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Three Uncapped Lions who I’d like to see get call-ups

February 7th, 2022 | Football

As an England fan and having talked with other England fans older than me, it seems we’re experiencing a really talented generation of footballers.

It’s difficult to remember a time when a place in the England squad is so competitive. Gone are the days when there are twenty or so guaranteed names. Gareth Southgate has shown loyalty towards certain players who he clearly trusts and will select them in the squad regardless of form at times. Examples of this are Harry Maguire, Harry Kane, Eric Dier and on occasion Jesse Lingard. There will always be a few names you’d expect Southgate to call on, most of which you can’t argue against as they’ve previously performed for England and have undeniable quality. 

There are a lot of young players throwing spanners in the works for Southgate and are knocking on the door of the senior international scene. In this article I have chosen three players who are uncapped and eligible for England who I believe, if they continue performing, could earn a call-up in the future. They could even be in with a shout of featuring in the international friendlies coming up. 

Trevor Chalobah (Chelsea FC):

The 22 year old Chelsea player has seen an amazing rise this season. After three consecutive loan spells away from Stamford Bridge, Chalobah has got a lot of game time and praise. He’s made 20 appearances in all competitions, making his debut in the Premier League and Champions League, scoring on both. Whilst he has shown he can chip in with a goal or two, scoring three this season, Chalobah is very much a defensive player. He’s often featured in Chelsea’s back-three, which suits his game. Chalobah likes to bring the ball out from defence and stride into midfield, creating overloads for the opposition. He’s composed on the ball and rarely gives it away. This ability and composure is further proven by the fact that whilst being thought of as a centre-back, he’s also played a lot of his senior career as a defensive midfielder. Having watched a lot of him this season, he’s capable of playing full-back on either side and could potentially even play as a box-to-box midfielder as well as the defensive midfielder in a midfield three. Chalobah is quick, strong, tackles well and reads the game to a really high standard for a 22 year old. Overall I believe he’d be a brilliant option in any squad due to his defensive ability, composure and most importantly versatility. I believe he suits Southgate’s tactics and potential systems. Southgate has played a few different formations, but has often gone for a 3-4-3, 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. All these systems have a few positions Chalobah could play in Another thing about Southgate is he likes picking utility players in his squads, examples include Eric Dier, Kieran Trippier, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka, so that’s something else that goes in Chalobah’s favour. He’s proven he’s good enough at the highest level of football and I can’t see how, if he gets back into the Chelsea team and performs, he doesn’t get international recognition at some point. 

Luke Thomas (Leicester City):

England are blessed in every area on the pitch. The only areas potentially weak are squad depth up front in terms of a natural striker and at left-back. Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell are both brilliant players and left-backs. They’re both playing at the top level and have improved a lot over the last 18 months or so. Unfortunately, they’re both injury prone and if you look at the left-back options after them, there’s not a lot of choice. Luke Thomas has really began to establish himself as a Premier League regular for Leicester City and hasn’t looked out of place at all. I like a full-back who enjoys both parts of the game, and Thomas seems to be like that. He looks comfortable going forwards whilst being solid defensively. He’s comfortable playing left-back in a back-four, or left-wing-back as part of a back-five or back-three system. Whenever I’ve watched him, he never seems to be below an average 6/10 and if anything will exceed that. This shows a level of consistency, which isn’t always there with young players like Thomas and is another reason as to why I could see him doing well on the senior international stage. If Luke Shaw or Ben Chilwell weren’t available, I definitely view Thomas as the natural replacement and someone who could, long-term, dislodge one of them out the squad. 

Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa):

A player who I and many others are beginning to realise the talent of. Jacob Ramsey has really established himself in the Aston Villa side this season and has shown quality, work ethic and composure. He offers versatility as he can operate out wide or as a no.10, but is best suited, I believe, in the box-to-box no.8 role. He brings something to the team in and out of possession. With the ball he finds space, which is what I see as his best attribute, and always makes himself available for the pass from his teammates. He’s progressive with his passing and will rarely pass it sideways or backwards. Ramsey carries the ball through midfield with intensity and desire and isn’t disheartened if he tries something and it doesn’t come off, again this comes back to his good work ethic and attitude. Without the ball he tracks back, can tackle and presses the opposition. He’s performed brilliantly against top sides in the league, so clearly isn’t fazed by a big game where everyone’s watching. Ramsey has a lot to offer any side and his desire on and off the ball, like Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham, will encourage Southgate and will hopefully get some form of recognition on the international stage for his performances soon.

Jack

Please note: The football articles that feature on this site are being written by Jack Dixon as part of his work experience. He is a teenager and looking for work experience within the football industry. He is currently studying for his media and art A-levels.