England’s young lions are still basking in the glory of their U20 World Cup win and rightly so. But what chance do these young players have of having a successful future career in football? We analyse the starting eleven and their individual chances of making it in the up reaches of the English game.
Freddie Woodman (Goalkeeper)
Current Club: Newcastle United
First team appearances: 24
Woodman was the star of the show as England overcame Venezuela in the final, stunningly saving a penalty to keep his side ahead. The 20-year-old is yet to make an appearance for his parent club Newcastle but they could be tempted to give him a chance given his summer success. He won the Golden Glove award and may fancy his chances challenging for the number one spot.
He spent this season on loan at Kilmarnock making 13 appearances and in 2015 he was on loan at Crawley where he made 11 appearances. He is still young but should have more first team appearances than this given the quality he possesses. A loan move to a Championship or League One side could beckon if Newcastle do not want to risk him in the Premier League and he should be playing in England’s top two flights for the rest of his career.
In terms of England’s first team he does boast an advantage in the fact that his godfather is Gareth Southgate! The number one jersey is certainly up for grabs.
Likelihood of success: 8/10
Jonjoe Kenny (Defender)
Current Club: Everton
First team appearances: 26
Kenny has made two Premier League appearances off the bench for the Merseyside club who do seem to be putting much more of an emphasis on young players under boss Ronald Koeman. He has represented England at every level up to the U20’s, winning the European under 17’s Championship and featuring in the Team of the Tournament from that competition. He was key in this tournament, playing every game and registering two assists.
He has enjoyed spells on loan at Wigan and Oxford and seemed be a success in his time in the lower leagues and gaining experience in these physical divisions will only benefit him for the future. He needs to play a full season as a first choice right back to really test himself and his long-term future may lie at a lower level than the Premier League.
Likelihood of success: 6/10
Jake Clarke-Salter (Defender)
Current Club: Chelsea
First team appearances: 13
As with most Chelsea youngsters, first team appearances have been hard to come by for Clarke-Salter. He impressed this season having been loaned to League One side Bristol Rovers even scoring once in his 12 appearances.
He shows great leadership in his play having captained his under 18s side to two FA Youth Cup’s and a UEFA Youth League. He played four of England’s games in this tournament success and was the man who gave away the penalty in the final, he will need to eradicate these sorts of mistake if he is to make it to the very top.
It is notoriously difficult to break through into the Chelsea first team for youngsters there and Clarke-Salter should be looking for a permanent move away where he can get some games under his belt. His future may not lie in the top flight but he should be a solid player in the Championship.
Likelihood of success: 7/10
Fikayo Tomori (Defender)
Current Club: Chelsea
Total first team appearances: 10
Very much a case of ‘see above’ with Tomori. Another Chelsea youngster who has a token first team appearance and must seek a football elsewhere. He made nine appearances for Brighton as they gained promotion to the top flight and could find himself loaned to the Championship once again.
Likelihood of success: 6/10
Kyle Walker-Peters (Defender)
Current Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Total first team appearances: 0
Brilliant name for an English full back who plays for Spurs, but no relation to Kyle Walker. Walker-Peters is yet to test himself away from youth football in North London and should seek a loan move away to see how he hopes in ‘men’s football.’ There is a world of difference between playing passing youth football on perfect pitches compared to a physical League One battle on a muddy surface.
It is very difficult to judge this 20-year-old but he did play in five matches in the World Cup success. His adaptability to play at right-back or left-back adds an extra string to his bow and will work in his favour. Mauricio Pochettino is not afraid to give young players a chance but if he is unable to force his way into the Spurs side then a loan deal to a lower-league club should give us more idea of what level his future lies.
Likelihood of success: 7/10
Kieran Dowell (Midfielder)
Current Club: Everton
First team appearances: 2
Kieran Dowell is another Everton youngster who will be hopeful of playing some first team football this upcoming season under Ronald Koeman. He has already made three appearances for the Blues, including a start on the final day of the season in 2016 but was unable to force his way into the side last season.
He has played in England’s youth setup since 2012 and as with most players on this list – regular football must be a priority, even if it means leaving the comforts of Goodison Park. Has the talent to make it and hopefully this summer success means he gets a chance and is part of Koeman’s plans.
Likelihood of success: 6/10
Lewis Cook (Midfielder)
Current Club: Bournemouth
Total first team appearances: 86 (80 for Leeds)
Now here is a player. He has worked hard in the Championship with Leeds and racked up a good amount of appearances before making the move to the Premier League with Bournemouth. He signed a four-year deal in 2016 but an ankle injury kept him out for a large majority of the season. He will be looking to become one of the first names on the team sheet in the upcoming season.
He is the England u20’s captain and lead by example as his team won the World Cup. If he continues to work hard and rack up those Premier League appearances he will find himself on the fringes of the England first team.
Likelihood of success: 9.5/10
Josh Onomah (Midfielder)
Current Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Total first team appearances: 13
Another midfielder that has done well to force his way into the Spurs side recently but will be hoping for more game time. Five Premier League appearances for Onomah last season has given him enough encouragement to not seek a loan move away from the club but instead prove he has the quality to play Premier League football.
He must be careful his career does not become too stagnant however he should have the class to play Premier League football, even if it means leaving Spurs for a short period.
Likelihood of success: 8/10
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Forward)
Current Club: Everton
Total first team appearances: 47
The forward players in this team seem much more likely to be given a chance by their clubs than the defenders. There is less pressure on creating chances than keeping a clean sheet and Calvert- Lewin has benefited from this.
He forced his way into the Sheffield United side at an early age and had a bigger role to play at Everton after his move, playing 11 times last season and bagging one goal. He certainly is at the right club to develop and should be given many more opportunities in the upcoming season. It is an exciting time for Everton fans who should be proud and impressed by the young talent they can put their faith in.
Likelihood of success: 8/10
Ademola Lookman (Forward)
Current Club: Everton
Total first team appearances: 53
Lookman impressed massively at Charlton where he scored ten goals in 45 appearances from a wide position. At such a young age, he was causing a stir and made an £11 million move to Everton. This seemed a huge price tag for a relatively inexperienced League One player but Lookman has ignored the critics and worked hard.
He made an instant impression on Merseyside, scoring minutes after coming on in a 4-0 rout over Manchester City and has made a total of eight appearances in half a season. He will be part of a whole host of young Everton players hoping to make a big impression on the club’s season.
Likelihood of success: 8/10
Dominic Solanke (Forward)
Current Club: Liverpool*
Total first team appearances: 25
Solanke has recently departed Chelsea for pastures new in Liverpool and will be looking to have at least some impact on the team, which he was denied at Stamford Bridge. He was loaned to Vitesse for the 2015-16 season where he made all 25 of his first team appearances.
He has already represented England’s U21s three times but dropped back into the under 20s for this tournament where he was named the Player of the Tournament. He should get some game time for Liverpool in what will be a busy season, let’s hope he takes his chance when he gets it. He certainly possesses the ability to do so.
Likelihood of success: 8/10
