England's history, not least for the iconic image of playing with his head wrapped in bandages, wearing a blood-stained Three Lions shirt, during a crucial World Cup qualifier against Sweden.
Butcher was part of the England setup for ten years and captained the side in the latter stages of the 1990 World Cup after Bryan Robson was forced out with injury.
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Right Midfield - Chris Waddle
62 England caps
Chris Waddle
"Chris Waddle was the most wonderfully gifted footballer. I used to love playing with Chris Waddle. He could beat people easily. He had two wonderful feet. There was a sixth sense between us; I used to drift away and then dart to the near post and he used to whip these balls in."
One of English football's more underrated players, Chris Waddle is lauded abroad for helping Marseille win three consecutive French titles and reach the final of the European Cup, but struggled for the same success back home and is rarely mentioned when discussing England's greatest ever talents.
Uniquely two-footed, creative, delicate on the ball and brilliant at carrying it forward, Waddle was a special talent and enjoyed cult hero status for virtually all the clubs he played for. He made 62 appearances for the Three Lions but missed the decisive penalty in the semi-final shootout at Italia 1990, kickstarting a trend of England eliminations in that manner at major tournaments.
Left Midfield - John Barnes
79 England caps
John Barnes
"One of the most gifted footballers I've had the pleasure to play with and a great bloke to boot. He got a little bit of stick at times with England. While in his prime for Liverpool he did seven or eight brilliant things in a game, for England he would still do, even when he was quiet, two or three things. He was really gifted."
One of the most naturally gifted English footballers ever, Barnes was a fascinating combination of power, poise and technical excellence. He spent the majority of his club career with Watford and Liverpool, and at his peak was unquestionably the best player in English football, recognised by his PFA Player of the Year award in 1988 as the Reds won the First Division.
Injuries forced Barnes to reinvent his playing style, becoming less of a dynamic wide forward and more of a deep-lying central midfielder. But he was still consistently impacting top flight games as late as 1999 having made his First Division debut way back in 1982.
Barnes was always accused of under-delivering for England, yet made 79 appearances and scored one of the Three Lions' greatest goals with his solo run against Brazil.
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Central Midfield - Bryan Robson
90 England caps
Bryan Robson of England
"This was the hardest [position] of all. In the end, I had to go with Bryan Robson. Inspirational footballer. If he hadn't had the injuries that he did, I think he would've eclipsed all records for midfield players in appearances for England and I think England might have won something."
Could Bryan Robson have brought football home, or is that just wishful thinking on Gary's part? He was certainly a phenomenal footballer and regarded as one of the best box-to-box midfielders of all time, capable of contributing to all facets of play and boasting an incredibly strong all-round game.
It's also certainly true that Robson had a terrible knack of suffering injuries at major tournaments; despite being England captain, he was ruled out of the 1986 and 1990 World Cups after the second game due to injury.
During the latter edition of the competition, the Three Lions reached the semi-finals. It's possible Robson could've pulled them over the line, although his replacement in the team - David Platt - proved to be one of England's best players.
Central Midfield - Paul Gascoigne
57 England caps
Paul Gascoigne celebrates for England
"Mad as a box of frogs, is to this day. But what a player. The most naturally gifted footballer, I would say, that this country has produced. I wouldn't say he's the greatest footballer this country's produced because he didn't realise his potential and he also played a little bit for himself at times. He'd beat three players unbelievably and lose it to the fourth."
There is nothing 20th century football enjoyed more than the concept of a flawed genius - players who scored a hat-trick on Saturday afternoon and yet by the early hours of Sunday morning were drinking away their demons in the local nightclub, getting into fights and snapped by the paparazzi. That was Gazza through and through. Burdened by childhood trauma, the pain he carried seem to breed incredible creativity and self-destruction in equal measure.
Regardless of the many off-pitch problems Paul Gascoigne faced, he is often considered to be English football's greatest natural talent, capable of doing anything with the ball at his feet. His famous tears at Italia 1990 after realising he'd be suspended for the final remain an iconic image that won the hearts of a generation.
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Striker - Peter Beardsley
59 England caps
Peter Beardsley in action for England
"I need some sort of depth in my team. People always say what's the best player you've played with; I always say the person who helped me the most, and that was Peter Beardsley. Phenomenal player, unbelievably unselfish."
Gascoigne may have got the media spotlight but Peter Beardsley was an exceptional creative talent as well, one who often doesn't get mentioned enough when discussing England's brightest talents. Part midfielder and part striker, Beardsley would be considered a No.10 in the modern game, someone who linked the midfield with the attack and could both score and create goals.
A club career saw him play for Man United, Liverpool, Everton and Man City, although he's most fondly remembered for his two spells at Newcastle, for whom he notched up 121 goals and 42 assists in 326 appearances.
For England, Beardsley made 59 appearances across ten years. Although he only ever managed one goal at a major tournament, he was excellent at bringing others into the game in dangerous areas.
Striker - Alan Shearer
63 England caps
Alan Shearer celebrates scoring for England.
"At the end of my England career, I played a couple of games with a certain Alan Shearer. His debut for England, we both played together. We both scored against France in a friendly at Wembley. Great international goalscoring record, wonderful Premier League record."
When Lineker's England career came to an end in 1992, he passed the goalscoring mantle onto his future accomplice on Match of the Day, Alan Shearer. Although Shearer fell just short of his predecessor's strike rate with 30 goals in 63 appearances and never reached the latter stages of the World Cup, he remains one of England's greatest ever front-men and was one of the top goalscorers of his era, evidenced by still holding the record for most Premier League goals at 260.
With England, Shearer reached the semi-finals of Euro 1996, but ultimately ended his Three Lions career somewhat prematurely in 2000, aged just 30. He carried on playing at club level for another six years.