While sport remains off the table for the time being, it’s never too early to try and predict who will be making it into England’s squad for Euro 2021 after it was pushed back a year.
The delaying of the competition can be seen as a blessing for some Premier League players who were perhaps on the fringe of the squad, and now potentially have more opportunities to impress Gareth Southgate and stake their claim for a spot in the final 23. We at Grosvenor Sport have had a crack at predicting what the Euro 2021 squad looks like 12 months ahead of schedule.
Goalkeeper: Dean Henderson, Sheffield United (on loan from Manchester United)
England Caps: 0
Henderson has been one of the standout performers in the Premier League so far this season, with the 23-year-old shipping just 22 goals and keeping 10 clean sheets in 27 league appearances. There have been many calls for Henderson to be promoted into the No.1 role between the sticks for England.
Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford, Everton
England Caps: 24
England’s penalty shootout hero against Colombia at the 2018 World Cup, Pickford remains one of England’s best options in goal, but his indifferent form over the last 12 months have brought his position as first-choice under scrutiny.
Goalkeeper: Nick Pope, Burnley
England Caps: 2
The 28-year-old stopper has been superb for Burnley since stealing the No.1 jersey from compatriot Tom Heaton. The former Charlton standout has been afforded opportunities by Southgate but will likely be no more than the third-string ‘keeper.
Defender: Harry Maguire, Manchester United
England Caps: 26
England Goals: 1
The towering centre-back has been impressive for Manchester United since his £80m move from Leicester last summer, and has cemented himself as one of the first names on the team sheet over the last few seasons.
Defender: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool
England Caps: 9
England Goals: 1
21-year-old Alexander-Arnold tops the bill at right-back for England, a position where they boast four or five very strong options fit for most international tournament squads, but the Liverpool man has now ascended himself to world class level.
Defender: Joe Gomez, Liverpool
England Caps: 8
England Goals: 0
Gomez has had his troubles with injuries during his Liverpool career, but the 22-year-old has formed arguably the Premier League’s most formidable centre-back partnership alongside Virgil van Dijk when available, and should assert himself as Maguire’s partner for years to come.
Defender: Ben Chilwell, Leicester
England Caps: 11
England Goals: 0
In recent seasons, Chilwell has usurped Christian Fuchs as the left-back of choice at the King Power Stadium and has also elevated himself above Danny Rose and others to become England’s first-choice left-back.
Defender: John Stones, Manchester City
England Caps: 39
England Goals: 2
Rapidly becoming one of the veterans of this current crop of England stars, Stones’ potential is there for all to see but failure to stay fit or secure a run of games at club level have seen him drop down the pecking order for his country.
Defender: Luke Shaw, Manchester United
England Caps: 8
England Goals: 0
Still just 24, Shaw’s best football remains ahead of him and since the turn of the year, he has enjoyed a fine run of form for Manchester United and managed to stay fit and available, which has been a problem for him in the past.
Defender: Fikayo Tomori, Chelsea
England Caps: 1
England Goals: 0
Tomori has endured a stop-start season at Stamford Bridge after returning from a successful loan at Derby last term, starting the season as a regular, but injuries have seen him fall out of favour, making just one league start since the turn of the year. That being said, Southgate has put his faith in Tomori by including him in recent squads and is clearly seen as a future prospect.
Defender: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Manchester United
England Caps: 0
England Goals: 0
The first uncapped player to make our predicted squad, Wan-Bissaka has impressed for United this season and has been included in recent England squads. With Kyle Walker turning 30 by the time Euro 2021 comes around, we sense that Southgate may opt for the youth of Wan-Bissaka.
Midfielder: Jordan Henderson, Liverpool
England Caps: 55
England Goals: 0
Turning 30 next month, Henderson has become one of the elder statesmen of this England squad but his leadership and presence in midfield is not only key to our success at Euro 2021, but has been pivotal in Liverpool’s ascendance from top four challenge to European elite.
Midfielder: Declan Rice, West Ham
England Caps: 7
England Goals: 0
21-year-old Rice has been a regular in the West Ham side for the last three seasons and has pushed himself into Southgate’s thinking in the last 12 months, being selected for every international squad and earning seven caps to date as the country’s top choice as a midfield anchor.
Midfielder: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Liverpool
England Caps: 35
England Goals: 7
Injuries have plagued the last 18 months of Oxlade-Chamberlain’s career, but the midfielder has earned the trust of Jurgen Klopp and Southgate when he’s been available. The 26-year-old has missed the last two major tournaments with knee injuries.
Midfielder: Mason Mount, Chelsea
England Caps: 6
England Goals: 1
Like Tomori, Mount has benefited hugely from a loan spell under Frank Lampard at Derby last season and is now excelling under his stewardship at Stamford Bridge. With six goals and five assists already this term, Mount’s experience playing in a midfield three is a huge plus for Southgate and his system.
Midfielder: Phil Foden, Manchester City
England Caps: 0
England Goals: 0
Yet to be called up to a senior squad, Foden has found game time hard to come by at Manchester City to date, but with David Silva leaving in the summer, Foden has been touted for a bigger role in the side next season by Pep Guardiola
Midfielder: Jack Grealish, Aston Villa
England Caps: 0
England Goals: 0
The third uncapped player to make our squad, Grealish’s form for a struggling Villa side has not gone unnoticed by top clubs in the Premier League, with seven goals and six assists in 26 league appearances. His ability to play centrally and out wide offers some much needed versatility.
Midfielder: James Maddison, Leicester
England Caps: 1
England Goals: 0
Maddison has taken the Premier League by storm since joining Leicester in 2018, scoring 13 goals and providing 10 assists since the start of last season, helping him break into the England squad in the process.
Midfielder: Dele Alli, Tottenham
England Caps: 37
England Goals: 4
Still only 24, Alli is one of the senior players of the current England squad with 37 caps to his name so far in his career. While form at club level for Tottenham hasn’t been as consistent as he would like, he remains one of Southgate’s mainstays.
Forward: Harry Kane, Tottenham
England Caps: 45
England Goals: 32
Rapidly closing in on Wayne Rooney’s all-time goalscoring record for England, Kane remains the first name on the teamsheet under Southgate and perhaps the delaying of the tournament is a blessing in disguise for Kane as he was in a race to be fit for the tournament.
Forward: Raheem Sterling, Manchester City
England Caps: 56
England Goals: 12
Sterling has become one of the most influential players in the Premier League over the last two seasons, taking his game to the next level, and now the time has come for him to carry that over at international level.
Forward: Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund
England Caps: 11
England Goals: 2
One of the stars of the Bundesliga, Sancho is being linked with a big money return to the Premier League in the summer, with 14 goals and 16 assists in 23 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund this season.
Forward: Marcus Rashford, Manchester United
England Caps: 38
England Goals: 10
Rashford is the 23rd and final member of our predicted Euro 2021 squad, with the Manchester United star offering versatility in attack and a capable replacement for if Kane is injured.
Do you agree with our 23-man squad, or is there someone you think we have wrongly overlooked? Let us know in the comments below!
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