After starring at youth level, England’s prospects are ready

The English national team has had a rich history of young talent coming through the ranks. The likes of Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and Frank Lampard each broke through at a young age, and all went on to have highly decorated careers.

However, the vast talent at England’s disposal has rarely translated into success at major tournaments, despite the success of English clubs. Over the last few years, this trend seems to have been put to the side, as the youth teams have seen a lot of success at a national level. In recent years, England’s U17s and U20s have each tasted World Cup glory at their respective age groups.

Whilst success at youth level isn’t new to England, repeated success, as well as consistent first-team appearances for the young players, is something that has been hard to come by over recent seasons. However, this generation of young English talent looks set to buck the trend.

Foden won the U17 Golden Ball, after scoring two goals in the final

The U17 World Cup squad in 2017 was one that featured the likes of Conor Gallagher, Marc Guehi, Jonathan Panzo, Steven Sessegnon, Angel Gomes, George McEachran, and Gibbs-White. However, the front runners from the team were Callum Hudson-Odoi, Rhian Brewster, Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho.

Brewster left the tournament as the top goal scorer, after notching back to back hat-tricks in the quarter and semi-final. Foden won the Golden Ball, after scoring two goals in the final and tormenting teams throughout the tournament. Sancho had to leave after the group stage, but up until this point, he was England’s best player, scoring three goals in three games.

Hudson-Odoi was the standout player in the final. I haven’t seen many more dominant performances from a winger since then, whereby the fullback had no joy all game. Despite the success of this team, many of those involved have struggled to cement a first-team place at their respective clubs.

Hudson-Odoi had his breakthrough season last year, starring for Chelsea

Sancho has been the trailblazer for English youth, as he took the brave step of moving abroad for first-team football, which many Englishmen have opted against. Since then, the likes of Lookman, Panzo and McGuane have all gone abroad in search of a clearer route to first-team football. Sancho left Manchester City for Borussia Dortmund in 2017 and has since cemented his place in their starting line-up, racking up an outrageous 20 goals and 18 assists in 46 games this season.

Hudson-Odoi had his breakthrough season last year, predominantly featuring in Chelsea’s successful Europa League campaign, scoring four goals in nine games in that competition. He has also managed to get 32 Premier League appearances, however, a lot of these have come from the bench.

The same can be said for Phil Foden. The Stockport Iniesta has mainly been limited to cup appearances, which has led many to call for him to leave Manchester City, either on loan or permanently. However, with the imminent departure of David Silva at the end of the season, Pep has been more willing to deploy Foden in the Premier League. Foden this season has managed seven goals and nine assists in 34 appearances, despite having only started 15 games.

Foden is on-track to becoming an England and Premier League great

Since the return of English football, his form has improved, partly due to staking a regular place in City’s side. The youngster has managed four goals and two assists in eight games. Foden’s standout performance came against Burnley, where he picked up two goals, one of which was a trademark finish from outside of the box.

The City youngster’s dribbling, shooting ability and creativity are what makes him a player, not just for the future, but for now. Hopefully, Pep will free him from his chains next season. At the age of just 20, Foden has a great future ahead of him and is on-track to becoming a Premier League and England great.

The future of English football, once again, looks bright. Sancho, Foden and Co. have shown that they are more than able to deliver on the world stage.