5 players who should've made the England squad

With international break now upon us and important World Cup 2018 qualifiers going ahead in the next few days, attention has turned (well, after transfer deadline day anyway!) to the fortunes of England – namely who should be named in their squad.

Gareth Southgate named his squad for the qualifiers against Malta and Slovakia late last week, and there were a handful of new – somewhat surprising – names in there like Nathaniel Chalobah, Harry Maguire and Jordan Pickford (who has since withdrawn due to injury). But even with the addition of three exciting young talents like them, there’s still room for improvement.

With a spot in the squad seemingly unsafe for everyone outside of key men like Harry Kane and Dele Alli, here are five players I feel should’ve been named in the squad this time around and could well break through soon.

#1 Alfie Mawson

Alfie Mawson should break through into England's senior squad soon

Swansea defender Mawson was arguably the standout player for England’s U-21 side in their European Championship effort this summer, playing all of the games in the tournament and scoring against Slovakia in the group stage. He’s also shown tons of ambition when he’s been interviewed, outright stating that he expects to break into the full England set-up in the near future and even sees himself as a future captain.

While England currently have a lot of central defenders looking to establish themselves at international level, not many look as good as Mawson. He’s powerful, physical, good in the air, and he’s also got an eye for a pass, able to glide out of the defence in a similar way to John Stones, who was praised hugely for this ability when he first broke through.

He also chipped in with four goals for Swansea last season to go with his one for the U-21s in the summer.

With constant questions around the form of John Stones and Gary Cahill, the fitness of Phil Jones and the playing time for Chris Smalling, and the likes of Michael Keane and Harry Maguire not yet established at full international level, it is clear that there’s a potential spot available in England’s central defence, especially as a squad member to begin with. Southgate should be looking no further than Mawson to fill it.

#2 Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has started the season brightly for Everton

Along with fellow striker Dominic Solanke, Everton youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the name on everyone’s lips following England’s astonishing U-20 World Cup victory back in June. While Solanke had an impressive pre-season at his new club, Liverpool, there can be no question that it’s his strike partner who’s started the full season more brightly.

He’s already made six appearances for Everton thus far, getting his goal record off the mark in a Europa League game against minnows MFK Ruzomberok. He also started the Toffees’ first two Premier League games and while the spotlight was largely on returning hero Wayne Rooney, it was arguably Calvert-Lewin who was the most dangerous player for Everton, as his fleet-footed style clearly frightened the Man City and Stoke defences, and he was able to set up Rooney’s goal against City.

Harry Kane is a definite starter for England right now in the striking front but outside of him, the talent pool looks relatively thin – Marcus Rashford is the bright young star but he’s being used as more of an attacking midfielder by Jose Mourinho right now. Behind them, Daniel Sturridge is a constant injury worry and Jamie Vardy and Jermain Defoe are both the wrong side of 30 and are clearly slowing down, particularly Defoe.

That means there’s a gap and after his summer heroics, a few more good games for Everton could allow Calvert-Lewin to fill it.

#3 Trent Alexander-Arnold

Trent Alexander-Arnold may be the future of England's defence

When it was announced on Twitter last week that young Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold had earned his first England call-up, I was both astonished and excited at the courage of Gareth Southgate....that was until I realised he’d actually been called up for the U-21s for the first time.

That move probably makes sense given the defender hadn’t played for the England youth sides in the summer, but after such an impressive start to the season, it was still a little deflating.

Due to an injury to Liverpool’s usual right-back Nathaniel Clyne, Alexander-Arnold – still only 18 years old – was thrown in the deep end when he started Liverpool’s first Premier League game against Watford, and while the Reds did concede three goals, the youngster was still one of their more impressive performers and didn’t look out of his depth.

A start against Hoffenheim in Liverpool’s first Champions League qualifier followed – as did his first goal, a brilliantly taken right-footed free-kick that left the keeper standing.

Alexander-Arnold hasn’t featured in Liverpool’s last two Premier League games but he did play in the second leg against Hoffenheim and again impressed. As he’s not likely to be a regular starter for the Reds it’s clear that Alexander-Arnold is one for the future, but with England’s two qualifiers looking relatively easy, perhaps Southgate should’ve decided the future is for now and called him up into the squad, if only to give the youngster some valuable experience and to send a message to other young talents.

#4 Tammy Abraham

As previously mentioned when writing about Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the places for strikers in the England squad right now seem largely wide open, thanks to the injury history of Daniel Sturridge and the advanced age of Jermain Defoe and Jamie Vardy. One young talent who has to be looking for a breakthrough into the full squad, then, is Swansea City’s Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham.

After a tremendous 2016/17 season on loan at Bristol City that saw him score 26 goals in all competitions, Abraham was one of the U-21 side’s most impressive performers in the European Championships this summer, scoring a goal against Germany in the semi-finals and doing an admirable job of holding the ball up when playing as a lone striker in the majority of the games.

He’s also hit the ground running with Swansea, starting all three of their league games thus far and scoring and being named as Man of the Match against Crystal Palace last weekend.

With a lanky build that allows him to be dangerous in the air, and have enough physicality to be able to hold the ball up well, Abraham would offer England something completely different to their recent fleet-footed strikers like Vardy and Sturridge, and he’s clearly got a natural eye for goal. With Abraham also being eligible to play for Nigeria, it seems smart that Southgate would want to get him into the England set-up sooner rather than later. I’d have had him in this squad – perhaps Southgate will call him up for the next set of qualifiers in October?

#5 James Ward-Prowse

James Ward-Prowse would offer something different in England's midfield

The former England U-21 captain has already played a game for England’s senior side – he appeared as a substitute in their 1-0 loss away in Germany in March – but he wasn’t named in the squad for the last qualifier against Scotland, instead going back to the U-21’s to take part in the European Championships.

In that tournament he again showed his skills from central midfield, pulling the strings alongside the likes of Lewis Baker and Nathaniel Chalobah as England made the semi-finals.

Now firmly established as one of Southampton’s first team players, Ward-Prowse would provide something England have seemed to lack recently, that being more creativity in the centre of the midfield. While Dele Alli is an excellent goalscoring midfielder he tends to play further forward, and in recent games, this has left England lacking a spark in the centre, as the likes of Eric Dier and Jake Livermore are more defensive players.

Ward-Prowse could provide England with a deep-lying playmaker like so many other countries use to devastating effect.

Another plus point for the youngster? He’s a dead-ball specialist, something that England have definitely lacked in recent time, as in the 2016 European Championships in particular, the likes of Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane came under criticism for their delivery of both free kicks and corners. England have plenty of central midfield talent but Ward-Prowse provides something a little different and that’s exactly the sort of thing that Gareth Southgate could do with right now.