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On Wednesday, England’s run in the World Cup came to an end with a defeat to Croatia. So little was expected of the Three Lions coming into the tournament, but they produced some impressive performances, and reached their first World Cup semi-final since 1990.
England came through the group as expected. They needed a last minute Harry Kane winner against Tunisia, before the captain added a hat trick in the 6-1 demolition of Panama. They lost their final game of the groups to Belgium, in a game where both teams rested a number of players.
The defeat to Belgium was a blessing in disguise, as it meant a second place finish in the group, which saw them enter the significantly weaker side of the draw. In the round of 16, they sneaked past Colombia, breaking their World Cup penalty hoodoo at the seventh attempt.
They beat Sweden in the quarter final, producing probably their most complete performance of the tournament, as they eased to a 2-0 win. Sadly, their run came to an end in the semi-final, as they suffered an extra time defeat to Croatia, despite taking an early lead through Kieran Trippier’s superb free kick.
It will have hurt England to fall at the last hurdle before the final, but they will know there is a lot more to come from this side. They are still young, and a lot of them will hit their peak around 2022, and the next World Cup. Jordan Pickford will be 28, as will John Stones and Harry Kane, while Dele Alli will be 26. That’s just a small selection.
There are still young players to come through. In 2017, England U17s and U20s both won their respective World Cups, while the U19s won the European Championships. Here are five players coming through who could make this England team even better in the next few years.
#1 Phil Foden (Manchester City)
There are really high hopes for this lad. Foden was one of England’s U17 World Cup winners last year, and was the star of the show for the Three Lions, scoring a brace in the final, as well as winning the Golden Ball for best player. Some of the criticism levelled at England for their performances in Russia this summer has been that they haven’t had that player capable of picking a pass in the final third. Foden can do that.
He has begun to make his mark at Manchester City over the last year, and became the youngest player to win a Premier League winners medal. He also appeared three times in the Champions League. City could be the perfect club for him to improve at. Pep Guardiola isn’t going to change from his passing style of football, and based on last season, he is willing to give Foden an opportunity. He has an excellent chance of being in England’s World Cup squad in four years’ time.
#2 Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
Sancho made the tough decision to leave Manchester City last summer, feeling that he wasn’t going to get a chance at the Etihad Stadium, and moved to Borussia Dortmund in a £8 million move. It looked like he made the right decision, after being given the number seven shirt after Ousmane Dembele left Dortmund for Barcelona. When he made his debut against Eintracht Frankfurt in October, he became the first English player to play in the Bundesliga.
In terms of wingers, Raheem Sterling was as close as England had to a natural out-and-out winger in their squad for Russia, and England are short of them at the moment. This meant that at times they were slightly one dimensional, and didn’t have the chance to switch to a system with wingers. Sancho though will give them that option. He is more natural on the left, but is more than capable of playing on the right as well. He is fast, tricky, and could end up being a really important player for this England team.
#3 Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)
There aren’t many players in the country who have been talked about more than Sessegnon. There were suggestions that he would be included in England’s squad for this World Cup, and he probably wouldn’t have looked out of place had he been selected. He is an incredibly down to earth character, and that is something that has helped his development at Fulham.
At 18, he is already a key player in this Fulham team. He scored 15 Championship goals last season, as he helped Fulham return to the Premier League thanks to a play-off final win over Aston Villa. Sessegnon doesn’t look like he is fazed by the big stage, and showed this by deservedly picking up the Championship Player of the Year last season. Of all the players on this list, he is probably the best placed to play for England, and he has the potential to be a brilliant player.
#4 Lewis Cook (Bournemouth)
When he led the U20s to the World Cup title in 2017, he became the first England captain to lift a world title since Bobby Moore 51 years previously. He is another one who was very close to making the squad for Russia, and even made Gareth Soutgate’s list of backup players. He has already been capped by the Three Lions, making his debut in a friendly against Italy at Wembley in March.
Cook is now a well established Premier League player, having had an excellent season with Bournemouth. The 21-year-old probably isn’t as good on the eye as some of the other players on this list, but he is a solid, consistent performer, and that’s the sort of thing that England need in the centre of midfield. He has proven that he is a leader on the pitch as well by taking England to that U20 world title.
#5 Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Despite being one of the least known names on this list, Mount is one of the few who has proved himself in the first team of a European club. Having come through the Chelsea youth system, it was no surprise that his first experience of club football came at Vitesse Arnhem. That was a successful spell, as he made 32 Eredivisie appearances last season, scoring an impressive 14 goals from midfield, and providing nine assists.
The real question for Mount is, what’s next? We have seen some good players come through the Chelsea academy in the last few years, as the Blues won consecutive UEFA Youth Leagues in 2015 and 2016, but none of those players have gone on to make their mark in the Chelsea first team, or any first team for that matter. There are a few who have played some Premier League matches, but none who are established players. Mount will probably need a loan move to achieve that, but maybe, Maurizio Sarri might fancy taking a chance on him when he takes over at Stamford Bridge.
