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Gareth Southgate picked many youngsters in his 23-man squad and is set to bring a relatively inexperienced team to the FIFA World Cup in Russia. Although that will be England's disadvantage to a certain extent, there is a huge depth of talent among the players he has selected. Many of them have the capability to shine on the international stage and build a solid reputation for themselves.
Forget about the senior players such as Joe Hart and Wayne Rooney, now is the time for the youngsters to take charge of the future of English football. Many of them have earnt positive reviews of their performances from sports pundits and are wanted by Spanish giants namely Barcelona and Real Madrid.
The squad has begun their preparation for the competition which will start in two weeks' time. There is some uncertainty over who Southgate favors, but the favorites such as Dele Alli and Harry Kane are expected to play a major role in their campaign. Here is a look at five English players everyone has to watch this summer.
#5 Jordan Pickford
The young Everton goalkeeper had a disappointing start to his Premier League campaign for a new club. However, his performances had, in fact, saved his team from conceding more goals. His overall performance has led to a call-up from England manager, Southgate.
The 24-year-old made his debut in a friendly match against World Cup holders Germany back in November 2017. He made another appearance this year before receiving his call-up to the 23 man squad.
With just two weeks left to the start of the World Cup, Pickford mentioned to the media that his country's keepers have been practising penalties. It looks like he is keen to be the first choice keeper for England and they are already preparing for the knockout stages. The Three Lions are without their most experienced keeper, Joe Hart, who sadly missed out of the squad after a miserable Premier League season.
In addition to Pickford, Jack Butland and Nick Pope will be traveling to Russia too. However, it seems that the former Sunderland goalie is the favorite to be in the starting line-up for England. He is surely one of the young keepers that the world will be looking out for. In 29 appearances this season, he made an average of 1.87 saves per goal and boats an average claim success of 95%. It is certainly not the best performance that a goalkeeper can put up but it is a confident display from the young player who improved in the second half of the season.
#4 Trent Alexander-Arnold
The Liverpool defender was the youngest player on the pitch during the UEFA Champions League final clash against Real Madrid. He made his first senior appearance for his club in 2016 when he was just 18 years old. Fast forward two years, Alexander-Arnold is becoming a regular player under Jurgen Klopp and he impressed on multiple occasions against European rivals in the Champions League.
In March 2018, he was invited to train with the senior England squad and it was followed by a call-up in May. His senior debut is likely to come in the World Cup this summer as it will be his first time representing the national team at a senior level. The 19-year-old youngster is set to be one of the rising stars who will light up the World Cup and many have high hopes of him.
This season, he had a tackle success of 66% and recovered the ball 142 times in 26 Premier League appearances. He surely is a teenager who receives far much more game time in the top league of England as compared to the rest of his peers. His experience from playing on a consistent basis will surely improve his ability to read the game and be mindful of his surroundings. It will also give him a great deal of confidence as he prepares together with the rest of his squadmates for their journey to Russia.
#3 Marcus Rashford
Turning 21 this year, there is seemingly no limit to his potential. He may be one of the younger players in the Manchester United team, but it has not stopped him from making 123 appearances since 2015. He can be deployed across all the forward positions but mainly plays as a center-forward or a left winger.
In 2016, Rashford emerged as the youngest player to make an appearance in UEFA European Championships, breaking Waye Rooney's record by four days. Since then, he scored 2 goals in 17 appearances on the international stage and could possibly find himself a spot in the starting line-up for Southgate's side.
United team-mate Ashley Young is extremely optimistic of his compatriot. He expressed his certainty that Rashford will be a ''major player'' for England and he has the potential to ''set the world alight''. Blessed with pace and great technique on the ball, the young player is not afraid to take his chances and utilizes every opportunity given to impress his judges. Without a doubt, he will be one of those that Southgate will depend on.
#2 Dele Alli
Despite the criticism he has received from Tottenham fans, Eric Dier has backed his team-mate. Dier defended by saying that Alli was a fantastic young boy and a great player. Going into the World Cup, there are still doubts over his style of play. For Southgate, he chose to include many youngsters in the England squad for the upcoming competition and the Tottenham midfielder is one of them.
Alli is strongest in making key passes and he has a great finishing. At Tottenham, the player has partnered extremely well with Harry Kane and Son Heung Min. The former is expected to play alongside him and the duo can form a formidable partnership come this summer. For the national team, Alli has played 23 games and scored 2 goals. There is plenty of potential coming from this 22-year-old if the England manager is able to get the best out of him.
His performance has dipped this season but Mauricio Pochettino remains adamant that his youngster is the best in the world. Although competition for a spot in the midfield is stiff, it looks likely that Alli will get the nod to start.
#1 Harry Kane
There is little doubt that Kane's goalscoring record for his country and club is truly remarkable. According to Skysports, the striker scored seven goals in six appearances for England in 2017. Towards the end of the Premier League season when Kane was struggling for fitness, he continued to score six goals in the final eight games across all competitions.
One thing superb about Kane is his ability to finish with accuracy. Even if he misses his shot, he is rarely off target and has one of the highest shot volumes in the Premier League. There is no better man than him to lead the team. Because of his prolific goalscoring statistics, Kane is regarded as one of the top contenders for the Golden Boot award
In Euro 2016, the 24-year-old struggled on the big stage. Now, it is the optimal time for him to step up his performance for England and prove to the world that he is none other than the best striker around.
