England have announced plans to issue legacy caps to every player who has represented the country in a senior international, dating back to the Three Lions' first official match against Scotland 153 years ago.
Of the 1,290 players to have pulled on an England shirt, goalkeeper Robert Barker is recognised as the first in 1872 and Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis the most recent in November 2024.
The Football Association have launched an appeal to trace the surviving family members of former players who have since died so their relatives can receive the red legacy caps in their honour.
Navy blue England caps have traditionally been awarded to players to mark each appearance they make for the national team but the red legacy caps that celebrate their place in the team's length history are an initiative that was first introduced by former manager Gareth Southgate in June 2021 as he took inspiration from other sports such as cricket and rugby.
The 26 players selected in his squad for the delayed 2020 European Championship such as Harry Kane (No. 1,207) and Jude Bellingham (No. 1,258) were the first to receive a legacy cap during a ceremony at St. George's Park in June 2021 and all debutants since have been issued with one. Each player's legacy number has also been printed inside the collar of their match shirts in the years since.
A selection of former players have received legacy caps in special presentations, such as those involved in the EURO '96 reunion in March 2024.
The Lionesses launched their campaign to issue legacy numbers to all current and former players in November 2022. The initiative came one month after members of the team that played in England's first women's international in 1972 were issued with their legacy caps during a special dressing room presentation at Wembley Stadium to mark the 50th anniversary of the game.