RESEARCH into the birthplaces of every England football international has revealed that Yorkshire is the fourth most prolific producer of Three Lions players; with 135 of them originating from the region.
Interestingly, the research also found that Yorkshire produces the highest proportion of defenders per region. One in every three England footballers to come from the area played in defence.
The North West is the most well-represented region, with an astonishing 285 England footballers past and present hailing from there.
The breakdown runs as follows: 1 North West - 285 2 London - 166 3 West Midlands - 160 4 Yorkshire - 135 5 North East- 124 6 South East - 111 7 East Midlands - 99 8 East of England - 74 9 South West - 39.
The extensive study was compiled by Greaves Sports, a specialist sporting goods store.
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