David Nugent is arguably the most famous Englishman to have appeared just once for his nation, with the striker scoring against Andorra. Indeed, his 11-minute national team career is the shortest of any player who has scored for England.
Francis Jeffers and Steven Caulker also both hold the accolade of scoring in their one and only senior game for England - highlighting that it's sometimes better to leave at the top than stick around for another 64 games.
But here FourFourTwo will run through the 10 players to have most recently played just a single match for the Three Lions. Some will probably never pull on the badge again during their careers, while others look set to embark on successful stints for the national team.
So, without further ado, these are the 10 most-recent players to have amassed just one appearance for England...
England team one-cap wonders: the last 10
1. Alex McCarthy (vs United States, 2018)
After receiving his first England call-up in 2013, McCarthy had to wait a long five and a half years before stepping onto the pitch for his country for the first time. While he had been included - and would continue to be included - in multiple other Three Lions sides, November 2018 proved the only time he would actually play some minutes.
As Wayne Rooney received a sentimental final run-out for his 120th cap, McCarthy replaced Jordan Pickford between the sticks at half-time during a comfortable 3-0 friendly win over the United States. Barely tested during his 45-minute spell as an England player, McCarthy might've hoped for a bit more action.
2. Mason Greenwood (vs Iceland, 2020)
Mason Greenwood's sole England cap to date came shortly before his 19th birthday, during a September 2020 Nations League triumph in Iceland.
That looks set to be the final time he'll play for England, with interim manager Lee Carsley highlighting that Greenwood "wasn't under consideration" to make the squad that played against Republic of Ireland and Finland in September.
3. Harvey Barnes (vs Wales, 2020)
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.
4. Dean Henderson (vs Republic of Ireland, 2020)
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.
5. Patrick Bamford (vs Andorra, 2021)
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.
6. James Justin (vs Hungary, 2022)
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.
7. Eddie Nketiah (vs Australia, 2023)
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. Now at Crystal Palace, the striker will need to hit the ground running if he is to add to his tally for the national team.
8. Jarrad Branthwaite (vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2024)
Having been selected in a squad prior to making England's provisional 33-man team for Euro 2024, Branthwaite made his debut in a warm-up game against Bosnia and Herzegovina as a second-half substitute. And while the Everton man managed to maintain the side's clean sheet and impressed with his tidy passing, Southgate eventually left him out of the final squad.
Injury has since limited his gametime, hence his exclusion from Carsley's latest squad.
9. Adam Wharton (vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2024)
Wharton looks set to become a stalwart for England at the base of midfield in the near future, with the deep-lying playmaker having impressed so much on his debut against Bosnia that Sotuhgate included him in his Euro 2024 squad.
But while he failed to play a single minute in Germany, with Carsley then opting against including him in his latest England squad, Wharton's still a young player with plenty to learn. Keep on his steep learning curve, though, and there's no reason why he can't secure a tonne of caps.
10. Morgan Gibbs-White (vs Republic of Ireland, 2024)
Gibbs-White making the England senior national team has been a long time coming. For a player so instrumental in winning the U21 Euros in 2023, the forward has performed well and impressed at Nottingham Forest, eventually earning him a call-up for the Three Lions.
He made his debut at the Aviva Stadium in England's 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in September, but it likely won't be his last.
