Five Leicester City Academy Graduates Who Played for England

After a tremendous display from a youthful Leicester City side yesterday,  it’s only right that we take a look at their predecessors. Before the likes of Jeremy Monga and Jake Evans, there have been many academy graduates to make the step up to the first team. Peter Shilton, Gary Lineker, and Emile Heskey are among the names to have made the step to representing England after coming through the academy.

Leicester City Academy Graduates Who Played For England

Peter Shilton

Leicester-born goalkeeper Peter Shilton had an illustrious career after rising through the ranks at his boyhood club. He became the club’s youngest player when he debuted at age 16, and even became the club’s replacement for World Cup winner Gordon Banks.

As a result of a stunning career at club level, Shilton was England’s Number 1 for much of the 80s. His time in the England setup is regarded as one of the most decorated, as he still to this day holds many records.

For example, he has the most caps for England at the World Cup, with 17. Both the 1986 and 1990 tournaments saw much improvement for the Three Lions as they reached the quarter-finals and semi-finals. The Diego Maradona ‘hand of God’ goal is one of the most memorable moments in all of football, as Shilton was beaten to the ball.

The goalkeeper eventually ended his career with 125 caps, which is still the most of any other English player.

Gary Lineker

Another notable figure to make the step up to the national team was Gary Lineker. The striker also began his career within his boyhood club’s youth system, and made the step up to the first team at age 18. He went on to score 95 goals for the Foxes before moving to the likes of Everton, Barcelona and Spurs.

Due to his goal-scoring pedigree, Lineker became a mainstay within the England setup. Accolades during his 80 caps for the national team include five hat-tricks, the most World Cup goals from an English player and the 1986 World Cup Golden Boot.

Overall, the forward’s 48 goals for England have left him widely recognised as one of the best finishers for the nation. Bobby Robson best summed up his talent when he said: “Gary was simply the best finisher I’ve ever seen.”

Emile Heskey

Another junior who joined the club from a young age, having grown up in the city. Heskey made his first team debut at the age of 17. He helped them win two European Cup Finals, promotion to the Premier League, and much more. These stellar performances led to moves to Liverpool, Birmingham City and Aston Villa.

Throughout this period, the striker also made his mark for his country. Having first appeared at 21 against Hungary, Heskey went on to make 62 appearances for England. He found the net on seven occasions and became a prominent figure for the struggling England sides in the 2000s.

His time in the setup came to an end in 2010 following the South Africa World Cup. In summary, the forward managed to have a successful career, although he may have wanted to end with more goals.

Ben Chilwell

Following on from Heskey’s success at Leicester, the club went through a tough patch. They went into administration, and the turmoil left the Foxes in League One. As a result, the rise of academy players to making appearances for England was few and far between.

Ben Chilwell was one of the next major academy graduates as he joined the club aged 12. He was later named Academy Player of the Year for 2014/15 and even snubbed Liverpool. The youngster eventually broke into the first team, playing in the Champions League quarter-final.

Chilwell then became a mainstay at left-back, which led to a stunning £50m move to Chelsea. He has since won the Champions League and the FA Cup with Chelsea and Crystal Palace, respectively.

The full-back’s time in the National team came as no surprise as he was prominent in the youth squads. In 2018, his Three Lions debut came, and he made multiple squads, including the European Championship side in 2021. This all made up his 21 caps for England, a total he will be looking to add to.

Harvey Barnes

Similarly to Chilwell, Barnes was another product of the club’s in the late 2010s. The Burnley-born winger joined the academy aged nine, having moved to Leicestershire at a young age. He made his first-team debut in a 5-0 Champions League defeat to Porto and, after loan spells, became a prevalent figure in the first team. Under Brendan Rodgers, he played a role in back-to-back top-five finishes, FA Cup and Community Shield victories.

This, however, was short-lived as he was also part of the side that got relegated in 2023. This led to a move up north to Newcastle United, where he recently captured Champions League football.

Success at club level led to Barnes joining fellow past and present teammates Harry Maguire, James Maddison and Chilwell. His one and only England cap came in a friendly against Wales in 2020. The 17 minutes played at Wembley that day remain his total in an England shirt.