England appointed Thomas Tuchel as manager in October 2024, with the German officially taking charge of the Three Lions in January 2025.
Tuchel becomes the second overseas manager of the England men’s national team, after Sweden’s Sven-Göran Eriksson spent five years in charge between 2001 and 2006.
But what about players? Here, a look at the England men’s internationals who were born outside the country they went on to represent…
Tony Dorigo (Australia)
Tony Dorigo was born in Melbourne, Australia and moved to England after a successful trial with Aston Villa, having written to 14 top-flight clubs asking for a chance.
After gaining British citizenship, Dorigo represented the England Under-21s and England B, before winning 15 caps for the senior side between 1989 and 1993. Aston Villa manager Tony Barton previously denied Dorigo permission to travel after he was called up by Australia for their 1986 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Owen Hargreaves (Canada)
Born in Calgary, Canada, Owen Hargreaves started his professional career at Bayern Munich and won the Champions League with the Bavarian club. Later, he won it again at Manchester United.
With a Welsh mother and an English father, the midfielder was eligible to represent those two nations, as well as Canada. He chose England and won 42 caps between 2001 and 2008.
Fikayo Tomori (Canada)
Like Owen Hargreaves, Fikayo Tomori was born in the Canadian city of Calgary. A youth player at Chelsea, the defender had a series of loans away from Stamford Bridge before joining AC Milan in a permanent deal in 2021.
Tomori represented Canada at Under-20 level in 2016, but switched allegiance to play for England’s U-19 side a couple of months later. He has been a full England international since 2019.
Cyrille Regis (French Guiana)
Born in French Guiana in 1958, Cyrille Regis moved to England with his family four years later.
Regis started out in non-league football, before making his name in a seven-season spell at West Brom. Later, he spent seven years at Coventry City and was part of the Sky Blues’ FA Cup winning side in 1987. The striker won five England caps between 1982 and 1987. He passed away at the age of 59 in 2018.
Matt Le Tissier (Guernsey)
Born on the island of Guernsey in 1968, Matt Le Tissier moved to Southampton in the mid-1980s and became a legend at the south coast club, where he scored 209 goals in 540 appearances.
Extraordinarily gifted, the attacking midfielder won just eight caps for England between 1994 and 1997.
Marc Guéhi (Ivory Coast)
Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in July 2000, Marc Guéhi moved to England with his family at the age of one.
After coming through the youth ranks at Chelsea, Guéhi joined Crystal Palace in 2021 and the centre-back has been a full England international since 2022.
Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast)
Also born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Wilfried Zaha moved to Croydon with his family at the age of four and started his career with Crystal Palace.
After a short spell at Manchester United, Zaha returned to Palace on loan and then for another eight seasons, before moving to Turkish giants Galatasaray in 2023. Capped twice by England in 2012 and 2013, Zaha later switched allegiance to play for Ivory Coast following a lack of further opportunities with the Three Lions.
Luther Blissett (Jamaica)
Born in Falmouth, Jamaica, Luther Blissett came to prominence during a successful spell at Watford in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Blissett went on to play for AC Milan in 1983/84 and had two more spells at Watford later in his career. He played 14 times for England, scoring three goals.
John Barnes (Jamaica)
Like Luther Blissett, John Barnes was born in Jamaica and started his professional football career at Watford after moving to England with his family at the age of 12.
Barnes went on to become a legend at Liverpool and one of England’s best-ever wingers, winning 79 caps and scoring 10 goals for the Three Lions between 1983 and 1995.
Raheem Sterling (Jamaica)
Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1994, Raheem Sterling moved to London with his mother at the age of two.
A youth player at Queens Park Rangers, Sterling moved to Liverpool and went on to spend seven successful seasons at Manchester City. Later, he played for Chelsea and Arsenal. Between 2012 and 2022, the winger player 82 times for England, scoring 20 goals.
Graeme Le Saux (Jersey)
Born on the island of Jersey in 1968, Graeme Le Saux started his professional career at Chelsea and returned to Stamford Bridge for a second spell after four years at Blackburn Rovers.
The left-back, who later played for Southampton, won 36 caps for England between 1994 and 2000.
John Salako (Nigeria)
Born in Ibadan, Nigeria in 1969, John Salako started his career with Crystal Palace and became a popular player at Selhurst Park.
A winger or attacking midfielder who later played for Coventry, Fulham, Charlton, Reading and Brentford, Salako was capped five times by England in 1991.
Nathaniel Chalobah (Sierra Leone)
Nathaniel Chalobah was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, but later moved to London with his family at the age of seven.
A defensive midfielder, Chalobah started his career with Chelsea and was capped by England in 2018, appearing as a late substitute against Spain in the Nations League in Seville. Previously, he had represented the Three Lions from Under-16 to U-21 level.
Terry Butcher (Singapore)
One of the best English defenders of the 1980s, Terry Butcher won 77 caps for the Three Lions in a 10-year international career and was a starter at three World Cups.
Born in Singapore where his father was commissioned in the Royal Navy, Butcher grew up in Suffolk and started his career at boyhood club Ipswich Town, winning the UEFA Cup with the Tractor Boys in 1981. He later had a successful spell at Rangers.
Gordon Hodgson (South Africa)
Born in South Africa to English parents, Gordon Hodgson was capped twice for Bafana Bafana in 1924.
A talented forward, Hodgson moved to Liverpool the following year and spent over a decade at Anfield. He won three caps for England in 1930 and 1931, scoring once, and later played for Aston Villa and Leeds.
Rob Jones (Wales)
Born in Wrexham, Wales in 1971, Rob Jones started his career at Crewe Alexandra and later became an important player at Liverpool.
The right-back was forced to retire prematurely in 1999 due to persistent injuries. He was capped eight times by England between 1992 and 1995.
