Arsenal have three players in the England squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale and Ben White. It is the most Gunners players in a team since 2006.
The Three Lions fly to the Middle East to face Iran, the United States of America and Wales in Group B. Boss Gareth Southgate will be keen to build on England’s fourth-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. It marked their best finish since finishing fourth at Italia 90.
England have only recorded a better result at a World Cup when the Three Lions won their only title in 1966. They have also not reached successive quarter-finals since the 2002 and 2006 tournaments. England crashed out in the last 16 in 2010 and the group stage in 2014.
Only one Arsenal player featured for England at the 2018 Russia World Cup. Yet Southgate awarded them just 11 minutes through the Three Lions’ seven fixtures. Only one Gunners star also turned out at Brazil 2014, none at South Africa 2010 and two at Germany 2006.
So, with Saka, White and Ramsdale getting three active Arsenal stars in an England squad for a World Cup, HITC Football looks at the last five to play for the Three Lions at a finals…
Welbeck was the only Arsenal star to play for England at the 2018 World Cup
Danny Welbeck was the only Arsenal star to play for England at the 2018 World Cup with a single 11-minute cameo. Southgate brought the 42-cap attacker off the bench for the final part of the Three Lions’ last Group G tie with Belgium. He replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Hodgson took Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain to Brazil 2014 with England
Roy Hodgson took two Arsenal players in England’s 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He selected Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the FIFA tournament in South America. Yet only Wilshere enjoyed time on the pitch as the Three Lions faltered.
Oxlade-Chamberlain strained his medial ligaments and missed England’s defeats to Italy and Uruguay before he made the bench against Costa Rica. Wilshere, on the other hand, came off the bench for 17 minutes against Italy and started the 0-0 draw with Costa Rica.
Capello left Walcott ‘devastated’ with his omission from England’s 2010 squad
England were a major disappointment at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where not one Arsenal player made Fabio Capello’s squad. The Italian omitted Theo Walcott from the Three Lions’ 23-man squad at the last chance for Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Capello felt he could not take the 47-cap speedster as well as Lennon and Wright-Phillips. Walcott declared at the time that he was “very disappointed” but “completely respect Mr Capello’s decision”. The Guardian also reported the forward was ‘devastated’ to miss out.
Walcott was one of three Arsenal players on England’s flight to Germany 2006
Walcott was one of three Arsenal players to board England’s flight to the 2006 World Cup in Germany, though. Sven-Goran Eriksson made the surprise decision to include the winger at just 17 years old and without yet playing any of his 379 career Premier League matches.
But the Southampton product – who joined Arsenal in January 2006 for an initial £5m – did not feature in Germany. His 73 and 107-cap Gunners teammates Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole appeared in one fixture for 33 minutes and five matches for 480 minutes respectively.
Eriksson had taken four Arsenal players to Japan and South Korea in 2002
Eriksson had taken four Arsenal players to Japan and South Korea for the first World Cup in Asia in 2002, too. He had David Seaman, Campbell, Martin Keown and Cole in England’s team. It was Campbell’s second of three World Cup finals after four games at France 1998.
Campbell enjoyed starting roles in all five of England’s fixtures en route to the quarter-final at the 2002 World Cup. Cole also started all of the Three Lions’ ties at the first of his three World Cup finals, having also played in all four games in 2010 after joining Chelsea in 2006.
The 2002 tournament was Seaman’s second World Cup after the 75-cap goalkeeper made his tournament debut in 1998. He was England’s No.1 across both tournaments with five clean sheets over a combined nine games. Keown failed to feature in either 1998 or 2002.
So, should either of Saka, White and Ramsdale feature in Qatar, they would join Campbell, Cole, Seaman, Wilshere and Welbeck in being active Arsenal players to feature for England at a World Cup. Or they can join Keown, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain as unused subs.
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