Highlights

• Back in 2016, England's best teenage XI was named by The Telegraph, who expected all 11 players to make their mark on the international stage.
• Joe Gomez is now a Champions League and Premier League winner, but only has 11 senior caps to his name.
• Dele Alli is the player with the most appearances in the team, featuring for England 37 times.

The men's England international football team is in the best place it has been for many, many years right now. After reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, Gareth Southgate's side went one better at Euro 2020 and secured a place in the final at Wembley Stadium. They came agonisingly close to winning a first major trophy since 1966, with Italy eventually prevailing in a penalty shootout, before performing well at the World Cup in Qatar, narrowly being defeated by eventual runners-up France at the quarter-final stage.

But, despite the heartbreak in recent years, there's still huge cause for optimism around the Three Lions, especially when you remember how many youngsters are already key members of the squad. Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Phil Foden, and many more are already showcasing their enormous talent on the international stage. However, it's important to remember that not every youngster tipped to be an England star will end up fulfilling that prophecy.

Back in January 2016, the Telegraph named what they believed was the best XI made up of teenage English players and at the time, you'd have sworn most of them would be mainstays in the national team's senior setup by 2023. But that certainly hasn't been the case, with not a single member of the lineup being selected by Southgate for the country's FIFA World Cup squad in Qatar.

Goalkeeper - Freddie Woodman (Preston North End)

England caps: 0

Remember when Woodman was all the rage back in the day? Granted, he has represented England at every level from U16 to U21 but is yet to earn a senior call-up and the prospect of making his senior international bow is not looking overly likely any time soon given the host of talent the nation boasts between the sticks.

He'd been a Newcastle player since 2014 until signing for Preston North End in the summer of 2022, although the majority of his domestic appearances had come in various loan spells at the likes of Hartlepool, Crawley, Kilmarnock and Swansea. The 27-year-old has played 36 games this season, keeping just eight clean sheets in the process.

Defender - Joe Gomez (Liverpool)

England caps: 12

Had Gomez not been struck down by a serious knee injury in 2020, he'd almost certainly be a key player for both England and Liverpool right now. Having struggled for minutes at times under Jurgen Klopp at times, due to the sheer amount of depth at Anfield in his position, the former Charlton defender has been playing regularly in 2023/24, featuring on 24 occasions in the Premier League.

Having not made a senior appearance for the Three Lions since 2020 against Wales, Gomez was recently included in the squad by Gareth Southgate for games against Brazil and Belgium, making an appearance against the former as he aims to become an outside shout for the 2024 Euros. Again, however, he faces quite the challenge to displace England's first-choice options and book himself a seat on the plane to the tournament.

Defender - Reece Oxford (FC Augsburg)

England caps: 0

Once a FIFA Career Mode gem, it’s not unfair to say that Oxford’s career hasn’t been as fruitful as many had tipped it to become. Bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old at West Ham, the London-born centre-back quickly faded into the depths of obscurity. Though life in England didn’t work out, the versatile defender has rebuilt – albeit slowly and surely - his career out in Germany for FC Augsburg after his permanent move in 2019.

That has been marred by a flurry of injury woes, however, as he managed to rack up just four appearances in 2022/23, something which has continued into the present term, as the 25-year-old still hasn't played a minute of football in 23/24. The season before, though, Oxford did prove his worth by playing 30 league games and providing three goal contributions in that timeframe.

Defender - Brendan Galloway (Plymouth Argyle)

England caps: 0

The ex-Everton full-back is now with Championship outfit Plymouth Argyle after a short spell at Luton Town. Since his move down the English pyramid, Galloway has played 63 times for his current employers and has duly recorded three goals and three assists so, perhaps, The Telegraph can file this in their ‘shouts to forget about’ cabinet. Especially seeing as the defender has now switched international allegiance to Zimbabwe, the country of his birth.

Since, he's played two games for the African nation - although Galloway missed the 2021 AFCON through injury. Despite featuring for England between the U17 and U21 age groups, he never got the chance to shine at senior level.

Defender - Ben Chilwell (Chelsea)

England caps: 20

The only member of the XI who actually made England's Euro 2020 squad, Chilwell is an exceptional left-back for Chelsea when fully fit, and it's clear that the former Leicester City man has a huge future with both the Blues and on the international stage as long as his recurring woes do not persist. At 27 years of age, Chilwell has 19 senior England caps under his belt, but seeing as his lack of recent game time has (quite literally) been hamstrung, his inclusion in the England set-up in the near future is currently hanging in the balance.

