Top 5 Uncapped England Players Eyeing Euro 2024 Spots

Top 5 Uncapped England Players Eyeing Euro 2024 Spots

The Three Lions manager has stuck with his favourites throughout his time there, but before the tournament, there is still time for fresh players to enter the race.

Amazingly, the penultimate international break until the start of Euro 2024 is currently underway. Actually, Gareth Southgate’s tenure has gotten off to a quite rough start. Before the ball was even thrown, he lost Jude Bellingham, James Maddison, and Callum Wilson to knocks, adding to the previously confirmed starter John Stones’ absence due to injury. Several uncapped players have received their first call-ups as a result of this.

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With only a few games left until the tournament begins, Southgate should really be fine tuning things, as opposed to having to deal with the arrival of several players who have not been involved in the senior set-up before.

While it’s frustrating, it also teaches a valuable lesson about international football. As much as you can plan and prepare, things can change very quickly – and not just because of injuries. Poor form can also lead to a squad drastically changing ahead of a tournament, even if Southgate has attempted to fester a club-like atmosphere during his time at the helm.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester)

The 25-year-old has already registered 11 goal contributions in just 16 league games, taking up the creative and goalscoring mantle from Maddison following his Tottenham exit. Despite this stunning form, Southgate is unlikely to select Dewsbury-Hall while he remains away from the Premier League – even while Henderson continues to be selected.

Consequently, a top-tier transfer in January would probably be his only chance to break into the Euro 2024 team. Liverpool was linked to him throughout the summer, but they wouldn’t be the only Premier League team interested in signing Dewsbury-Hall. Complicating matters is the fact that his Leicester contract doesn’t expire until 2027.

Rico Lewis (Manchester City)

Pep Guardiola is not easily impressed. Palmer and Phil Foden can attest to the fact that the Man City manager like to take his time integrating rookies into the starting lineup. On the other hand, Lewis has advanced quickly. Endowed with a tactical acumen much above his years, he has regularly represented the Cityzens as an inverted full-back, one of the most cognitively taxing positions in football.

Guardiola has also been astounded by his development, saying recently that if he were just a little bit taller, the young player would rank among the Premier League’s finest players. Truly excellent praise.

Given that England lacks depth in the midfield for these games, Southgate may be inclined to try Lewis there. In the summer, if he makes an impression, he may possibly be headed to Germany.

Curtis Jones (Liverpool)

Jones was enjoying a nice run of starts in the Liverpool first team at the beginning of the season, leading to some muted calls for him to earn his first England call-up. However, it all went pear-shaped against Tottenham, when he was dismissed for a rash challenge. His progress was then further stunted by a hamstring injury, though he is expected to be available for the Reds’ first game after the international break.

Like Longstaff, Jones’ goals and assist numbers are not massively impressive. But as a cog in a wider machine, he has proved his worth under Jurgen Klopp. Should some of Southgate’s deeper-lying midfielders be unavailable, he might find himself called upon. He already has experience of the England set-up at least, having been capped 20 times at U21 level.

Joe Willock (Newcastle)

Willock is another candidate to play in the midfield. The former Arsenal player was one of the players expected to be shipped out as soon as possible when Newcastle was acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Though Willock only missed three Premier League games last season as Eddie Howe’s team finished in the top four, he effectively demonstrated that he belongs at a big club.

A troublesome hamstring injury has limited his involvement this time out, but he returned with a bang during the Magpies’ demolition of Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, scoring a superb goal and helping his side completely overrun their opposition in midfield.

Willock has never received a cap, but if he can string together a few matches before the competition, he’ll offer Southgate enough to think about—especially in light of the recent controversy surrounding Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips’ continued inclusion in the team.

Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

Palmer’s summer spending spree by Chelsea was mostly written off as a mistake by the player and the team. However, the Manchester City youth graduate hasn’t wasted any time disproving his sceptics. He just finished off a strong season by scoring a crucial penalty to give the Blues a point against his old team.

Shortly after, Maddison, Wilson, and Bellingham’s injuries cleared enough room in the squad for Palmer to receive his first-ever Three Lions call-up, which only made things better for him. The attacker said that at first he thought it was a “blag,” but since pride is the only thing at stake, there’s a good chance he’s given minutes against either North Macedonia or Malta.

In the long-term, he’s also firmly in the conversation for the Euros squad. Capable of playing on the wing or in an advanced midfield role, he’s a guaranteed starter for the Blues and is showing he has the confidence to shine on the biggest stages.