Which Players Have Forced Their Way Into the England Starting Line Up At Recent Tournaments?

With UEFA Euro 2024 just around the corner, Manchester United’s teenage sensation Kobbie Mainoo appears to have secured his spot.

13:44 15 April 2024

With UEFA Euro 2024 just around the corner, Manchester United’s teenage sensation Kobbie Mainoo appears to have secured his spot on the plane to Germany even though no one knew his name at the start of the season. Just over a decade ago, it was Jack Wilshere who was supposed to lead the Three Lions to a prosperous new horizon. Unfortunately due to injuries, that ultimately didn’t come to fruition, and his career unravelled. However, at recent tournaments, just as Mainoo will this summer, there have been a number of talented youngsters that have ended up playing a major role at international tournaments for England, despite being relatively unheard of the year prior. 

Jude Bellingham - 2022 FIFA World Cup 

Alright, perhaps we misled you a tiny bit. Jude Bellingham wasn't a relative unknown heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. After joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2020 for a whopping £25m at barely 17 years of age, the former Birmingham City youngster went from strength to strength at Signal Iduna Park. Now, the Real Madrid man is following in the footsteps of Zinedine Zidane, but back in his maiden campaign in North-Rhine Westphalia, he was immediately thrust into the limelight. 

He made 46 appearances in all competitions as well as making his debut for the Three Lions. He also played a bit-part role in England's run to the UEFA Euro 2020 final however, he was hardly a key man. Fast forward 18 months and he wasn't a key man, he was the key man. 

Throughout his relatively short England career, Bellingham hadn't truly set the world alight. The first time he was considered a genuine member of the starting 11 was in the 2021/22 UEFA Nations League, a tournament in which Gareth Southgate's men performed dreadfully, finishing rock bottom of their group after losing 4-0 at home to Hungary. However, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the teenager had already developed into a genuine star. 

Bellingham started every game as his country topped their group ahead of the USA, Iran and Wales. He then started the knockout round games against Senegal and France, the latter of which ended in defeat. This summer he will be crucial to the Three Lions' hopes once more. 

Bukayo Saka - 2020 UEFA European Championships

Heading into the rescheduled EUro 2020 tournament, Bukayo Saka was already a known prospect at the Emirates. He had just won Arsenal's player of the year award and the future looked bright. However, he was the bright spark in a disappointing Gunners team and wasn't expected to feature that prominently for England in the summer of 2021, especially with Jadon Sancho shining brightly with Borussia Dortmund. 

But Southgate saw something in Saka that many didn't. He gave the talented winger his chance in the third group game against the Czech Republic and didn't look back. Saka started both the round of 16 tie against Germany, the semifinal against Denmark and the final against Italy. However, the less said about that penalty in the final shootout, the better.