Ten young England stars who could shine at the 2018 World Cup

The 2018 World Cup in Russia is edging closer to its kick off and we couldn’t be more excited! All of our guides, acca tips, predictions and previews to the tournament will be surfacing over time as we aim to give our readers the knowledge and insight well in advance.

With qualification secured, England can now begin to prepare mentally and physically for the 2018 World Cup. The Three Lions have earned a poor reputation for limply exiting tournaments in recent years, but Gareth Southgate’s youthful side will be optimistic about their chances as a new generation of England talents emerge.

We decided to take a look at ten young talents who could potentially make a world of difference for England in Russia:

Harry Kane

Scarcely in need of any introduction, this Tottenham striker’s name is up in lights right now as his exceptional goal scoring record captures the headlines. Kane’s rise to stardom has been breathtaking since Mauricio Pochettino handed him first team game time in 2014, firing in awe-inspiring tallies in the Premier League season after season.

The statistics point to Kane breaking all sorts of records domestically and, naturally, some of the biggest clubs in the world are keen to sign him. For his country, Kane has usurped all-time top goalscorer Wayne Rooney as the undisputed lead striker and there’s a whole lot of responsibility resting on his shoulders. Kane is indisputably a world class striker and his impact in Russia could be parallel to any success.

Dele Alli

One of English football’s biggest names right now, Dele Alli has become an essential cog in both the Tottenham and England setup’s. This MK Dons youth product has bravely defied any doubters by performing consistently well at the very top level for three seasons.

Alli has adapted to playing an incredibly effective free roaming attacking midfielder role for Spurs, racking up 18 league goals in 37 matches in the 2016/17 season. With a natural ability to make his own space in and around the edge of the opposition box with intelligent off the ball runs, Alli is one of the biggest prospects in world football right now. Gareth Southgate has used Alli to the same effect since taking over and there’s surely more to come from the youngster.

John Stones

Often unappreciated for his slick, modern playing style, John Stones oozes class in his centre back role. Man City’s young star received exceptional flack from all angles during first season in Manchester, however much of that criticism was unwarranted or overstated.

Stones has began the 2017/18 campaign in superb form, silencing said critics with astoundingly confident displays at the heart of Pep Guardiola’s defence. His passing statistics are staggering, his positioning is improving day upon day and his impact further forward is becoming more evident. Roy Hodgson ignored his presence at Euro 2016, but Stones must be in Gareth Southgate’s starting eleven in Russia.

Jack Butland

With Joe Hart’s presence at club and international level gradually declining, the time is edging nearer for England to switch to a more assured goalkeeper between the sticks. Naturally, Jack Butland is earning rave reviews from critics at the right time. Still just 24 years old, Butland has shown remarkable reflexes, strong leadership and a bright future in goal for Stoke City.

The Bristol born youngster has been through an arduous journey with six different clubs to stake his claim in the Premier League and could well have competed for a starting berth at Euro 2016 if it weren’t for an unfortunate ankle injury. His performances that season earned him Stoke’s player of the season award and he’s returned to first team action now. There’s room for improvement with his distribution, but Butland should be England’s starter in Russia.

Marcus Rashford

A wonderkid in no need of introduction. Marcus Rashford has excelled at every opportunity since Louis van Gaal elevated him to Man United’s first team in 2016. Goals in his Europa League, Premier League, League Cup, Manchester derby, England under 21’s and England international debuts made the headlines, but this down to earth Wythenshaw lad has plenty more to his game.

Since Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Manchester United, Rashford has adjusted his game to support Zlatan Ibrahimovic and later Romelu Lukaku in a left wing role, playing an enormous part in the Red Devils League Cup and Europa League successes. His rapid pace and gangly figure make him a dangerous threat alone, but adept dribbling skills, clever positional sense and clinical finishing make him into an all-around star.

Eric Dier

Often without praise, it’s no coincidence that Tottenham’s rise in stature has come upon Eric Dier’s arrival from Sporting Lisbon in 2014. Highly regarded as a youngster, Dier moved to Portugal as a seven year old and blossomed into a star. A temporary switch to Everton allowed the Cheltenham born defendet to flourish as an athlete, acclimatising to the English game once again before Mauricio Pochettino came calling two years later.

With the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli capturing the majority of the headlines at Tottenham, Dier’s bullish defensive work often gets overlooked. His strength, desire and fantastic mentality in a defensive midfield role often allows others to stand out. Tremendous adaptability sometimes see’s Dier drop deeper to central defence as cover during matches and that quality shouldn’t be overlooked if England are to be ambitious.

Raheem Sterling

The only player on the list to feature at the 2014 World Cup is Raheem Sterling, then Liverpool’s exciting young winger. Now of Manchester City, Sterling has blossomed into a marvellous talent and is still under 24 years of age. No Premier League player completed more dribbles than Raheem Sterling last season, including top class talents like Eden Hazard and Alexis Sanchez.

In his sixth full season at top level, the prominent feeling is that Sterling has broken the shackles and excelled further to his huge potential. Sterling is just two goals from matching last season’s league tally at the time of writing and looks on course to even beat his best tally achieved at Liverpool in 2013/14. Sterling’s incredible flair and dribbling ability are often underrated and, on his day, the Jamaican born youngster is one of the best wide men in the world.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

The first uncapped player on this list is also the youngest player present. Trent Alexander-Arnold only really broke out as a starter for Liverpool last season, but the early signs look tremendous. Capable of playing at right back or in the centre of midfield at the time of writing, this 18 year old has been hand selected by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard himself as one of England’s brightest talents.

Another youngster benefitting from remarkable maturity, Alexander-Arnold is a humble star with a superb footballing brain. Trent has shown great bravery, confidence on the ball, a penchant for set pieces, incredible stamina and uncapped potential filling in for Nathaniel Clyne. So much so that a handful of Liverpool’s biggest fans want him to remain a starter for the long-term. Russia could well come too soon for Alexander-Arnold, but much of that depends on his growth during the domestic season.

James Ward-Prowse

Only seen once in at England first team level, James Ward-Prowse actually made his Premier League debut all the way back in 2012 as a plucky 17 year old. Performing under a number of different coaches, this Portsmouth born youngster has become a strong positive six top tier seasons with Southampton.

Ward-Prowse captained Gareth Southgate’s Toulon Tournament winning side to success in 2016, showing great leadership and maturity in the process. Following 49 caps at youth level, the midfielder was rewarded with a call-up to Southgate’s senior side in 2017. Ward-Prowse offers remarkable vision, a broad range of passing, dangerous set pieces and a great deal of sophistication to a midfield lacking a forward thinking threat; we expect to see more from him in the near future

Harry Winks

A less-proven alternative to James Ward-Prowse, Harry Winks has quietly forged a reputation for himself by making 39 first team appearances for a star-studded Tottenham side. Another player who won’t capture the headlines with his performances, Winks has a very mature head on his shoulders at just 21 years old.

Key aspects of his game include strong passing ability, great vision and a remarkable aptitude for being available for a pass. Early displays don’t highlight a natural ability to get involved in attacks, but Winks can make a huge difference if England want to dominate ball possession.

Honourable mentions: Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Harry Maguire, Ryan Sessegnon, Ross Barkley, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tom Davies, Patrick Roberts, Nathan Redmond, Tammy Abraham.