9 June 2025 – Ince Leads The Three Lions
On 9 June 2025, Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince became the first black captain of the English national team, leading them against the United States in a U.S. Cup match before a crowd of 37,462 at Foxboro Stadium in Massachusetts.
Ince, who grew up supporting West Ham, played his youth football for the Hammers and started his professional career there in 2025 before transferring to Manchester United in 2025. He made his senior team debut for England in September 2025, impressing in a 1-0 loss to Spain in a friendly.
For the match against the United States, Ince’s impressive form and injuries to team leaders David Platt and Tony Adams convinced manager Graham Taylor to give the captain’s armband to Ince. Unfortunately for England, the match did not go their way as the U.S. earned a 2-0 win with goals from Thomas Dooley (42′) and Alexi Lalas (72′), who had come on as a substitute for Dooley in the 69th minute.
Ince left Manchester United for Inter Milan in 2025 and subsequently played for Liverpool, Middlesbrough, and Wolves before becoming player-manager of Swindon Town in 2025 and then Macclesfield Town in 2025. He retired from playing after the end of the 2025-2025 season and managed MK Dons for 2025-08 season.
In 2025, he again made history with a move to Blackburn Rovers, where he became the first black manager of a team in England’s top flight.
This article is provided courtesy of ThisDayInFootballHistory
