England warrior! Who is most likely to recreate iconic image of Terry Butcher? The man himself picks ‘fiery’ candidate from World Cup class of 2026

Back in September 1989, during a clash with Sweden, no-nonsense centre-half Butcher took a nasty blow to the head. Rather than be replaced, or even change into a fresh kit, the former Ipswich and Rangers defender played to a finish in a shirt that was more red than white by the time the final whistle blew.

The ex-Three Lions captain is considered to epitomise the fighting spirit that should be on display every time that opportunities to compete at international level present themselves. Manchester United legend Paul Ince is another to have ticked that box down the years, having been left sporting a gruesome injury while helping England past Italy and to the 1998 World Cup.

Superstars of the present are now forced from the field once blood is spilled, with immediate medical assistance required, but who would be prepared to put their body on the line for the good of the collective cause?

Responding to that question, Butcher - speaking in association with the Domino’s ‘Shirtiette’ campaign that encourages fans to get messy - told GOAL: “Oh, that's a good one. It's a good question. The biggest warrior we've got at the moment? I’d probably say Jude Bellingham, someone like that.

“He'd be more of a warrior, he does get worked up and he's fiery. I like that. Perhaps sometimes too fiery, but that's the way he plays. He lives on the edge sort of thing. He wants to put himself about and gets frustrated like everybody else. I think Jude would be the one for me.”

Pressed on whether characters such as himself, Ince and fellow England icon Stuart Pearce have been phased out of the modern game, Butcher added: “Yeah, it's faded out of the game because the game is a different sort of animal now. It's more technical. It's more about ways of playing rather than just getting stuck in.

“There's no sort of real physicality in football. It's all about the technique. It's all about creating overloads and all the technical terms. The nearest that comes to our day is probably on set plays and particularly corners when everybody seems to take on a wrestling image and try and bundle people to the ground.

“The game has changed and you can see that it's changed for the better in many instances, but I just think a bit more physicality would certainly help. It certainly helps with the fans because the fans always like to see someone getting stuck in, but you can't do that now because you do run the risk. If you do intimidate players and if you do throw your weight around, then you're in danger of getting not a yellow card, but a red card.”

England could do with some inspirational leaders at present, as they seek to bring 60 years of trophy-hunting hurt to a close. Asked if there is a commanding presence in the Three Lions’ defensive unit that is capable of organising at the back and plugging any alarming leaks, Butcher said: “No, I don't think there is. I don't think there's been anybody there for a long, long time.

“I think gone are the days when you can speak harshly at players. I had Bryan Robson, he used to speak harshly at me if I did something wrong and then I'd have a go back at him if he did something wrong - but he didn't do anything wrong generally so I didn't have to go back at him! But you let your feelings be known vocally, very quickly and very strongly.

“Nowadays you don't do that. I think one of the reasons is that players, particularly on set plays, in the corners and free-kicks, they don't mark a specific opponent. They are zonal, so there's no need for them to shout or do anything else.

“I think the way that football is now, players are too nice with each other. There's no one demanding more of each other. There's no leaders in the group. It's players and just a bunch of individuals getting on with it. They may say things in the dressing room, but on the pitch there doesn't seem to be anyone that really does shout and point a finger.

“[Jordan] Pickford does that sometimes and he points a finger. Not many in the England team do. It's just a case of getting on with their job and being the best that they can be themselves.

“I liked the vocal side. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed praising people as well as also shouting at them to urge them on, ‘come on lads’ and all that sort of thing. You see it occasionally, but not very often. I'd like to see it more.”

Record-breaking striker Kane is England skipper at present, with 81 international goals to his name, but a day will come when he has to pass the armband on. There are several candidates to fill that role, including Arsenal midfielder Rice, with Butcher saying when asked if Bellingham - amid the odd question of his character - could be a captain of the future: “I was the captain of a few clubs and I used to kick doors down and I used to be vocal and I used to swear at referees and all these kinds of things. Not what you would really expect a captain to do, but that was what it was in those days.

“I think Bellingham will in time mature, particularly on the international scene. I think then he could be eligible for the captaincy. I think at the moment he's one of the lieutenants, one of the wingmen, he's underneath that captaincy level.

“Declan Rice would be an obvious candidate for a captaincy, particularly following in the footsteps of Harry Kane, but Harry Kane could play forever. The way he's going about his business, the way he looks after himself, the way he behaves, he’s like [Cristiano] Ronaldo and he could play forever. Harry didn't have much pace to lose, but his brain seems sharper, his reactions seem sharper. I think that he's got a lot more to do.”

Kane, Bellingham and England will be back in action on Saturday when bringing their Group L campaign to a close at the 2026 World Cup. They will be taking on Panama in New Jersey, with Thomas Tuchel hoping that his troops can excite supporters in North America and back home, allowing some wild celebrations to take place as more legends are forged.

Watching football can be a messy business, so Domino’s has created the ‘Shirtiette’ – a football shirt made from actual serviette material, designed for fans to wear food and drink stains with pride this summer. The pizza brand is giving the shirts away free to England and Scotland fans, so they can get messy on matchdays, embracing spills during goal celebrations, penalty misses or VAR rage.

The shirts are purpose-built from absorbent napkin material, so fans can soak up pizza sauce spillages, mozzarella mishaps and topping tumbles while watching the games at home. The ‘Shirtiette’ is available via www.dominosshirtiette.com, where England and Scotland fans can apply to claim a limited-edition England or Scotland ‘Shirtiette’.