Still Kicking: 11 Ex-England Internationals You Didn’t Realise Are Still Playing

The game moves fast, but not everyone we filed under “remember him?” has hung up the boots. Across the pyramid and far-flung corners of the globe, a clutch of ex-England internationals are still at it—some thriving, some grinding, all keeping the fire lit. This lot are still lacing up their boots, proving there’s life after the limelight and a few more miles in those legs yet.

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Goalkeeper: John Ruddy (Newcastle United, age 39, 1 cap)

Still in the Premier League at 39—didn’t see that coming, did you? Ruddy, the former Norwich stalwart with a single England cap from 2012, answered Newcastle’s call earlier in 2025. He’s yet to make a competitive appearance with Nick Pope and Martin Dúbravka ahead of him, but the fact he’s back at the top table says plenty about his standards and professionalism after solid spells with Wolves and Birmingham.

Right-back: Carl Jenkinson (Bromley, age 33, 1 cap)

Once an Arsenal hope, then a loanee nomad, Jenkinson took the long road—via Melbourne City and Australia’s Newcastle Jets—before a 2024 switch to National League outfit Bromley. It’s a career that’s zigzagged, but at 33 he’s embraced a fresh chapter and regular football. Not glamorous, just honest graft.

Centre-back: Chris Smalling (Al-Fayha, age 36, 31 caps)

Smalling took his fair share of stick at Manchester United, but two league titles and 31 England caps don’t lie. After leaving Old Trafford, he’s now in Saudi Arabia with Al-Fayha. The criticism always felt louder than the reality—positionally sound, aerially strong, and still a leader at the back.

Centre-back: Steven Caulker (Stjarnan, age 33, 1 cap)

A one-cap wonder for England, a cult cameo as an emergency striker at Liverpool, and a CV that spans Málaga, Alanyaspor and Fenerbahçe—Caulker’s seen it all. These days he’s anchoring the defence in Iceland with Stjarnan and representing Sierra Leone internationally. A true football traveller who never shirked the challenge.

Left-back: Aaron Cresswell (Stoke City, age 36, 3 caps)

After 11 loyal years at West Ham, Cresswell took a free transfer to Stoke in 2025 and has slotted in like he’s lived there for a decade. Three England caps don’t do justice to a full-back who’s built a career on reliable delivery, smart positioning and a wicked left foot.

Right midfield: Andros Townsend (Kanchanaburi Power, age 34, 13 caps)

We all remember the Puskás-nominated thunderbolt at Man City. Townsend’s football odyssey has taken him from Selhurst Park and Luton to Thailand with Kanchanaburi Power. He still carries threat off the flank, still whips a mean strike, and still plays like a lad who loves the big moments.

Central midfield: Gareth Barry (Hurstpierpoint, age 44, 53 caps)

The Premier League’s appearance king—653 and counting in the memory—now turning out in village football with 12th-tier Hurstpierpoint. This is the good stuff: a metronome who made a career from doing the simple things better than most, still playing for the pure love of it at 44. That’s proper dedication.

Central midfield: Jonjo Shelvey (Arabian Falcons, age 33, 6 caps)

That wand of a right foot has found a new home in the UAE’s third tier with Arabian Falcons, where Shelvey wears the armband. After Newcastle and a brief, messy Nottingham Forest interlude, then Caykur Rizespor and Eyüpspor in Turkey, he’s swapped drizzle for desert and kept the captain’s swagger.

Left midfield: Nathan Redmond (Sheffield Wednesday, age 31, 1 cap)

Redmond burst through at Birmingham as a teenager and earned a senior England bow at Southampton. Injuries have been the enemy, but he resurfaced at Sheffield Wednesday in search of rhythm and minutes. The feet are still quick; it’s about getting that engine purring again.

Second striker/No 10: Jay Rodriguez (Wrexham, age 36, 1 cap)

Once tipped for a long England run after shining at Southampton, Rodriguez’s path took him to West Brom and then back to Burnley before joining Wrexham in January 2025. The goals haven’t flowed freely, but the movement and nous remain—he’ll still nick you a chance with clever timing.

Striker: Andy Carroll (Dagenham & Redbridge, age 36, 9 caps)

He’s lived the full English centre-forward experience: towering headers, bruising duels, and the injuries that kept cutting him down just as momentum built. After a stint at Amiens in France, Carroll’s back in London with Dagenham & Redbridge for a well-earned swansong. On his day, defenders still fancy a quiet one when they see him on the teamsheet.

There you have it—an XI that blends nostalgia with sheer endurance. Different levels, different leagues, same love for the game. And that, more than anything, is why football hooks us.

Note: Ages, caps and current clubs per Transfermarkt, correct as of 23 December 2025.