Ranking the 26 England keepers since Seaman: Thank f*** for Pickford
The ranking of England keepers since David Seaman’s final appearance highlights the importance of Jordan Pickford…
England have called up 26 keepers in almost 24 years but very few have thrived in the Three Lions goal.
These are the keepers included in a senior England squad since Seaman bowed out against Macedonia in October 2002…
26) Frankie Fielding – 0 caps
Fielding, aged 22, was fourth-choice keeper at Blackburn behind Paul Robinson, Jason Brown and Mark Bunn when he was called up from the Under-21s by Capello in 2010 to be a substitute against Hungary. His first Under-21 start had come only the night before and Stuart Pearce admitted he had been “lightly raced, in terms of matches”. His last professional appearance prior to sitting on England’s bench at Wembley was on loan at Rochdale the previous season in front of fewer than 5,000. He made up the numbers in two subsequent senior squads and never played for Blackburn in the Premier League before moving to Derby then on to Bristol City. Then on to Millwall. Then Stoke, where he still remains despite having not got his gloves dirty for a few seasons.
25) Scott Loach – 0 caps
The friendly against Hungary in 2010 marked a nadir in England goalkeeping. While Joe Hart manned the sticks, his back-up was Watford keeper Loach and Frankie Fielding. Loach amassed 14 Under-21 caps but his career nosedived shortly after leaving Vicarage Road as his ‘dream move’ to Ipswich turned sour. The 38-year-old was last seen at Newark Town but carved out a nice online niche, doing good work as Coach Loach.
24) Joe Lewis – 0 caps
Lewis had 46 appearances in League Two, spread over spells at Stockport, Morecambe and Peterborough, when he got the call from Fabio Capello in May 2008. The 6ft 5in keeper sat on the bench for both friendlies against USA and Trinidad & Tobago but was never seen again on the senior scene. After it turned sour for Lewis at Posh, he went to sit on Cardiff’s bench before finally finding a home in the Aberdeen goal following spells at Blackpool and Fulham.
23) Marcus Bettinelli – 0 caps
The then-Fulham keeper was in two England squads in the first half of the 2018/19 season. He played only one Premier League game since the second of those call-ups before taking the third-choice route into retirement, first at Chelsea, now Manchester City.
22) Angus Gunn – 0 caps
Gunn has 25 caps – just not for England. Five years after his first senior call-up following a dozen Under-21 caps, Gunn switched allegiance to Scotland, following in his father’s footsteps. A busy summer for Gunn having played at the World Cup and is now trying to get fixed up after being released by Forest.
21) Jason Steele – 0 caps
The Brighton stand-in was called up to Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the March 2026 friendlies against Japan and Uruguay just to audition for the job of World Cup training keeper, which sounds like a very cushy gig indeed.
20) David Stockdale – 0 caps
The goalkeeper, pundit, businessman, philanthropist had eight Premier League appearances behind him as Fulham’s No.2 when Capello called upon him for a friendly against Denmark in February 2011. Stockdale had to turn down a squad place against Switzerland that summer because he wisely identified that getting married was a smarter long-term move, rather than watch a Euros qualifier against Switzerland from the bench or the stand. He made six subsequent squads while on loan at Ipswich, getting on the bench on four occasions. Last seen buying Farsley Celtic.
19) Alex McCarthy – 1 cap
The then-Reading stopper was called up by Roy Hodgson in 2013 and Sam Allardyce in 2016 before finally being handed a cap by Gareth Southgate in 2018. McCarthy is now a free-agent after 10 years at Southampton.
18) Chris Kirkland – 1 cap
The then-Liverpool loanee netted his dad £10,000 when he made his England debut in 2006, but, despite being described by David Platt as the “best young goalkeeper in the world” and Sven-Goran Eriksson as the “future of English goalkeeping”, it was to be his one and only senior cap. Kirkland spoke out about his battle with depression that ultimately ended his career at Bury aged 35.
17) Scott Carson – 4 caps
The then-Liverpool keeper, another one, was first called up by Eriksson in 2005 but his international career is best remembered for a dreadful mistake after being picked over Paul Robinson when Steve McClaren’s England lost to Croatia in a must-win World Cup qualifier in 2007. Two sub appearances followed under Fabio Capello but the long-time City third-choice was just one of a long line of keepers who never looked at home in the England goal.
16) Ian Walker – 4 caps
More than eight years separated Walker’s first and last caps, with only two coming between. His only competitive appearance came as a late replacement for Seaman when Gianfranco Zola’s volley beat Glenn Hoddle’s England in a World Cup ’98 qualifier. The then-Tottenham stopper watched European Championships in 1996 and 2004 with his involvement in the tournament in Portugal coming after a season in Leicester’s net that saw the Foxes suffer relegation. Lovely hair.
15) John Ruddy – 1 cap
Ruddy received his first call-up in Hodgson’s 23-man party for Euro 2012 but the then-Norwich keeper broke his finger in training prior to the tournament and was forced to pull out. To add insult to injury, it was Ruddy’s first broken bone, on his ring finger, just a few days before his wedding. He made a belated debut in a friendly against Italy shortly after the European Championships but remained a one-cap wonder, despite lurking around Hodgson’s squad for two more years. Like so many on this list, now enjoying the third-choice life at Newcastle.
