14 players in total
©IMAGO
The Champions League final has witnessed some incredible spectacles and moments since the competition was founded in 1992, as well as the now-defunct European Champion Clubs’ Cup that preceded it. English players have certainly played their part in that, and as Arsenal took on PSG at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Saturday, five members of their squad had the opportunity to add their names to list of English goalscorers in the biggest game in club football.
Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly were handed starts by Mikel Arteta for the game, with Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Max Dowman named on the bench. The England pair would get their chance to add their names to the history books to join 14 other Englishman to score in a Champions League or European Cup final. Madueke and Eze later came off the bench.
One of them, of course, is Sol Campbell, the only Arsenal player on the list. His goal opened the scoring for the Gunners in the 2005/06 final before losing 2-1 to Barcelona. As one of Arsenal’s most successful attackers in recent history, Saka would’ve loved nothing more than to add his name to that list. But the 25-year-old was forced into a defensive role and didn’t get a real look at goal, while Eze and Madueke were quiet in the latter stages of the game as PSG won on penalties.
Prestigious names such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, Teddy Sheringham and Steve McManaman have all managed the feat. But only two Englishmen have scored more than once: Sir Bobby Charlton of Manchester United and Liverpool icon Phil Neal.
Interestingly, Dowman would’ve also become the youngest Champions League winner in the competition’s history if Arsenal were successful. At the age of 16 years and 150 days, he would’ve leapfrogged Iker Casillas, the current holder of the record after winning the Champions League with Real Madrid on his 17th birthday in the 1997/98 season. He can still add his name to the list next year if Arsenal reach the final again and beat Danny Welbeck to fourth place.
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