How Many England Players Were Born in Your Region? The facts behind the representation of each region in an England shirt are fascinating. Which region has produced the most England internationals? What positions are most popular regionally? There’s plenty of variables to look into.



With this summer’s World Cup in Russia just around the corner, our team at Greaves Sports conducted their own research into which England players come from where - and why.





Regions



Regional diversity is huge in England, considering the relative small size of our country, we manage to cram in a lot of accents and intricacies.



This diversity is no different when it comes to the regions which players derive from. Towns and cities across the length and breadth of the country have produced a whole host of England footballers; from one-cap wonders to esteemed internationals, they crop up from every nook and cranny.





Regional Division



When it comes to the highest percentage of players from one particular region, this is what we found: 23% North West 13% London 13% W. Midlands On the opposite end of the spectrum, we look to regions which have produced the fewest international players. The South West is in the lead here, having nurtured just 3% of the total 1,234 national players.



This is most likely down to geographical factors; the population is more widespread in the South West and there are fewer bigger cities. In fact, there are as many county cricket grounds as there are professional football teams in the South West (6).

North v South



Furthermore, if England is broken down into North, Midlands and South, these were the findings: North 544 players Midlands 333 players South 316 players The reasons behind this? Perhaps it’s down to the very roots of football; these roots can be traced way back to the medieval times, when - in 1280 - an early incarnation of the much-loved game was accounted near Ashington in Northumberland.



Then of course, there’s the small matter of heritage. Both FIFA and The FA recognise the Yorkshire-based Sheffield F.C as the world’s oldest football club.









Regional Positions



There is also an apparent relationship between a player’s home region and the position that they may play. Location Goalkeepers Defenders Midfielders Forwards North West 20 74 95 98 North East 9 23 44 48 Yorkshire 10 38 40 56 East Midlands 15 21 28 35 West Midlands 17 37 56 50 East of England 9 15 27 23 London 14 37 61 54 South West 6 8 14 11 South East 8 26 36 41

Our research shows that players born in the North West are more likely to be a forward (98), as are players from the North East (48), Yorkshire (56), the East Midlands (35) and the South East (41).



You’re more likely to pick a midfield position if you’re from the West Midlands (56), the East of England (27), the South West (14) and London (61).



Could it be that the North and South of England generally produce more physical players, whereas the Midlands, South and London are predisposed to produce more athletic, technical players?



Let’s look at some examples; physical forwards have a tendency to hail from the North, the Premier League’s all time top scorer is Newcastle-born Alan Shearer - and Andy Carroll of West Ham was born in Gateshead. Both are perfect examples of the archetypal powerful, target man. Compare this to the South, which has typically produced more technically gifted players such as David Beckham (Leytonstone, London), Dele Alli (Milton Keynes) and Jack Wilshere (Stevenage).







Pole Positions





Location

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards North West 20

1 in every 14.25 74

1 in every 3.85 95

1 in every 3.00 98

1 in every 2.90 North East 9

1 in every 13.77 23

1 in every 5.39 44

1 in every 2.81 48

1 in every 2.58 Yorkshire 10

1 in every 13.50 38

1 in every 3.55 40

1 in every 3.37 56

1 in every 2.41 East Midlands 15

1 in every 6.60 21

1 in every 4.71 28

1 in every 3.53 35

1 in every 2.82 West Midlands 17

1 in every 9.41 37

1 in every 4.32 56

1 in every 2.85 50

1 in every 3.20 East of England 9

1 in every 8.22 15

1 in every 4.93 27

1 in every 2.74 23

1 in every 3.21 London 14

1 in every 11.85 37

1 in every 4.48 61

1 in every 2.72 54

1 in every 3.07 South West 6

1 in every 6.50 8

1 in every 4.87 14

1 in every 2.78 11

1 in every 3.54 South East 8

1 in every 13.87 26

1 in every 4.26 36

1 in every 3.08 41

1 in every 2.70

Regions with highest proportion per position





Goalkeepers 1-IN-6 South West Defenders 1-IN-3 Yorkshire Midfielders 1-IN-2 London Forwards 1-IN-2 Yorkshire Highest proportion of goalkeepers can be found in the South West where 1 in every 6 England players from the region played in goal. Could this be linked to the county’s cricketing heritage, given that cricket also involves the catching and throwing of a ball?



Yorkshire has produced some of the most tough-tackling England defenders; 1 in every 3 Yorkshiremen to play for England has been a defender. In fact, there are 5 Yorkshire-born defenders in this year’s World Cup squad in the shape of John Stones (Barnsley), Danny Rose (Doncaster), Fabian Delph (Bradford), Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire (both of Sheffield).



The capital churns out the highest proportion of midfielders, 37% (or 1 in every 2) of players from London choose the centre of the pitch as their preferred position.



Interestingly, Yorkshire has also produced the highest number of forwards (41%), which includes England legend and Ballon D’Or winner Kevin Keegan (Doncaster) and jet-heeled striker Jamie Vardy (Sheffield) among its company.









Regions with lowest proportion per position





Goalkeepers 1-IN-14 North West Defenders 1-IN-5 North East Midfielders 1-IN-3 E. Midlands Forwards 1-IN-3 South West You’re least likely to play between the sticks if you call the North West your home, just one in 14 players from the region have played in goal for England.



Perhaps surprisingly, It’s the North East that’s responsible for producing the least proportion of defenders per region, only one in every five England internationals from the region played at the back.



Midfielders are least likely to herald from the East Midlands. Just 1 in 3 players (28%) to have played for England from the region have played in midfield.



Despite having the highest concentration of goalkeepers, the South West has the lowest concentration of forward players per region, one in every three players who pulled on the Three Lions jersey from there played up top.







