With England’s 2022 World Cup now at an end, thoughts will immediately turn to the next cycle of major tournaments as the Three Lions finally look to end their long trophy drought.
Euro 2024 is first up in Germany in less than two years’ time, after which football’s biggest global tournament comes back into view in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
By that point, a full 60 years will have passed since England’s lone World Cup triumph on home soil in 1966, with Croatia and France eventually thwarting their last two impressive campaigns, either side of that agonising European Championship defeat on penalties to Italy.
Though the current group under Gareth Southgate - whose own future is now uncertain - is full of vibrant youth, the squad for the 2026 World Cup will surely look considerably different as a number of talented youngsters bid to state their credentials over the coming years.
Here, Nizaar Kinsella looks at five starlets who could shine for England at the next World Cup.
A mainstay of the Liverpool midfield and a prodigious talent, it seems only a matter of time before the 19-year-old is in the reckoning for an England call-up. Elliott has looked destined for the top since making his professional debut for Fulham, aged 15.
He moved to Anfield at 16 and, after five months out with a dislocated ankle last season, has featured in every Premier League and Champions League match for Liverpool this term, a feat matched only by Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Mohamed Salah.
Jacob Ramsey
The 21-year-old midfielder is a key player for Aston Villa. A local lad, with a dad who fought Ricky Hatton, Ramsey’s rise has helped Villa fans get over the loss of another hometown hero in Jack Grealish. His fine form for Villa even led to suggestions this year that he could be an outside bet for a place in the England squad for Qatar. “It won’t be long before the whole country is watching him,” said former Villa manager Steven Gerrard last season. “He is right up there.”
Rated as one of the most promising talents in the country, Chukwuemeka joined Chelsea in a £20million deal from Aston Villa in the summer. The midfielder was central to England’s victory at the European Under-19 Championship in July.
He has had to be patient for opportunities since moving to Stamford Bridge, but has impressed in his three substitute appearances so far. Chukwuemeka is viewed as a member of the first-team squad under Graham Potter and will hope for more action when the domestic season resumes.
Levi Colwill
One of Chelsea’s best young talents, Colwill is on loan at Brighton after being used as a makeweight in the £62million deal that took Marc Cucurella to Stamford Bridge. The 19-year-old centre-back had an impressive loan spell at Huddersfield in the Championship last season.
He wore the No26 shirt there, which led to many Chelsea supporters hailing him as “the next John Terry”. Colwill is a regular for England Under-21s but has found opportunities hard to come by at Brighton, making just one start in the Premier League.
Samuel Iling-Junior
A left-winger who left Chelsea for Juventus in 2020, the 19-year-old turned heads with an impressive cameo for the Italian side against Benfica in the Champions League in October.
Islington-born Iling-Junior initially played for Juventus Next Gen, effectively their reserve team, who play in Serie C, when he moved to Italy and immediately impressed before he was promoted to the first team this season. He is attracting interest from top clubs around Europe, with his contract set to expire next summer.
