The legacy of the Three Lions will be celebrated as we mark England men’s 1000th international game.
When England hosted Montenegro in the UEFA EURO 2020 qualifier on Thursday 14 November, it was a significant milestone in England’s 147-year history.
And to commemorate the occasion, our current squad took to the pitch wearing individual legacy numbers on their shirts, while the notable contributions of other former internationals were also recognised.
From Robert Barker, England’s goalkeeper in football’s first international match in 1872, at number one to recent debutant Kalvin Phillips at number 1250, every individual to have represented the nation at men's senior level has their own unique place in the Three Lions’ legacy.
As is already recognised in other sports, we will now adopt this tradition moving forward with UEFA granting special dispensation for legacy numbers to be displayed underneath the crest for the 1000th game.
The digits will be moved to the inside of each collar for future fixtures to ensure UEFA regulations are adhered to, but the numbers will become a reference point throughout the squad’s wider set up.
All former England captains, 50+ cap internationals and 1966 World Cup winners were invited to the game, with attendees to be presented with their own unique legacy number memento by FA chairman Greg Clarke.
Viv Anderson, the first black professional footballer to represent England at senior level, will also attend in recognition of his own notable role in the team’s history.
And manager Gareth Southgate was presented with his own legacy number (1071) during a visit to an exhibition celebrating the journey to the 1,000th international at the National Football Museum in Manchester.
See the legacy list in full via the drop down menus below.
