After yet another disappointing tournament for England at Euro 2012 where we lost to Italy on penalties perhaps it is time to look towards the future.
The likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry have all been great servants for our country but with them all the wrong side of 30 many are calling for the younger players to be developed. Some players like Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are no doubt already a big part of England’s plans so we will not include them in this piece and it is not in any specific order.
Jack Butland
At the age of just 19 Butland was called up to the senior squad for the European Championships despite only playing in League 2 at Cheltenham Town. Stuart Pearce selected him as the first choice for the London Olympics. He didn’t make an appearance in Poland but obviously showed great promise as Roy Hodgson gave Butland his first cap against Italy in a friendly. In doing so he became England’s youngest ever goalkeeper. Now he impresses many in the Championship as Birmingham’s number one.
Steven Caulker
Most will already know Caulker as he has also been in the senior squad but has not yet made his debut. The Tottenham centre half went on loan to Swansea last season was a big part of Swansea’s success. Now back at Spurs Andre Villas Boas has put a lot of faith in him by playing him ahead of fans favourite Michael Dawson. He netted his first Premier League goal for the club last month and William Gallas has been quoted saying that Caulker could become one of the best defenders England will have.
Nick Powell
The centre midfielder progressed through the well known Crewe academy and made his debut at just 16. At the end of last season he won all the club awards including best goal and best player of the season and finished as their top goal scorer from midfield. He also scored a crucial goal in the League 2 play-off final to win promotion to League 1. His great displays didn’t go unnoticed and Manchester United paid around £6 million for his services and although he has only played once for the Red Devils he scored on his only appearance against Wigan.
Nathaniel Chalobah
He can operate in both defence and midfield and has quite a lot of experience for a 17 year old. Currently playing on loan at Watford from Chelsea he is a regular in the Hornets team and has impressed manager Gianfranco Zola. Chalobah captained Chelsea’s reserve and youth teams and lead the club to the FA Youth Cup last season. He made his debut for England under 17’s at just 14 and is now captain of the England under 19’s with 34 caps. Well known for his leadership, tactical awareness and versatility Chalobah has been tipped for a senior cap at some point.
Conor Wickham
Tall, strong and good in the air Wickham made a big money move to Sunderland in the summer of 2011 and has struggled to reproduce the form he showed at Ipswich. Hampered by injuries Wickham has only managed the one goal for the Mackems so far but those in the Championship will know that on his day he can be a real handful for defenders. He has scored goals at all youth levels for England and at 19 still has time to show his real class.
Carl Jenkinson
The right back has seen a lot of first team football for Arsenal both last season and this season due to the ongoing injuries to Bacary Sagna. Signed from Charlton Jenkinson produced inconsistent performances last year however this campaign has looked very solid and has trained under Hodgson in the England squad. There is plenty of competition at right back for England with Kyle Walker, Glen Johnson and Micah Richards all fighting for that one place but the Arsenal defender is also pushing for that spot in the future.
Ryan Bertrand
Slightly older than the rest of the players mentioned in this article but still potentially an England left back. The 23 year old came through the Chelsea ranks and made his debut in 2011. He has been unlucky that Ashley Cole has been in front of him ever since he made the first team squad but he has never given up. He started that famous Champions League final against Bayern Munich last season and didn’t look out of place and can also boast an FA Cup winner’s medal to go with the Champions League one. He has already got two senior caps and will undoubtedly get more.
Wilfied Zaha
The 19 year old Crystal Palace striker is known for his direct attacking play and great pace. Many Premier League clubs have scouted him and it seems that he will be moving to England’s elite division in the near future. Born in the Ivory Coast Zaha chose to represent us at youth level and looks set to move up over the next few years into the senior squad.
Tom Ince
Son of the former England midfielder Paul, Tom Ince has made his dad proud with some fantastic performances for both Blackpool and the England under 21 side. He can play on either wing or even support the striker and like Zaha possesses a lot of pace which would worry any defence. Having signed him as a youth player in 2008 Liverpool sold him to Blackpool and the Anfield club may regret that decision in a few years time.
Raheem Sterling
The surprise package in the Premier League this season Sterling has won over the Liverpool fans with his trickery and goal threat. At just 17 he has shown that he is an important part of the team and is the second youngest player to score for the Anfield club behind Michael Owen. He was an unused sub in the 2012 World Cup qualifying game against Ukraine but already has a taste of training with the country’s best.
Lee Rowley
@leerowley10
