MX23RW : Saturday, April 20 01:25:36| >> :600:194227:194227:

Top 20 England players of all time - #9

Sports Mole's countdown of the top 20 England players of all time continues with number nine - Bryan Robson.

Bryan Robson (90 caps, 26 goals)

Bryan Robson in action for England on June 09, 1985.© Getty Images

Had it not been for his lengthy list of injuries, Bryan Robson would most likely have a deserved place among the exclusive club of England centurions.

The box-to-box midfielder was one of the first names on the teamsheet when fit and still managed to accrue 90 caps for his country - a tally which placed him fifth on the all-time list at the time of his retirement.

Sixty-five of those appearances came as captain too, with only Bobby Moore and Billy Wright having led England out on more occasions, and his exploits with the national team and Manchester United earned him the nickname 'Captain Marvel'.

After making his international debut in 1980, Robson was very much a fixture of the first team by the time the 1982 World Cup came along and he got England off to the best possible start with the opening goal after just 27 seconds of their first game against France - a World Cup record which stood until 2002.

Injuries curtailed his role in both the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, though, and he eventually retired in 1991 having scored 26 times in his 90 appearances.

Robson made his name at club level with West Bromwich Albion before a British record transfer to Manchester United, where he helped the team to three FA Cups, the League Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup before lifting the first two Premier League titles.

It speaks volumes for the quality of the tireless Robson that, in 2011, he was voted as Manchester United's greatest ever player from a poll of ex-United players.

ID:300265: cacheID:300265:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2665:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Read more about England Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
2Arsenal32225575264971
3Liverpool32218372314171
4Aston Villa33196868491963
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle321551269521750
7Manchester UnitedMan Utd32155124748-150
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham33139115258-648
9Chelsea31138106152947
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves32127134651-543
12Fulham33126154951-242
13Bournemouth32119124757-1042
14Crystal Palace3289153754-1733
15Brentford3388174758-1132
16Everton3298153248-1627
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3379174258-1626
18Luton TownLuton3367204670-2425
19Burnley3348213368-3520
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3237223084-5416


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!