LIONS CUBS FOR QATAR
There are just 495 days until the World Cup kicks off and manager Southgate will be thinking about his team already... and if you thought the side was young at Euro 2020 you ain’t seen nothing yet
IT is 495 days until the next World Cup and Gareth Southgate will already have turned his thoughts to his team for Qatar in 2022.
The England manager has picked 79 players during his 61 games in charge - and his success has been built on bringing in new players, championing youth and looking to the next generation.
The St George’s Park
production line has made his young squad the envy of even some of the bigger nations, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all playing a part at the Euros.
And this is the chance to keep evolving, keep looking to the stars of tomorrow and to raise the bar again by bringing in the youngsters now so they are ready for the future.
That is why Southgate will be considering promoting Bellingham, 18, from the subs’ bench at the Euros to the starting line-up for the World Cup.
Bellingham has the potential to be England’s next Steven Gerrard, is playing regularly in the Champions League for Borussia Dortmund and has a maturity way beyond his years. He will be an England regular for the next decade.
But England are also looking beyond as the likes of Ben White, Ben Godfrey, Curtis Jones and Emile Smith Rowe are also in Southgate’s mind for
next year. Brighton defender White is a hot property with Arsenal chasing him in a £50million transfer saga and, even though he did not get a minute at the Euros, his ability
on the ball is exactly the reason why Southgate will promote him.
Equally, Everton’s versatile defender Godfrey pushed his way into the preliminary squad and his future looks bright.
Liverpool midfielder Jones is another who is good on the ball. With more game time he will push for a senior call-up and that now does not look far away.
Arsenal playmaker Smith Rowe, 20, is another firmly on the Three Lions radar as he can
play wide, in the No.10 role and his link-up and understanding with Gunners team-mate Saka could be interesting for both club and country.
It was in November 2019 when Southgate (left) first championed Manchester City’s Phil Foden, saying it was a matter of “when and not if ” he would break into the senior squad.
At that stage, Foden had made just three Premier League starts and was viewed at City as very much one for the future.
The 21-year-old is now seen as a mainstay.
That is the sort of faith Southgate has in young players and will show with the likes of Mason Greenwood, who is destined for the very top and may also produce the quality back-up needed for Harry Kane.
But Foden being pushed even before he was a first-team regular for his club underlines how Southgate wants young talent to keep his squad fresh, hungry and alive.