The England Squad: Where to start?

Dean Henderson – Sam Johnstone – Nick Pope

Ben Chilwell – Conor Coady – Eric Dier – Reece James – Harry Maguire – Tyrone Mings – Luke Shaw – John Stones – Kieran Tripper – Kyle Walker

Jude Bellingham – Phil Foden – Jesse Lingard – Mason Mount – Kalvin Phillips – Declan Rice – James Ward-Prowse

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – Harry Kane – Marcus Rashford – Bukayo Saka – Raheem Sterling – Ollie Watkins

The England squad for the qualifiers of the 2022 World Cup has been chosen.

Time to give my thoughts on each chosen player. Make yourself a tea or coffee, or pour an alcoholic drink, this could take a while.

• Dean Henderson (Manchester United): When he has been called upon this season, Henderson has shown his worth. 11 clean sheets in 17 games (in all competitions) this season is extremely reassuring for Gareth Southgate.

• Sam Johnstone (West Brom): Despite his club suffering this season in the league, Johnstone will be a very happy man. There is no telling if he will be picked to start or that he’ll get game time, only time will tell. Five clean sheets this season, including two against Burnley.

CREDIT: Sky Sports
Nick Pope

• Nick Pope (Burnley): His first ever international match for England was against Kosovo in a 2020 European Championship qualifier. He kept a clean sheet. Not a bad debut, it must be said. He is just two clean sheets off Dean Henderson. This includes games against Arsenal and Liverpool.

• Ben Chilwell (Chelsea): The £50m man has proven to be an important player for Chelsea and one who is not afraid to get forward. 21 games in the Premier League this season shows the obvious talent that this left-back has.

• Conor Coady (Wolves): A centre-back who has played at Wolves for some time now. A player who has captained his side to eight clean sheets this season. Do you think Southgate will start the Wolves player in these upcoming qualifiers?

• Eric Dier (Tottenham): He has represented his country 43 times before and Southgate believes he deserves a spot. I think Dier is lucky to be handed a place, and I think it should have been Michael Keane, of Everton. However, I am not the England Manager, let’s see what he does.

CREDIT: Sky Sports
Reece James

• Reece James (Chelsea): Thoroughly deserved. He is showing such a huge potential considering his age. James can play at RB or RWB so this versatility will be a bonus for Southgate in the qualifiers.

CREDIT: Sky Sports
Harry Maguire

• Harry Maguire (Manchester United): You either love him or you hate him, like marmite. It seems that Ole Gunnar Solskjær has lots of faith in him, as he has played 42 games already this season. Gareth Southgate will be hoping that faith in the towering centre-back reaps rewards.

• Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa): From one tall centre-back to another. Mings will be motivated to keep his strong form up. Aston Villas, this season, have kept 14 clean sheets this season, only bettered by Chelsea and Manchester City. Power centre-backs could be the key in not conceding in the qualifiers.

CREDIT: Footballcoin
Luke Shaw

• Luke Shaw (Manchester United): The final left-back on this list and its is a player who has been playing great football recently. Not only is he defending extremely well, he has also added to the attacking side of Manchester United. Six assists and one goal so far this season.

CREDIT: Sky Sports
John Stones

• John Stones (Manchester City): One of the best centre-backs in the league right now. Not the player most talked about this season but his quality will be vital for Southgate when it comes to selecting his starting XI.

• Kieran Trippier (Atlético Madrid): The first player selected who isn’t currently playing in England. In my opinion, Trippier is extremely lucky to be on this list. Despite the season him and his team are having, I think everyone would still have chosen Trent Alexander-Arnold as right-back. Although, his five assists beats TAA’s 3.

• Kyle Walker (Manchester City): The final defender selected by Gareth Southgate. A player who has half-a-century of England caps. A tireless defender who you can rely on. Walker knows the game and will be able to support the younger players during these qualifiers and after.

• Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund): The kid from Stourbridge is now part of a team full of young superstars. Despite being only 17, Bellingham has played 34 times across all competitions. Is this a risk for Southgate?

CREDIT: Sky Sports
Phil Foden

• Phil Foden (Manchester City): The third player from the blue half of Manchester. This has been a high quality season so far for the young Englishman. Not only is he scoring goals (11 all comps) but he is providing assists for his teammates (with 9 all comps). Southgate has an extremely versatile player at hand.

• Jesse Lingard (West Ham): Lingard’s start to life at West Ham has been prolific. Four goals and two assists in his first six matches is great. Fortunately, for Lingard, players such as James Maddison and Jack Grealish are both injured. Will Lingard’s form translate to the international stage?

CREDIT: Chris Lee/Chelsea FC/GETTY Images
Mason Mount

• Mason Mount (Chelsea): Mason Mount has improved his game a lot this season. He will be a huge positive for Southgate. It will be interesting to see what midfield combination England go for.

• Kalvin Phillips (Leeds): The only player from Leeds in the squad. One of the new men in the Premier League. Three games for England under his belt already. Will he get a chance to play?

CREDIT: Sky Sports
Declan Rice

• Declan Rice (West Ham): Many fans feel his time at West Ham is coming to an end. Despite this speculation, David Moyes has give his defensive midfielder game time. I think this is a good move from Southgate.

• James Ward-Prowse (Southampton): Many people have been comparing him to David Beckham. Just take a look at his free kicks. Eight goals and five assists across three competitions. I think we all know who might be on free kicks.

• Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton): This guy loves scoring goals. 19 goals in 30 appearances (all comps) this season. Plus four assists. Two goals in three England caps too. Not bad.

CREDIT: Hotspur HQ
Harry Kane

• Harry Kane (Tottenham): A fan favourite and the most likely striker to start. Talking of goal scorers, this is your main man. 32 goals in 48 games for his country. Definitely on penalty duties.

CREDIT: Oli Scarff/AFP – GETTY Images
Marcus Rashford

• Marcus Rashford (Manchester United): The country love him at the moment. His club love him and it’s evident that Southgate is a huge admirer. How many will he score in the qualifiers?

• Bukayo Saka (Arsenal): Another young star in the making. He made his way through every England aged group and now he is on the main stage. I think he will be given a chance. But how many minutes will that be?

CREDIT: GETTY Images
Raheem Sterling

• Raheem Sterling (Manchester City): A mainstay in the England set up for a few years now. 13 goals and 10 assists for Sterling across all four competitions this season. Where will he play?

• Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa): Many would see Watkins as a surprise inclusion. However, the guy has earned his place. 10 goals in the Premier League and a further two in the EFL Cup. He may never have kicked a ball for his country on the big stage but this is a huge chance for him.

That is that. What do you think on the selection?

Thank you for reading my thoughts.

RGE