Strictly Come Dancing returns this weekend with Shaun Wright-Phillips joining a long list of footballers competing on the programme
Shaun Wright-Phillips will become the 11th footballer to compete on Strictly Come Dancing when the new series launches this weekend.
The former Manchester City star was announced alongside a host of celebrities performing on BBC One, including Jarrod Bowen’s partner Dani Dyer and EastEnders star Lacey Turner. Wright-Phillips, who is the adopted son of Arsenal legend Ian, claimed that “dancing is in my blood” and is aiming to embrace the challenge.
The 44-year-old started his career with City before stints at Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers and New York Red Bulls. Across 528 appearances, the former winger scored 63 goals and assisted 65 times.
Wright-Phillips saw his Premier League success come with the Blues, where he won the title alongside the League Cup, Community Shield and FA Cup in just three years.
He also earned 36 caps for England and scored six goals – but now, his eyes are on the Glitterball trophy. Speaking about the BBC show, Wright-Phillips said: “Strictly is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I’m super excited to get started and really looking forward to the challenge!”
There have been 10 other former footballers who have competed on the show, and just one winner. Ex-Lioness Karen Carney won Strictly last year alongside dance partner Carlos Gu and Wright-Phillips admitted he sought advice from the popular pundit.
He said: “She said to just dive straight into it and don’t hold back. So I’ll take that advice. I’m going to go for it and do the best I can. It’s something that’s definitely out of my comfort zone. I don’t get overly nervous in general, but this is obviously something that’s really new to me.”
Here, the Daily Star have ranked every footballer that has competed on Strictly from worst to best – and you can do the same. Use our ranking tool below to make your own list and see how it compares to ours.
11. Shaun Wright-Phillips
With Wright-Phillips not yet having graced the dancefloor, it would be unfair to put him anywhere else on this list. The ex-City striker will hope to climb the ranks in the coming weeks and become just the second footballer to win the show.
10. David James
David James competed on the series in 2019 but didn’t see much success. The former Liverpool goalkeeper finished in 12th place and received a record-low score of 10 – the worst of any footballer on Strictly.
9. Paul Merson
Paul Merson did achieve a good score on Strictly of 23 alongside Karen Hauer, but he finished in 12th place on the show. However, the ex-Arsenal star insisted he felt like a winner as he said: “Because I can dance, I couldn’t dance before and I can half dance now so it’s a bonus.”
8. Peter Shilton
Legendary England goalkeeper Peter Shilton competed on the show in 2010. While his footballing career was stellar, his Strictly stint didn’t match.
Shilton finished in 12th alongside Erin Boag and scored as low as 17 at one point.
7. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Ex-Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink appeared on the series in 2025. He was consistent in terms of scores, averaging between 25 to 30, but finished in 11th place alongside Lauren Oakley.
6. Tony Adams
In 2022, former England captain Tony Adams appeared on Strictly and was paired with Katya Jones. He was a middle-of-the-road finisher in ninth place, with scores ranging from a lowly 15 all the way to 31.
5. John Barnes
John Barnes sashayed onto the dancefloor in 2007 and joined up with Nicole Cutler. He finished in seventh place and earned a high score from the judges at one point with an impressive 36.
4. Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel made history as the first footballer to grace the Strictly ballroom in 2006. Partnered with Boag, the former Manchester United goalkeeper finished in the same position as Barnes with a high score of 31.
His position on this list is based on his trailblazing role as the first Premier League star to compete in the BBC competition.
3. Robbie Savage
Robbie Savage joined the Strictly line-up in 2011 and surprised viewers with his skills on the dancefloor. He secured sixth place with Ola Jordan and achieved a best score of 31 from the judges.
2. Alex Scott
Popular pundit Alex Scott became the first Lioness to compete on Strictly, competing in the same series as David James. While she didn’t reach the final podium, the ex-Arsenal star still finished in a respectable fifth alongside Neil Jones.
This is the second-best result on the board, so a second-place medal is what Scott receives in our eyes.
1. Karen Carney
Karen Carney broke the mould of footballers struggling to compete for the Strictly crown by dancing her way to the trophy with partner Carlos Gu. The 39-year-old, who won 139 England caps, beat off competition from George Clarke and Amber Davies to claim the top spot in 2025.
With the Glitterball joining her silverware cabinet, it seemed only fair to put her in the top spot on this list.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page