14) Sam Johnstone – 3 caps
The Wolves keeper did not concede a goal for England in his four caps, though half of them came against Andorra.
13) Fraser Forster – 6 caps
Eleven years separated Forster’s first and final call-ups, but between 2012 and 2023, Lionel Messi’s one-time nemesis won only six caps, most of which came during his time at Southampton.
12) Tom Heaton – 3 caps
The Man Utd no.3 was around Hodgson’s England squad for 18 months before finally seeing some action in a pre-Euro 2016 warm-up against Australia. Heaton played two halves under Southgate, conceding four goals against Spain and France, before injury ruined his 2018 World Cup hopes.
11) Jack Butland – 9 caps
Back in 2018, it seemed to be a straight fight between Butland and Jordan Pickford for the No.1 spot at the World Cup. Pickford won a battle from which Butland seemed never to recover. He spent the following two years in the Championship and failed to take his Premier League chance with Crystal Palace, before establishing himself at Rangers.
10) James Trafford – 2 caps
The Under-21s Euros winner earned his first caps in March 2026, two years after first sitting on the senior bench. Pep Guardiola said Trafford would one day be an England goalkeeper, but the Man City boss didn’t fancy him to guard his goal.
9) Ben Foster – 8 caps
The Cycling GK was in and out of the England squad so often since his first call-up in 2007 that it was often hard to know his exact status. Foster retired from international football in 2011 to avoid being away from his young family after Capello treated him quite despicably over wanting to be present at the birth of one of his children – Foster’s not Fabio’s – though Hodgson convinced him to end his 22-month exile. The ex-Man Utd stopper made three further appearances, including his final one at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
8) Dean Henderson – 5 caps
Henderson had his eye on the starting spot before Pickford beat him to it, and while the Everton keeper amassed a mountain of caps, the current Palace stopper has had to make do with the odd one here and there, with Pickford annoyingly robust and consistent.
7) Aaron Ramsdale – 5 caps
Ramsdale seemed a genuine threat to Pickford, especially when he joined Arsenal, but instead of ascending to the no.1 spot, he slipped out of the squad altogether, especially after Mikel Arteta lost faith in him. He made the last pre-World Cup squad but not the final 26 for the tournament having failed to establish himself at Newcastle too.
6) Nick Pope – 10 caps
Pope became the first England keeper to keep clean sheets in his first six appearances and reached double figures while flitting in and out of Southgate’s squad because of issues with form and fitness. Had the same problems with Newcastle, who haven’t yet found a way to replace him.
5) Rob Green – 12 caps
Forever remembered for letting Clint Dempsey’s shot at the World Cup in 2010 slip through his hands and legs, an error which came on his last England start. Green’s brief spell came between James’ occupation of the Three Lions’ goal and Paul Robinson’s stint in the sticks with 10 starts in 63 squad appearances painting an accurate picture of a competent stand-in but never a first choice on the international scene.
4) David James – 53 caps
James eventually replaced Seaman as England’s No.1 in 2002, five years after his senior debut, but he was replaced by Robinson after Euro 2004, following an error against Austria that saw The Sun depict him as an ass while hauling the poor, unsuspecting Mavis the Donkey to England training in a publicity stunt that led to the rest of the squad refusing to speak to the press in solidarity with their vilified team-mate. James regained his No.1 spot under Capello, lost it for the World Cup 2010 opener, got it back again, then lost it again when Hart was installed as No.1, with James pushing 40. Overall, James won 53 caps during a 13-year international career that seems almost impossible to judge as a success or otherwise.
3) Paul Robinson – 41 caps
The then-Leeds goalkeeper made his debut in the same game that Wayne Rooney was introduced to the senior England team – a 3-1 defeat to Australia in 2003 – but despite looking at one point as though he might enjoy a similarly prolonged international career, being first choice at Euro 2004 and the World Cup in 2006, Robinson suffered a slide that resulted in him being dropped by McClaren for the make-or-break Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia – the same opponent who profited from Robinson’s famous air-kick from Gary Neville’s backpass. Despite a series of substitute appearances under Capello, Robinson – by now at Blackburn – failed to make the squad for the 2010 World Cup and retired from international duty shortly after.
2) Joe Hart – 75 caps
England’s fourth-most capped keeper ever suffered a spectacular Pep-prompted fall from grace, so much so that his impressive body of work for England has largely been forgotten after he was bombed by Southgate in an awkward phone call prior to the 2018 World Cup. Southgate wasn’t wrong to say that Pickford, Butland and Pope had all had better seasons, mind. When he was at his best for England, we all assumed he’d push Shilton for his record of 125 caps.
1) Jordan Pickford – 89 caps
Certainly the best England keeper since Seaman and perhaps on his way to being the best ever, despite the weird criticism he prompted at the start of the World Cup. Barring something catastrophic, Pickford will be the second goalkeeper to reach the century of caps and Peter Shilton’s record is in his sights.
