5 lesser-known England players who deserve a World Cup opportunity

The international break is once again upon us, with friendly games between various countries taking place later this week and early next week. With the focus on the England national team rather than the Premier League for once, attentions have been turning to the possible squad that manager Gareth Southgate could take to the World Cup.

Southgate has been surprisingly adventurous when it’s come to his squad selection since taking over in October 2016 – he’s given caps and call-ups to both young talent (Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tammy Abraham, etc) and more experienced players who have been performing in the Premier League (Jake Livermore, Ashley Young, etc) while also leaving out veterans like Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge.

While his starting eleven for the upcoming World Cup might be set in his mind, Southgate’s more adventurous side means that squad places could be up for grabs for anyone who continues to perform for their club – including some lesser-known players.

Here are 5 of those players who deserve a shot on the world’s biggest stage.

#1 Ryan Sessegnon

Could Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon be an outside bet for Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad?

It’s almost hard to imagine a scenario where the England manager would select a player from the Championship for his World Cup squad, but in the case of Fulham wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon, it might be time to buck that trend. Simply put, Sessegnon is one of the fastest rising stars in English football and one of the most talented youngsters to emerge in years.

A European Championship winner with England’s Under-19’s last summer, Sessegnon performed brilliantly, scoring 3 goals to finish as the joint-top scorer and also being named in the team of the tournament. And despite being just 17 years old, Sessegnon hasn’t faded from view like some of his U-19 teammates – instead, he’s broken into Fulham’s first team and been their best player this season.

Sessegnon tends to play from the left-back position, and yet he’s the Cottagers’ top scorer with 14 goals thus far – an incredible haul considering he isn’t a striker. His finishing instincts are magnificent, though, and he even hit a hat-trick earlier in the season. He’s also managed 5 assists and has shown he’s got the stamina for the long haul – he’s started in all of Fulham’s 38 league games thus far.

A highly skilled dribbler who seems fearless against the far more experienced opposition, Sessegnon has been compared to a young Gareth Bale for his daring raids down the left side. With the likes of Danny Rose and Ryan Bertrand not on the best form this season, surely it makes sense for Southgate to pull a wild card and take Sessegnon to the World Cup. Such gambles have paid off before, after all – remember Michael Owen in 1998?

#2 James Tarkowski

James Tarkowski could pick up his first England caps in the upcoming friendly fixtures

One of the new call-ups in England’s squad for the upcoming friendlies against Holland and Italy, it might seem a little far-fetched to believe that Burnley’s James Tarkowski could force his way into Southgate’s World Cup plans. But is that really the case, when rival central defenders like Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have been struggling for form?

The case for Tarkowski is a strong one. He’s only 25 years old, meaning he’s probably just about approaching his prime, and he’s almost been ever-present for the Latics this season, appearing in 23 of their 30 Premier League games. More crucially, Tarkowski has been part of one of the meanest defences in the league – Burnley have conceded just 26 goals; only Tottenham and the Manchester clubs have conceded less.

Forming a formidable partnership with the equally underrated Ben Mee, Tarkowski has received an average rating of 7.35 from WhoScored.com this season, picking up 4 Man of the Match awards in the process. With Tarkowski on the pitch, Burnley have only conceded more than 2 goals once this season – to the all-conquering Manchester City. It all reads impressively.

If he’s capable of shutting out the myriad of world-class attacking talent in the Premier League, then it suggests that he’s more than capable of shutting out the world’s best in Russia, too. Harry Maguire and John Stones have impressed thus far under Southgate, but if Tarkowski – who is also eligible to play for Poland – can impress in these friendlies then he may well book his ticket to the World Cup.

#3 James Maddison

Norwich midfielder James Maddison is phenomenally talented

If Ryan Sessegnon has been the standout young English talent in the Championship this season, then Norwich City’s James Maddison has to be considered a close second. The creative attacking midfielder – called into England’s Under-21 squad for the first time recently – has been having a fantastic season at Carrow Road, where he’s made 34 league appearances.

The stats for Maddison have been absolutely fantastic – he’s Norwich’s top scorer with 13 goals thus far, but he’s also assisted in 7, meaning on average, he’s involved in a goal every 1.7 games. With an average rating of 7.48 on WhoScored.com, he stands head and shoulders above his teammates, in a side that currently sit in 13th place, firmly in the mid-table.

England have struggled for creativity in recent times, with Southgate watching the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson and Jake Livermore toil in the centre of midfield with little to show for their efforts. Jack Wilshere and Harry Winks have both shown flashes of brilliance as a creative hub, but Wilshere is only just returning to the England fold while Winks has barely played for Tottenham recently.

So why not take a chance on Maddison? Granted, he’s highly unproven at the top level as he’s never played in the Premier League before, but judging by his overall game – his delivery from dead-balls, his passing range and his ability to shoot and score from all kinds of areas – he’s clearly ready for the step up. Taking him to Russia would be a massive risk for Southgate, but it’d be one that could end up paying off.

#4 Lewis Dunk

Lewis Dunk has been part of one of the Premier League's meanest defences this season

Brighton’s young central defender Lewis Dunk might’ve equalled an unwanted record recently – he scored his 4th own goal of 2017/18 in a February fixture against Swansea, the joint-most in any Premier League season – but ignoring that stat, he’s actually had a fantastic debut season in the Premier League with the Seagulls.

Dunk has been an ever-present for Chris Hughton’s men, appearing in every one of Brighton’s 30 Premier League games, and impressively, his side currently sit in 12th place and have only conceded 40 goals – less than all but the top five teams in the league and the equally mean Burnley. Usually paired with Irish international Shane Duffy, it’s hard not to be impressed by Dunk’s style.

And that style might be the key to him being noticed by Southgate. Thus far in his reign as England boss, Southgate has shown a penchant for defenders who can also pick out a pass. This has seen the likes of Harry Maguire and John Stones become regulars, while more experienced campaigners like Chris Smalling have been left aside.

Dunk can certainly pass impressively – WhoScored.com has his pass success percentage at a strong 78.6% - but his massive height (he stands at 6’4”) and frame also mean he’s capable of dominating in the air and allows him to be a threat from set-pieces too. Basically, he’s got everything it takes to succeed at the top level, and Southgate should certainly be willing to give him a shot in a defence that hasn’t always looked solid.

#5 Lewis Cook

Lewis Cook could provide England with a much-needed creative spark

The captain of England’s Under-20 World Cup winning squad of 2017, Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook was called into the senior squad for the first time back in November for the friendly game against Brazil, but he didn’t make an appearance. Back in the squad for the upcoming games, Cook will hopefully pick up his first cap – and could well make an impression strong enough to book a place at the World Cup.

A creative midfielder who has shown an ability to split a defence with his passing – witness his assist for Dominic Solanke’s goal against Mexico in the U-20 World Cup – it took Cook a little while to cement himself in Bournemouth’s starting line-up, but since December he’s largely been an ever-present – playing in all of the Cherries’ recent impressive run of just 2 defeats in 12 Premier League games.

As previously discussed, the current England side seem to lack a creative spark at times, which is where Cook could come in. His goalscoring record could do with improving – he hasn’t found the back of the net in the league this season although he has 2 assists to his name – his tight dribbling skills and ability to pick a pass to set up an attack could help England massively.

With Harry Winks looking out of the picture due to his lack of game time with Tottenham and Southgate still having question marks around Jack Wilshere, Cook could well force himself into the Three Lions’ World Cup plans with a couple of impressive showings against Holland and Italy. Watch this space.