- Lancashire takes the top spot with 218 players who have played for England being born in the county
- Northumberland and County Durham take second and third, respectively
- Men born in Lancashire have a 0.01% chance of playing for England at international level
Lancashire is the best county for English football, according to new research.
The study by football ticket marketplace FootballTicketpad.com analysed the birth counties of all 1,271 men who have represented England at international level to find the best counties for English football.
It found that the North West county of Lancashire is the most productive, with 218 players that have played for England’s men’s team being born there. This, when accounting for population size, produces 14.55 England players per 100,000 people and a 0.145% chance of playing for the Three Lions. Recent examples of players coming from the county include Harvey Barnes and Sam Johnstone, along with England veterans like Steve McManaman and Tom Finney.
Northumberland takes second despite its smaller size, as the county has produced 37 England players, which, when accounting for population, gives it a score of 11.55 England players per 100,000. Notable players from Northumberland include the likes of Bobby Charlton and Alan Shearer, with more recent examples like Fraser Forster.
With a total of 84 players, County Durham comes in third place. When compared against the population, the county has an England players per 100,000 people score of 9.69. Notable players born in the county include Paul Gascoigne, Bryan Robson, Bobby Robson and Chris Waddle.
| # | County | No. of England players born | Population | England players per 100,000 people | Chance of playing for England |
| 1 | Lancashire | 218 | 1,498,300 | 14.55 | 0.0145% |
| 2 | Northumberland | 37 | 320,274 | 11.55 | 0.0116% |
| 3 | County Durham | 84 | 866,846 | 9.69 | 0.0097% |
| 4 | Staffordshire | 85 | 1,131,052 | 7.52 | 0.0075% |
| 5 | Warwickshire | 34 | 571,010 | 5.95 | 0.0060% |
| 6 | West Yorkshire | 103 | 2,320,214 | 4.44 | 0.0044% |
| 7 | Derbyshire | 40 | 1,053,316 | 3.80 | 0.0038% |
| 8 | Nottinghamshire | 43 | 1,154,195 | 3.73 | 0.0037% |
| 9 | Shropshire | 17 | 498,073 | 3.41 | 0.0034% |
| 10 | Cheshire | 31 | 1,059,271 | 2.93 | 0.0029% |
Staffordshire takes fourth place in the list, with a total of 85 England players being born in the county. This means there are roughly 7.52 England players per 100,000 people. Recent examples of England starters include Aaron Ramsdale, with 20th-century stars like Stanley Matthews also being born in the county.
Coming in fifth place is Warwickshire, with a total of 34 England players being born in the county. When taking population into account, there are 5.95 England players per 100,000 people. Recent examples of players from the county include James Milner, Fabian Delph and Aaron Lennon, along with veterans like Gordon Banks being born there.
Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson from FootballTicketPad said: “Looking at the selection of counties in the top ten, it’s clear that a lot of England’s footballing pedigree comes from the north. It’s interesting to see the areas that have produced the most international stars, and how accounting for population can really highlight where this pedigree is focused.”
The analysis was conducted by FootballTicketpad.com, a ticket marketplace where fans can buy and sell tickets for football matches worldwide.
Further information can be found at footballticketpad.com.
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