Having to compete with Luke Shaw for the starting role in the team does not help his cause either, as Southgate seemingly prefers playing the Manchester United man over Chilwell. Nevertheless, the latter could find himself picking up more caps at Euro 2024 if Shaw's injury keeps him out of contention.

Midfielder - Lewis Cook (Bournemouth)

England caps: 1

Injuries have really taken their toll on Cook in recent years and Bournemouth - where he's plied his trade since 2016 - have never really seen the best of him as a result. The all-action midfielder has one England cap to his name from March 2018, but it's highly unlikely he'll add to that in the remainder of his professional career.

Cherries boss Andoni Iraola seems to appreciate Cook, though, playing him 28 times this campaign so far. Despite seeming like he has been around for an age, Cook is still just 27 years of age and with plenty of years left in the tank, a belated surge in performance could raise the eyebrows of Southgate and co. Though, as mentioned, we don’t see it happening.

Midfielder - Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan)

England caps: 10

Loftus-Cheek was part of England's 2018 World Cup squad; however, he hasn't played for the Three Lions since November of that year. And even then, that was a friendly against the United States. The silky, long-limbed midfielder was decent in patches during his west London stay and has been one of the men of the moment since switching to AC Milan, so it’s impossible to rule out a sensational international comeback by him just yet.

In his 25-game Serie A 2023/24 campaign, the 27-year-old Englishman has chalked up two assists and five goals from the heart of the pitch. His efforts in the Europa League have been even more impressive, with the box-to-box midfielder scoring four times in as many matches – Southgate, are you watching?!

Midfielder - Dele Alli (Everton)

England caps: 37

Dele Alli's decline in recent years has been sad to see. For a while, he was a free-scoring midfielder at Tottenham and an England regular, who was hailed for scoring in the 2018 World Cup quarter-final versus Sweden. The world was at the midfielder's feet as many pundits and managers alike tipped him to be England’s next big star.

But an eventual below-par move to Everton beckoned before he moved overseas, albeit on a temporary loan to Besiktas, a club where he managed just 15 appearances. Now back on Merseyside, the 37-cap England international opened up about his childhood struggles in an interview in 2023, and revealed how he was looking to get back to his best. Whether the midfielder will play for his nation ever again, though, is unknown.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Dele Alli's last England appearance came in 2019 in the Three Lions' Nations League third place play-off win against Switzerland.

Forward - Patrick Roberts (Sunderland)

England caps: 0

Roberts was tipped for great things when he joined Manchester City in 2015, but he has never lived up to the expectations laid out before him by The Telegraph, given he has not plundered a senior cap for England. Interestingly, he played just three times for City’s first team and, instead, earned much-needed senior minutes from the likes of Celtic, Girona, Norwich, Troyes, Middlesbrough, and Derby during loan stints.

Finally getting a permanent move away in 2022, the right-winger joined Sunderland, and he has scored seven times and recorded 10 assists for the club. Roberts' enormous potential is currently unfulfilled, but he has many years left to burn. The winger could yet be Jamie Vardy’s regen and become England’s latest late bloomer.

Forward - Sheyi Ojo (KV Kortrijk - on loan from Cardiff City)

England caps: 0

Destined to become a Liverpool prodigy, Ojo removed himself from the grasps of Klopp and moved to Cardiff City. Though, like many others in this XI, he has spent most of the past few years out on loan. The talented winger has been shipped off to Belgian outfit KV Kortrijk by the Welsh club, having previously spent time at Wigan, Wolves, Fulham, Reims, and Rangers, while on the books in Merseyside.

Many thought a permanent move away from Anfield would boost his chances of fulfilling his previous status as one of England’s brightest up-and-coming stars, though the one assist in his 28-game stint in Belgium doesn’t paint him in the prettiest of lights.

Forward - Demarai Gray (Al-Ettifaq)

England caps: 0

After a tough few years at Leicester and Bayer Leverkusen, Gray returned to his best in the Premier League at Everton. The left-winger was arguably one of the Toffees' prized assets during the 2021/22 campaign, registering nine goal involvements in 34 league matches.

He has since taken the opportunity to line his pockets in Middle East as he has teamed up with former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq. The 26-cap England U21 international switched allegiances to Jamaica and made his debut earlier this year, scoring five goals in 10 matches already. Perhaps there was a future spot for his services in the England setup, but whether that would have ever come to life will remain a mystery.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - Correct as of 23/03/24