How England lined up last time they beat Brazil with Championship manager in midfield and 3 stars still in top flight
ENGLAND’S last win over Brazil was a Wembley triumph for members of the so-called Golden Generation.
Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard grabbed the goals as Roy Hodgson’s team ran out 2-1 winners in a friendly to celebrate 150 years of the Football Association in 2013.
Ashley Cole won his 100th cap alongside captain Steven Gerrard, who was making his 101st appearance – the first time two England centurions had been on the pitch at once.
Victory was all the sweeter for Cole, the only survivor of the World Cup quarter final defeat by Brazil in 2002.
Ronaldinho, scorer of the freak free-kick winner in that Shizuoka shocker, had a penalty saved in the 19th minute.
Rooney gave England the lead seven minutes later after Brazil ‘keeper Julio Cesar’s initial save from Theo Walcott.
Fred – the striker, not the future Manchester United midfielder – equalised just after the break.
But half-time substitute Lampard struck on the hour, firing home in off the post after Rooney’s lay-off to give the Three Lions only their fourth victory over the samba soccer senores.
Remarkably, three of England’s starting line-up 11 years ago are still playing top-flight football.
Here is the team that Hodgson sent out on February 6 2013:
JOE HART (Manchester City)
The Celtic ‘keeper, now 36, is one of the trio of England stars still plying their trade at the highest level – or the Scottish Premiership, anyway.
Hart will be forever a Manchester City legend after helping them win that elusive title on Aguero Day back in 2012, as well as another Premier League crown, the FA Cup and League Cup.
He saved Ronaldinho’s 19th-minute penalty in this game and his clean-sheet tally of 43 in 75 international appearances is the second highest in England history, behind Peter Shilton.
But Hart’s last cap came in 2017 and Gareth Southgate left him out of his 2018 World Cup squad.
GLEN JOHNSON (Liverpool)
The former West Ham trainee had won a clean sweep of domestic trophies before joining Liverpool, lifting the Premier League and League Cup with Chelsea and the FA Cup with Portsmouth.
A League Cup winner again with the Reds in 2012, Johnson went to that summer’s Euros and then to the disastrous World Cup of 2014, where he won the last of his 54 caps.
Johnson retired in 2019 after being released by Stoke the previous summer.
Now 39, he runs Johnsons Real Estate, the property company he founded with brother Lewis in 2007.
ASHLEY COLE (Chelsea)
The legendary left back broke Arsenal fans’ hearts after controversially quitting the Invincibles to join Chelsea in the tapping-up scandal.
A serial winner with the Blues, he became England’s most-capped full back and arguably the best in his position of all time in a 107-appearance career that included three World Cups and two European Championships.
As a coach, he worked under former Chelsea and Three Lions team-mate at Derby and Everton, then joined Rooney at Birmingham last October.
Cole, 43, has stayed with the Blues after Rooney’s sacking, combining the job with his role as assistant to England Under-21s boss Lee Carsley.
GARY CAHILL (Chelsea)
Another Blues legend to feature in this game, Cahill, 39, won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League and Europa League during his seven seasons with the club.
He racked up 60 appearances for his country, despite having to pull out of Euro squad after a collision with Joe Hart in a warm-up friendly against Belgium left him with a broken jaw.
Had two seasons playing under Hodgson at Crystal Palace then helped Bournemouth return to the Premier League in 2022 before announcing his retirement.
CHRIS SMALLING (Manchester United)
Now 34, the former United centre back is still playing, although his appearances for Roma this season have been limited by knee and ankle injuries.
First made the headlines when he moved directly from non-league Maidstone United to top-flight Fulham in 2008.
Smalling was signed by United in 2010 and won every domestic trophy, including the club’s last top-flight title in 2013, as well as the Europa League, in 10 years at Old Trafford.
Smalling went to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Euros, but was dropped by Southgate in 2017 after winning 31 caps.
STEVEN GERRARD (Liverpool)
The Anfield hero was presented with his Golden Cap for winning 100 caps by Peter Shilton before captaining England to this victory against Brazil.
Only Shilton, Rooney and David Beckham have made more appearances for the Three Lions than Gerrard’s 114. A one-club man – in England at least – he led the Reds to Champions League glory in 2005 and FA Cup triumph a year later.
Brought the Premiership title back to Rangers in 2021 his first managerial, but was sacked by Aston Villa.
Now 43, Gerrard is boss of Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League.
JACK WILSHERE (Arsenal)
The midfielder’s man-of-the-match performance in this game was one of all-too-few highs in a career that promised so much but was wrecked by injury.
Wilshere won two FA Cups with the Gunners, coming on as a sub in both the 2014 and 2015 finals.
Regained form and fitness in a loan spell at Bournemouth, but barely played during three seasons at West Ham before retiring at the age of 30 in 2022 after a spell at Danish side AGF.
Returning to Arsenal as a coach, he guided them to the 2023 FA Youth Cup final.
Now 32, remains in charge of the Under-18s.
TOM CLEVERLEY (Manchester United)
Joined United at the age of 11 and after three loan spells was one of Smalling’s team-mates in the club’s last title-winning squad in 2012/3.
He represented Great Britain at the London Olympics, then won 13 England caps.
Had two seasons at Everton, before joining Watford, where he earned a second FA Cup runners-up medal, after his loan at Aston Villa in 2015.
Injury forced his retirement in 2023 and Cleverley now finds himself, at 34, as the Hornets’ interim head coach in the wake of Valerien Ismael’s departure.
THEO WALCOTT (Arsenal)
Walcott remains England’s youngest senior male international after Sven-Goran Eriksson gave him his debut in May 2006 at the age of 17 years and 75 days – and controversially took him to the World Cup before he had played a Premier League game.
Walcott is also the youngest to score a Three Lions hat-trick, thanks to his treble against Croatia in 2008 when he was 19.
Won three FA Cups with Arsenal, had a spell at Everton and then returned to first club Southampton, retiring after their relegation last year.
Now 35, he has written football-themed books for kids.
WAYNE ROONEY (Manchester United)
England’s second highest marksman grabbed the 32nd of his 53 international goals in this game.
A future Three Lions skipper, he won 120 caps, second only to Shilton’s 125.
After bursting on to the scene as a teenager at Everton, he enjoyed a stellar 13 years at Manchester United, winning numerous trophies and beating Bobby Charlton’s club goalscoring record.
Like Gerrard and Lampard, he is finding management much tougher.
After tough spells at Derby and DC United, he was sacked by Birmingham in January after less than three months in charge.
DANNY WELBECK (Manchester United)
The last of the three members of the starting line-up who is still playing top-flight football, the Brighton striker, 33, is also the third to have been part of Manchester United’s 2012/13 Premier League-winning squad.
Former Old Trafford trainee also won the FA Cup during five injury-hit years at Arsenal, before a short stop at Watford and now four years with the Seagulls.
Welbeck went to three back-to-back major tournaments with England, including the 2018 World Cup with Southgate, but won the last of his 42 caps against Switzerland in September 2018.
SUBSTITUTES
FRANK LAMPARD (Chelsea)
(for Cleverley, half time)
Another player who would reach 100 caps, his goal from the edge of the box decided the match.
LEIGHTON BAINES (Everton)
(for Cole, half time)
The Toffees’ stalwart, 39, is now Under-18s coach at Goodison Park.
JAMES MILNER (Manchester City)
(for Welbeck, 61mins)
The fourth England player from that day who is still around, turning out for Brighton at the age of 38.
AARON LENNON (Tottenham)
(for Walcott, 76mins)
The former Spurs winger, now 38, finished his career at Burnley and retired in 2022.