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FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
Sport
Tom Hancock

England's last 10 one-cap wonders

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Some of these players represented England once and will probably never do so again; others look set to have established Three Lions careers.

Here, FourFourTwo ones through England's 10 most recent one-cap wonders, including a couple of names you might already have forgotten pulled on the shirt.

Let's dive straight in, shall we?!

The record will show that Nathaniel Chalobah has earned one England cap totalling seven minutes of playing time. 'How?!' we hear you ask.

Well, the midfielder – who joined Ben Foster, John Barnes and Luther Blissett as just the fourth Watford player to represent the Three Lions – came on stoppage time at the end of a Nations League win away to Spain in October 2018 (he actually played six minutes and 54 seconds).

Named in several England squads, Alex McCarthy made his senior international debut more than five years after his first call-up, coming on as a half-time substitute in a November 2018 friendly win over the USA at Wembley.

It's hard to see him winning another cap, though: since then, he's fallen down the pecking order at Southampton, losing his place in the team entirely since the Saints' relegation from the Premier League last season.

Mason Greenwood's sole England cap to date came shortly before his 19th birthday, during a September 2020 Nations League triumph in Iceland.

The Manchester United forward, currently on loan at Getafe, is still only 22, but the extensive fallout from the numerous (later dropped) charges against him in 2022 has left his international future up in the air.

Chances are, Harvey Barnes will add to his one England cap – he's shown some great form since joining Newcastle from Leicester last summer; his season has just disrupted by injury – but his debut in an October 2020 friendly success against Wales at Wembley remains his only appearance so far.

If the Three Lions don't come calling again, though, as he's not yet played a competitive game, the winger could still switch his international allegiance to Scotland thanks to his grandparents.

Dean Henderson made his full England debut in a Wembley friendly victory over the Republic of Ireland in November 2020, replacing Nick Pope between the sticks at half-time.

A Manchester United player at the time, the 'keeper has since left Old Trafford permanently to join Crystal Palace, and there seems a decent chance that he'll increase his tally of caps in the near future.

Patrick Bamford missed out on a place in England's Euro 2020 squad, but the Leeds striker got his chance just a couple of months after the tournament, starting the 4-0 2022 World Cup qualifying thrashing of Andorra at Wembley.

Unfortunately for Bamford, he's had a bit of a torrid time with injuries since then and, approaching his 31st birthday and with Leeds currently in the Championship, it will probably take something of a miracle for him to earn another cap.

Another player who's endured a quite hellish time with injuries, Leicester right-back James Justin received his maiden England call-up for summer 2022 Nations League clashes with Hungary, Germany and Italy.

He started the first of those games, only to be forced off at half-time. At 26, though, he'll fancy his chances of getting another opportunity with the Three Lions.

Three players to go then, and you'd expect all of them to get another chance in an England shirt and escape the one-cap wonder club – beginning with Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.

A 2023 European Under-21 Championship winner, he made his senior Three Lions bow in an October 2023 friendly against Australia at Wembley, playing the whole game at left-back.

Off the back of some impressive form for Arsenal, Eddie Nketiah joined Levi Colwill in making his senior England debut against Australia last October.

The striker – who was first called up by Gareth Southgate in August of the same year – replaced goalscorer Ollie Watkins in the 73rd minute at Wembley.

Having emerged as one of Manchester City's most prodigious young players, versatile full-back Rico Lewis earned his first senior England call-up in November last year – having only made five appearances for the U21s.

He played the full 90 minutes as the Three Lions' drew 1-1 away to North Macedonia in their final Euro 2024 qualifier.

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