Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, David Beckham: Who are England's top UEFA Champions League performers?

Friday, December 9, 2022

Which English players have the most appearances and goals in Europe's leading club competition?

David Beckham, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane Getty Images

The champions of England (and indeed Scotland) withdrew from the first edition of the European Cup, and it was not until Manchester United's final success in 1968 that an English side won the continent's top competition. English sides have now won that title 14 times; Spain boasts more wins (19) but no nation can boast as many different winning clubs as England's five: Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man United and Nottingham Forest.

Most appearances by an English player in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

130: Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
115: Gary Neville (Manchester United)
113: David Beckham (Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Paris)
111: John Terry (Chelsea)
108: Ashley Cole (Arsenal, Chelsea, Roma)
107: Frank Lampard (Chelsea, Manchester City)
96: Rio Ferdinand (Leeds United, Manchester United)
91: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)
88: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
87: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

Top-scoring English players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

Watch all Harry Kane's Champions League goals

34: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
30: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
26: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, Chelsea)
25: Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
23: Frank Lampard (Chelsea, Manchester City)
21: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
19: Andrew Cole (Manchester United)
18: Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
18: Peter Crouch (Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur)
17: David Beckham (Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Paris)

Most appearances by English players in UEFA club competition*

150: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)
137: Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
132: Frank Lampard (West Ham, Chelsea, Manchester City)
130: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
127: James Milner (Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool)
124: John Terry (Chelsea)
120: Gary Neville (Manchester United)
119: David Beckham (Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Paris)
115: Rio Ferdinand (West Ham United, Leeds United, Manchester United)
113: Ashley Cole (Arsenal, Chelsea, Roma)

Top-scoring English players in UEFA club competition*

45: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
41: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
40: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, Everton)
32: Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United)
29: Frank Lampard (West Ham United, Chelsea, Manchester City)
28: Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, Rangers)
27: Michael Owen (Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester United)
27: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, Chelsea)
26: Paul Scholes (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City, Chelsea)
25: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

Watch all Rooney's European goals

English players with most appearances for non-English clubs in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

43: Owen Hargreaves (Bayern München)
43: Steve McManaman (Real Madrid)
32: David Beckham (Real Madrid, AC Milan, Paris)
28: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Jadon Sancho (Dortmund)
27: Scott Sinclair (Celtic)
23: Jude Bellingham (Dortmund)
20: Alan Thompson (Celtic), Chris Waddle (Marseille)
19: Mark Hateley (Monaco, Rangers), Trevor Steven (Rangers, Marseille)
16: Kieran Trippier (Atlético)

Key facts

Most successful European club: Liverpool (6 European Cup wins)
Most European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League games: Manchester United (293)
Most European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League goals: Manchester United (533)
First team to compete in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League: Manchester United (semi-finalists 1956/57)
First team to win the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League: Manchester United (1967/68)

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*UEFA club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, European/South American Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup