Since the first official international match on November 30 1872, over 1,000 players have been chosen by 15 managers to represent England. As the sport has developed and evolved in the intervening years with the modern game’s emphasis on stamina and fitness, the age of England’s debutants has dropped.
Conversely, all of the 15 oldest England debutants were pre-war, with the exception of 38-year-old Leslie Compton, who made his debut in 1950 and remains the oldest outfielder to win his first cap.
