Just like Spain and several other national football teams, England lost a few of its longtime veteran players after an early exit from the World Cup this past summer. Now, the country is rebuilding and welcoming young and promising talent into the fold. But who are the stars of the squad? Who are the players whose names you will want emblazoned across the back of your England home kit, or the players you will think of as you dress your infant in a baby England football shirt?
At Soccer Box, we have player specific home and away kit jerseys for Steven Gerrard (for a bit of nostalgia) and Wayne Rooney, both of whom captained the English team over the past year. These England 2014 2015 jerseys were worn at the World Cup, but Gerrard has since retired, with Rooney replacing him as captain. Soccer Box has youth and adult versions of both football shirts available, as well as several baby shirt options. For instance, we have stock available of the England infant home kit 2014 2015!
This baby England football shirt is a miniaturized version of the same home soccer jersey that the British national side wore at the World Cup. They will also wear the shirt throughout the 2014 and 2015 rounds of qualification for the 2016 European Championships. The infant home kit includes a home shirt, a pair of baby soccer shorts, and a pair of Nike-emblazoned socks.
Recent Departures
So back to the original question: who are the current stars of the England national football team?
To answer that question, we have to first look at the soccer veterans who officially retired from international play this summer. Gerrard was probably the biggest departure, taking off the captain's kit and passing that title to Rooney. However, the 2014 World Cup also saw the last international football appearances of Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard.
These three departures could have all been substantial blows for the British side, since Gerrard, Cole, and Lampard are all on the top 10 list of England's most capped players. Gerrard is currently ranked at number three, with 114 caps and 21 goals.
Cole is just slightly behind, with a count of 107 caps that makes him the country's most capped full-back in history. Lampard, meanwhile, is just behind him, with 106 caps. Lampard's goal count was 29.
New Arrivals and Continuing Stars
Not getting to celebrate these three celebrity players with gear like the England infant home kit 2014 2015 has been sad. However, all three led incredible careers, and all three can still be seen on the club level.
Meanwhile, their absences have forced a bit of a shakeup for the lineup of the 2014 2015 England national team. However, based on the country's performance thus far in the qualifiers for Euro 2016, those mix-ups have actually helped to make things fresh again for the squad.
The biggest blow, obviously, came with England's midfielders, as both Gerrard and Lampard played that position. As a result, the English midfielder lineup is fairly young and green.
The youngest of these is Raheem Sterling, a 19-year-old who plays for Liverpool. Sterling has had quite the successful career since moving up to the senior Liverpool and England lineups in 2012. He is one to watch for a long and fruitful career, and we could one day be seeing his name on the "most capped players list".
Of the English footballers still playing on an international level, only Wayne Rooney is already on that list. At 29 years of age, the captain and forward has made 99 appearances with his country's national squad. That makes him the ninth most capped player in English history.
If you buy an England infant home kit 2014 2015 or an adult away shirt this year, make a point of cheering for Wayne Rooney. He has currently scored 43 international goals. That puts him in fourth place on the list of the country's top goal scorers. Just six more in his career will allow him to tie famed forward, Sir Bobby Charlton, at the top of the list. Rooney has scored five goals in 2014.
Interested in cheering on the English squad and its numerous star footballers? Stop by Soccer Box today and check out our selection of home shirt and away kit items. If you're shopping for your baby or infant, check out our 2014 2015 baby England football shirt selection!