World Cup 2018: 5 players who could help England win the trophy

England are, by no measure, favourites at the ongoing FIFA World Cup. However, there's no denying that Gareth Southgate's side does possess plenty of talent with some exceptional players being picked.

Yes, this might not be their best side to feature at a World Cup. Probably not even close. Yes, most folks have already written them off, with the English side becoming the butt of jokes and the premise of bucketloads of memes.

But we've seen what some of their stars are capable of when they put on their club colours. On their day, a number of the English players are more than capable of winning games on their own.

On that note, here is a look at 5 players England will rely heavily on if they're to lift world football's most prestigious trophy:

#5 John Stones

In August 2016, Manchester City signed John Stones for a reported fee of £47.5 million - a fee that saw him become the second most expensive defender in the history of the game at that point.

Now aged 24, Stones has since been an important part of Pep Guardiola's plans, winning the domestic double of the Premier League and the EFL Cup in the 2017/18 season with Manchester City. He was also extensively used by Guardiola in the UEFA Champions League, where he helped the Cityzens reach the quarter-finals of the competition.

The centre-back is a solid presence at the back and against the bigger teams and better players, his young legs could well be England's saving grace at the back. This season, Stones played 29 games across all competitions, averaging 0.8 tackles and 2.7 clearances per game.

Stones has made just 26 appearances in a Three Lions shirt and while he may be inexperienced, his calm demeanour nullifies his inexperience, as we've seen at the club level.

#4 Dele Alli

Dele Alli rose to prominence in the 2016-17 season when he scored 22 goals in 50 games across all competitions for Tottenham Hotspur. Touted to be one of England's next big superstar, Alli seemed to have hit a bit of a slump last season, managing just 14 goals in 50 appearances.

However, what most people tend to oversee is the fact that despite his absence from the goalscoring charts, Alli constantly did his bit to help Tottenham, registering 14 assists in all competitions, as compared to just 7 in the 2016/17 season.

At the World Cup, Alli will look to be at his creative best, with goalscorers like Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling awaiting service. Regardless of whether he finds his shooting boots or not, if Alli can continue creating chances, the goals are bound to come.

Easily the best option to be fielded in England's central attacking midfield position, Alli will undeniably be an important figure whenever England have the ball. Quick and nimble on the ball, Alli will look to make up for his subdued season by putting in his best at the World Cup, and you never know, he could even make the tournament his own.

#3 Jordan Pickford

The man who will guard the sticks for England

After representing 7 different clubs in a span of 6 years, Jordan Pickford finally seems to have settled down at Everton, becoming the side's preferred shot-stopper ever since he signed for the Toffees in June 2017.

In his last two seasons (2016-17 at Sunderland and 2017-18 at Everton), Pickford has made a staggering total of 78 appearances, proving himself capable of guarding the sticks for the English National Team.

Last season, the 24-year-old kept 10 clean sheets for Everton, helping them reach 8th on the Premier League table - miles ahead of Jack Butland's 19th-placed Stoke City. As a result, he is bound to be preferred over Butland, and it could all boil down to how well he performs against the big sides.

If he can keep his calm and composure, expect England to stake quite a claim for the trophy.

#2 Raheem Sterling

After an excellent Premier League title-winning season with Manchester City, Raheem Sterling will shoulder the weight of expectations at the World Cup, and rightly so. Easily one of the most experienced players in the squad, Sterling has been a household name for over 6 years now, first plying his trade for Liverpool and then Manchester City.

This past season, under Pep Guardiola, Sterling truly blossomed as he hit a career-high of 23 goals across all competitions - more than twice the number of goals he has scored in any other season of his career.

He also racked up a total of 12 assists to complement his 23 goals, thereby waltzing into England's World Cup squad. Pacy and creative with the ball, if Sterling can replicate his club-level form for The Three Lions, he really could go on to light up the tournament for himself and for England.

#1 Harry Kane

The Hitman. The Captain. The Harry Kane.

Another player in this English squad who just enjoyed his best ever season, Harry Kane will undoubtedly have to be the talisman in the side. Having scored a jaw-dropping total of 41 goals in just 48 games this past season, Kane has never been in better form - and this is after he won the Premier League Golden Boot in two consecutive seasons before the last one (2015-16 and 2016-17)

The 24-year-old isn't just playing his first ever World Cup, he's also captaining the team and there's bound to be a ton of pressure on his young shoulders. Having developed a habit of scoring goals for fun, Kane has already broken a plethora of records in his young career with Tottenham Hotspur and will now look to follow suit in an England shirt.

For the National Team, Kane has played 24 games and has already scored 13 goals. If he can continue from where he left off at the end of the recently-concluded club season, English fans could well be in for a treat, and the team itself could be in with a solid chance to lift the World Cup.

Edited by Amit Mishra