5 players with an outside bet of making the England squad this summer | Euro 2020 Watch

#4 Reece James - Chelsea

Could Reece James be England's new utility man?

Four of Chelsea’s academy graduates – Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi – have already starred for England in the current season, but the best of the bunch may well prove to be 20-year old full-back Reece James. The former Wigan loanee has burst onto the scene in recent months with some fantastic performances, and it seems likely that Gareth Southgate’s eyes must have been opened at some point.

A tremendous natural athlete, James has basically everything it takes to succeed as a modern full-back at the highest level; he’s a tough tackler who rarely gets beaten by an opponent, and while he isn’t a dynamic dribbler as such going forward, his delivery from crosses is pinpoint, as evidenced by his recent assists against Aston Villa and Burnley.

It’s hard to imagine James capturing a starting berth for England at Euro 2020; he usually plays at right-back, a position seemingly sewn up by Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, but interestingly, the Chelsea youngster isn’t just a one-position player – he’s actually able to play anywhere across defence, including on the left, and has even stepped into a holding midfield spot before.

That means that James could fill the spot vacated by Manchester United’s Phil Jones – that of the utility man, capable of filling in at multiple positions, meaning Southgate could probably afford to take one less defender and take an extra attacker in the squad, too. If the Chelsea man continues to perform like he has done recently, surely he’ll be given his opportunity.