After the golden summer at the World Cup in which they finished fourth, England are preparing to take on Spain and Switzerland in the first international break of the season.
The Three Lions take on 2010 World Cup winners Spain at Wembley on September 8, in their first game of the inaugural UEFA Nations League.
England then face Switzerland at the King Power Stadium in a friendly three days later, as Gareth Southgate takes international football around the country.
Prior to the squad’s announcement on Thursday, the likes of Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill have all-but retired from England duty in order to focus on prolonging their club careers.
This opens some spaces up in the squad for potential young players to earn their first call ups for the England senior squad.
While the likes of Phil Foden, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ryan Sessegnon will all have been mentioned, the trio are unlikely to make the first cut due to poor starts to the season with their respective club sides.
Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish could also have been in contention for the squad this week but for a thigh injury which saw him miss the Villan’s League Cup defeat to Burton Albion.
With all that aside, here are seven players we would be excited to see named in Southgate’s England squad for the first time on Thursday.
Mason Mount
Club: Derby County (on loan from Chelsea)
Age: 19
Appearances this season: 7
Now on his second loan spell away from Chelsea, Mason Mount is enjoying life in the Championship at Derby County.
Managed by Frank Lampard, a player whom Mount has admitted is a role model for him, the 19-year-old has started well scoring four goals in seven appearances for the Championship club.
The playmaker is extremely exciting on the ball and has many positives to his game, with the ability to take set pieces, take opponents on, create and score all at a young age with a lot of room to still improve.
Mount has created 10 chances in the Championship so far this season, recording one assist, while also completing three of his four attempted take-ons.
For England, this could be the chance to test him in midfield behind the likes of Harry Kane – even in a cameo appearance – and see what he can bring when pitted against some of the best players in the world.
Ben Chilwell
Club: Leicester City
Age: 21
Appearances this season: 3
England made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup largely without a left-back with neither Ashley Young or Danny Rose truly impressing.
This could be the opportunity for Ben Chilwell to make his mark on the England senior team after a good start to the season with Leicester City.
So far this season in the Premier League, Chilwell has created four chances for his Leicester team-mates and has won five of his 11 attempted take-ons in his three appearances.
Defensively, the 21-year-old has won six aerial duels as well as six tackles and made nine clearances to help the Foxes gather six points from their opening three games.
For England he can provide cover defensively but also push forward in attack, adding the required width to Southgate’s narrow 5-1-2-2/ 3-3-2-2 formation.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Club: Crystal Palace
Age: 20
Appearances this season: 3
While Chilwell may have a better path into the England senior squad on the left side of defence, Aaron Wan-Bissaka has a harder task with the Bury Beckham – Kieran Trippier – ahead of him.
But Wan-Bissaka has been impressive ever since breaking into the Crystal Palace first team last season and should be rewarded with a call up by Southgate.
Exciting down the right, Wan-Bissaka is defensively solid where Trippier thrives in attack and despite a red card against Liverpool season has already shown signs of improvement as Palace’s starting right-back.
The 20-year-old has recorded one assist from just two chances created, but in defence his nine clearances have come at an average of 4.91 per 90 minutes and 3.27 tackles could see him line up well alongside Kyle Walker when England need to hold off.
Demarai Gray
Club: Leicester City
Age: 22
Appearances this season: 4
Another English player to be thriving under Claude Puel at Leicester this season is Demarai Gray, who has been vital for England at youth levels.
Following the departure of Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City this summer, Gray has been entrusted on the wings at Leicester and is showing his full capabilities.
The 22-year-old has completed 10 take-ons so far in the Premier League this season, more than any other player in the league, averaging 3.46 per 90 minutes.
Gray scored his first goal of the season in Leicester’s 2-1 win over Southampton, reacting quickest to a poor clearance by Cedric Soares to equalise.
While he has been playing as a winger for Leicester, Gray could line up alongside Kane or another striker in a similar way to Raheem Sterling did at the World Cup, using his abilities to free up space for England’s attacking players.
Jadon Sancho
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Age: 18
Appearances this season: 2
Borussia Dortmund winder Jadon Sancho, is another to have impressed at youth levels for England and it is only a matter of time until he is called up to the senior squad.
The 18-year-old, formerly of Manchester City, took the risk to move to Germany last summer and it has paid off as he featured regularly for Dortmund in his debut season.
This year, Sancho has had to make do with substitute appearances in his two games but the English youngster has been impressive on both occasions.
In a 2-1 win over Greuther Furth in the DFB-Pokal, Sancho played 40 minutes and set up Marco Reus’ winning goal in the last minute of injury-time.
And against RB Leipzig, another injury-time assist for Reus came in a 4-1 win for Dortmund in their first Bundesliga game of the season.
Like Gray, Sancho could do well in a central role alongside Kane or playing as one of the attacking midfielders.
James Maddison
Club: Leicester City
Age: 21
Appearances this season: 3
There’s something going on at Leicester this season and England are set to benefit massively.
Alongside Chilwell and Gray, summer signing James Maddison has enjoyed a good start to the season under Puel, and Southgate would do well to pay attention to goings on at the King Power – especially with the friendly against Switzerland taking place there.
Joining from Norwich City in the summer, Maddison has started all three of Leicester’s Premier League games so far though is yet to complete the full 90 minutes.
Despite this, the 21-year-old has shown composure on the ball and does not look out of place in the Premier League.
Maddison has completed 89 passes so far this season, from 107 attempts and also also created two chances for his team-mates. The Englishman found the net in Leicester’s 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, with just his second shot this season.
Like Mount, Maddison could be played either deeper in midfield to create or just being the striker as he does for Leicester.
Declan Rice
Club: West Ham United
Age: 19
Appearances this season: 2
Declan Rice has been capped three times by the Republic of Ireland but has been left out of their most recent squad in order to consider his international future – with the 19-year-old being born in England.
And Southgate should take advantage of his, capping the West Ham United man against Spain to secure his services for the years to come.
Starting out as a centre-back, Rice has made his appearances this season as a holding midfielder and there could be a place for him in Southgate’s squad in either position.
In his sole Premier League appearance this season, against Liverpool on the opening day, Rice won one tackle in 45 minutes and completed 22 of his 24 attempted passes.
While West Ham, and Rice, have not started well, the promise is there for the youngster and England surely cannot risk losing him to Ireland when he does come good.
The post Seven exciting England youngsters we want Gareth Southgate to call up tomorrow appeared first on Squawka News.
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