England's oldest ex-footballer says team 'doing well'

The man believed to be England's oldest former international footballer has praised the Three Lions for their performance so far during the 2026 World Cup.

Frank Blunstone, 91, made five appearances for his country in the 1950s, having started his career at Crewe Alexandra when he was just 16 years old.

He then moved to Chelsea two years later, making 365 appearances for the club and scoring 59 goals before injury forced him to retire aged 29.

While he admitted to not watching much of the 2026 tournament, due to his bedtime being 20:30 BST, he told BBC Radio Stoke England had "done very well" so far, despite a couple of tough fixtures.

Asked how he thought they would do against Norway on Saturday, he said: "It's not an easy game. A lot of teams now, they come out, make sure they don't lose – that's their first priority.

"It's difficult to break down, this is why you get 1-0, 2-1, 1-0 and late goals. They won't attack from the word go."

Blunstone, who was born in Crewe, Cheshire, said the tactic of teams getting "11 behind the ball" would often make the modern game "boring".

He also criticised hydration breaks, referring to the heat he often had to deal with while he was a player.

"I remember playing for England in Portugal on a Sunday afternoon," he added. "It kicked off at 15:00, absolutely steaming hot.

"We got beat 2-0 and we were having cold showers before the game to try and cool down. We had to play in it, we didn't get any breaks."

The left winger was picked for England mere days before they were scheduled to face Wales in 1954, due to an injury suffered by Nat Lofthouse.

On pulling the England shirt on, he said: "It's fantastic. It's something you dream of. I never thought I'd play for England."

He recalled alongside legends like Sir Stanley Matthews and Jimmy Greaves, describing them both as "world class" footballers.

Asked whether players like Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham would have fit into the England team back then, he said: "Oh definitely, absolutely. Any strikers would have fit in.

"I was lucky enough to play with the best… Jimmy Greaves – absolutely fantastic. It's a natural thing, they've got everything it takes to score goals."

Following his player career, Blunstone was a coach at Brentford as well as abroad in Greece.

He is currently the president of Nantwich Town FC in Cheshire and said he often attends game to lend his support.

"I was in football all my life," he added. "To get paid for doing something you really enjoy is fantastic."

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