As we celebrate St. George’s Day this week, we turn the spotlight onto the 29 players who have played for the Three Lions while representing Sunderland.
The most recent of these was Jermain Defoe who won the last two of his 59 England caps in 2017. JD scored against Lithuania at Wembley and came off the bench as a late sub in a draw against Scotland at Hampden Park.
England have played full internationals at Sunderland seven times, the most recent against Australia at the Stadium of Light in 2016. On the first occasion the national team hosted a game on Wearside, in 1891, Tom Porteous became the first Sunderland player to be capped. This was at the old Newcastle Road Ground Sunderland played at before they moved to Roker Park. Porteous – who appropriately, as we are marking St. George’s Day, was born in George Street in Newcastle – played in a 4-1 win over Wales. A full back, Porteous actually thought he had scored from a free kick only for it to be disallowed as the free-kick was indirect.
The greatest George to play for Sunderland was George Holley. Inducted into the SAFC Hall of Fame last November, George holds the record for scoring more goals for England while on Sunderland’s books than any other player. A debut scorer against Wales, Holley netted eight goals in 10 full internationals, including braces in 8-2 and 8-1 wins away to Hungary and Austria on consecutive days in 1909. In addition, Holley scored three more goals in as many games against South Africa during an FA tour in the summer of 1910.
Dave Watson is Sunderland’s most capped England international. Man of the Match in the 1973 FA Cup final, Watson won the first 14 of his 65 caps while with Sunderland. Strictly speaking it is another Watson who is Sunderland’s most capped player. Willie Watson played 27 times for England but 23 of these appearances were at cricket! He once scored a century against Australia at Lords and is one of only 12 men to be capped by England at both sports. One of his four caps at football came at Roker Park in 1950, in a 4-2 win over Wales (for whom Sunderland centre-forward Trevor Ford scored both of the visitors’ goals).
In another international at Roker Park Sunderland’s Phil Bach won his only cap as England beat Ireland 13-2 in 1899.
Two of the greatest Sunderland players to be capped by England were Raich Carter and Charlie Buchan, both members of the SAFC Hall of Fame. The Sunderland player most likely to be included in an all-time England team, inside-forward Carter only won 13 caps as his career was interrupted by World War Two. Carter played in a further 18 unofficial war-time internationals, scoring 19 goals. Buchan also had his career split by war, in his case World War One. Sunderland’s all-time record league goal-scorer, Buchan scored four goals in his six full internationals, two of these coming in away wins over Belgium and France when he captained his country.
Another legendary figure to score for England whilst a Sunderland player was ‘The Clown Prince of Soccer’ Len Shackleton. However he was never capped again after scoring a brilliant individual goal against reigning world champions West Germany at Wembley in 1954. Shack’s refusal to bow to officialdom meant that one of the most skilful footballers in the history of the game was only capped five times.
In more recent years, in addition to Defoe, Darren Bent, Frazier Campbell, Danny Welbeck (who was on loan from Manchester United), Michael Gray, Kevin Phillips and Gavin McCann were all capped while playing for Sunderland. Of the England squad likely to go to the Euro’s this summer, Jordan Henderson won the first of what to date are 81 caps while with the Lads. Jordan Pickford was on the bench for England three times as a Sunderland player but wasn’t capped at full level until after leaving the club. Ridiculously Jim Montgomery never won a full cap for England although he was on the bench for a 1969 friendly with France in 1969. Albert McInroy remains the only goalkeeper to win a full cap for England, something he did against Ireland in 1926. Known as Albert the Great, he was born in 1901 – on St. George’s Day.