Over the years, England have had many great players. That said, it could be argued that they've only had one great team, which would be the 1966 World Cup winners.
Since that tournament win, the Three Lions have come agonisingly close to more honours – as seen with Gareth Southgate's teams that lost in back-to-back Euro finals – but have also looked dismal, as best exemplified by Steve McClaren's side that failed to qualify for Euro 2008.
Back in 2015, England's senior team had just beaten Lithuania, maintaining their 100 per cent record in the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. The first XI from that match was: Joe Hart, Nathaniel Clyne, Leighton Baines, Phil Jones, Gary Cahill, Jordan Henderson, Michael Carrick, Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph, Danny Welbeck, and Wayne Rooney.
It seemed, however, that Jamie Carragher wasn't that impressed with the group. He even went as far as to say that his old England Under-21 teammates could have beaten them. Taking to social media, he posted a picture of the U21 starting XI that beat Yugoslavia 3-0 in Barcelona 15 years prior. He added the message:
"15 years ago today this team won in Barcelona to qualify for the Euros. Beat the full England team now this team!"
The question is, now over 25 years on from that game, what has happened to those U21 talents of the past, and were they really good enough to be a senior side?
Richard Wright
In goal that night was Richard Wright, he managed just two senior caps for England but had a respectable career playing for the likes of Ipswich, Arsenal, Everton and West Ham. Incidentally, he would end his career at Manchester City as back-up to Hart – who played in that 2015 match vs Lithuania and had a much better international career.
Kieron Dyer
Kieron Dyer actually had a solid international career, managing 33 caps for the Three Lions. He made his name at Ipswich before moving to Newcastle, but injuries really hurt his prospects. He now works as a first-team coach at EFL League Two side Chesterfield.
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand turned out to be a genuine star in football and will be remembered as one of the best English defenders of all time. He played 81 times for the Three Lions as part of a Golden Generation which never quite delivered on its promise.
His greatest moments came with Manchester United as he won six Premier League titles and one Champions League. These days, he's best known for his questionable hot takes as a football pundit.
rio ferdinand frank lampard
Jamie Carragher
Carragher also had a fine club and international career. At Liverpool, he was part of the famous 2005 Champions League triumph, and also got his hands on two FA Cups, a UEFA Cup, and three League Cups. He managed 38 senior caps for England.
In retirement, he's become one of the biggest names in football punditry.
Seth Johnson
One of the lesser-known names in this article, Seth Johnson was a regular at U21 level, playing 15 times for England. He also managed one cap for the senior team, which came in November 2000 when he was a Derby County player.
Sadly, a knee injury led to his early retirement at the age of just 28. Away from the game, though, he's worked in property investment and is also a member of Ingenious Film Partners 3 LLP, a company which has provided financial backing for a whole host of successful films, including Life of Pi, Avatar and Shaun of the Dead.
Lee Hendrie
Lee Hendrie is another one-cap wonder, playing for the Three Lions at the age of 21 as a late substitute on 18 November 1998 against the Czech Republic. His best years came for Aston Villa, with over 250 appearances between 1994 and 2007.
Like others on this list, he's gone into football punditry since hanging up his boots. He's also been publicly open about his mental health struggles, having been declared bankrupt in 2012.
Steven Gerrard
Little needs to be said about Steven Gerrard. Playing alongside Carragher, he proved himself to be one of the club's greatest players and will forever be rated as a true icon of English football.
After hanging up his boots, having managed 114 international caps, he's worked as a manager at Rangers, Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq. He's bound to end up in the Anfield dugout eventually.
Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard
Frank Lampard
Another legend of the sport, Frank Lampard, shone for Chelsea over a glittering career, winning won three Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, four FA Cups, and two League Cups. He also picked up 106 England caps.
Unlike Gerrard, Lampard has returned to his old club to become manager, working twice at Chelsea but not making the same impact he did as a player. Things have gone much better at Coventry City, having led them to Premier League promotion in 2026.
Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry wasn't quite on the same level as Gerrard and Lampard, but he still won 53 caps. Not only that, but he lifted the Premier League and made a total of 653 Premier League appearances, which was a record until James Milner pipped him in 2026. He also got his hands on the FA Cup during his time at Man City.
He retired in 2020, although he briefly played for Hurstpierpoint in 2025, who play in the 12th tier of the English football pyramid. He has also played for Temple Grafton Cricket Club in the Cotswold Hills League since 2019.
Emile Heskey
In his prime, Emile Heskey was a fine Premier League striker, scoring over 100 goals in the English top-flight. At international level, he also made a decent impact. Although he netted just seven goals in 62 appearances, his selfless style saw him regularly picked by a selection of different managers.
These days, Heskey will be hoping his two sons can follow in his footsteps, with both playing for Manchester City. The 48-year-old also currently works as head of football development for Leicester City Women.
Emile Heskey
Andy Campbell
Campbell was the only member of the team who failed to get a senior cap. The finest moment of his career probably came when he helped Cardiff win promotion to the Championship with a goal in the play-off final against QPR. However, his only Premier League appearances came with Middlesbrough.
He later spent time in non-League football, playing for the likes of Farsley Celtic, Bradford Park Avenue, and ended his career at Whitby Town in 2012. In retirement, he managed Middlesbrough Women between 2021 and 2023, and is now the football director of Thornaby FC.
It's hard to say which team would be the other, but it's fair to suggest it could be close. It's also worth noting that Carragher's U21 team went on to pick up 491 caps for England, while the team in 2015 had a total of 334 caps at the time.