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

#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.