There have been 50 England-eligible Premier League starters this season. Newcastle feature in an unofficial ladder ranking of their Three Lions chances.
50) Conor Chaplin (Ipswich)
Feels like Charlie has a better chance than a forward who has only managed half an hour in the league since an ineffective 65 minutes in the opening defeat to Liverpool.
49) Adam Smith (Bournemouth)
Will an eighth season of being inexplicably immovable as Bournemouth’s starting Premier League right-back under a series of managers with contrasting philosophies do the trick for 33-year-old Smith’s England ambitions? It will not.
48) Charlie Taylor (Southampton)
In the battle of internationally-overlooked 30-something south-coast-based full-backs with extensive top-flight experience, Taylor emerges victorious on the technicality of playing on the left. But no-one wins really.
MORE ENGLAND COVERAGE FROM F365
👉 False nines and false back fours – rating England’s players in that honking 2-1 defeat to Greece
👉 England player ratings vs Finland: Cole Palmer fluffs chance, Gomes shines, Walker doesn’t
47) Christian Walton (Ipswich)
Aro Muric was not quite ready to face Liverpool on the opening weekend so Walton filled in and did actually impress. But his only minutes since came in a Carabao Cup defeat to AFC Wimbledon on penalties, with the Tractor Boys keeper saving none.
46) Jack Stephens (Southampton)
The Saints captain has lost his last five Premier League games by an aggregate score of 12-1 over a period of 18 months, his last win obviously coming away at Spurs. England could do with a deeper centre-half pool but they aren’t quite that desperate yet.
45) Roman Dixon (Everton)
By all accounts, one of Everton’s better performers on his professional debut against Spurs in August; Sean Dyche said the teenager was “terrific”. But Seamus Coleman, Ashley Young and James Garner have been rotated at right-back since with Dixon watching from the bench.
44) Craig Dawson (Wolves)
As ever, the revelation that Dawson is not a 76-cap Northern Ireland international astounds. His three Great Britain appearances at the 2012 Olympics are as close to true greatness as England ever dared to go.
43) Jason Steele (Brighton)
The call never came when Steele was playing regularly/brilliantly and while it is Carsley instead of Southgate who needs convincing, the change in manager is unlikely to evoke a transformation in opinion while Bart Verbruggen has dibs on the gloves.
42) Dan Burn (Newcastle)
The ship has sailed and only a slight career shift from Eddie Howe could possibly bring Burn back to shore.
41) Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham)
His chances are ostensibly better with Southgate stepping down but the feeling persists that the snub is mutual. Wan-Bissaka has five England youth caps but his ambition to parlay them into senior representation has severely diminished. As recently as November, he was said to be contemplating switching allegiance to DR Congo.
40) Luke Woolfenden (Ipswich)
Again, England could do with a few more centre-halves to choose from but Woolfenden is way down the pecking order. The 26-year-old started the first three games of the Premier League season but has only ventured as far as an Ipswich matchday squad once since.
39) Tim Iroegbunam (Everton)
A conspicuous PSR pawn, the Everton midfielder has at least played significantly more football than the player Aston Villa essentially traded him for in the summer; Lewis Dobbin is yet to start a Championship game on loan for high-flying West Brom.
Everton lost all four league games Iroegbunam started before embarking on a three-game unbeaten run which coincided with him dropping to the bench. It must be difficult not to take that personally.
38) Adam Armstrong (Southampton)
Four goals in 73 Premier League career appearances.
37) Ben Johnson (Ipswich)
The right-back obsession peaked about six years ago. Bet he doesn’t even invert. Embarrassing.
36) Adam Webster (Brighton)
There was a time when it seemed likely, around the point he was included in the 55-man preliminary squad for the 2022 World Cup. But Webster’s dictionary no longer contains reference to a realistic England future.
35) Ryan Yates (Nottingham Forest)
Perhaps the infrequent captain of a Champions League qualification contender should be higher but Yates exists squarely in that realm of ‘obviously not good enough for England but ripe for fans of his club to furiously pretend he deserves to be in the squad over an entirely crucial starter who is nevertheless slightly under-performing for ostensibly bigger team’. The safe bet for March is that Forest Twitter gets Kobbie Mainoo’s name trending.
34) Will Hughes (Crystal Palace)
Once England embrace the need for a substitute to come on, foul everyone and get booked in a whirlwind half-hour cameo, the Hughes era can begin in earnest.
33) Jack Harrison (Everton, on loan from Leeds)
Scoring the last goal of Sam Allardyce’s Leeds reign will forever be the closest Harrison comes to representing England.
32) Flynn Downes (Southampton)
“That pass, that no-look pass is so frustrating,” said David Seaman when discussing how Downes gave possession away in the build-up to Arsenal’s equaliser in their win over Southampton. The lack of any suggestion of a chuckle was damning from perhaps the worst person to receive an ‘I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed’ rebuke from.
31) Jacob Murphy (Newcastle)
Another possibly waiting on things to blow up between Howe and the Newcastle hierarchy, Murphy might also need a simultaneous Thanos-like finger-snapping elimination of a fair few England forwards to get a proper look-in.
30) Alex Scott (Bournemouth)
Only Aston Villa finishers Jhon Duran and Ian Maatsen have been subbed on in more games this Premier League season than Scott, who started the opener but has not been able to edge out Bournemouth’s Cook-Christie partnership since.
29) Oliver Skipp (Leicester)
It is not outside the realms of possibility that 41 England youth caps are traded in for a senior spot. But more pertinently, when are Leicester going to grow up and sign Matthew Hoppe from Middlesbrough and 16-year-old Mount Pleasant Football Academy prospect Owen Jumpp to complete the perfect midfield three?
28) Sean Longstaff (Newcastle)
It is remarkable to think that whether this Newcastle project ends in world domination or non-league tatters, Longstaff, Burn and Miguel Almiron will be there for every single step.
27) Jack Clarke (Ipswich)
His first England call-up was as part of an U20s squad containing Conor Gallagher and Angel Gomes, but Clarke has work to do if that trajectory is to be re-joined.
26) Trevoh Chalobah (Crystal Palace, on loan from Chelsea)
And still Nathaniel remains the family’s only senior England international. What a game to secure those bragging rights over a Sunday roast.
25) James Garner (Everton)
The right-back reinvention might stand him in theoretically better stead and at 23 the signs suggest Garner is starting to realise his potential. He is certainly England form XI material.
24) Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea)
Very much a Conference League stalwart but Tosin did help inspire a comprehensive clean-sheet victory over West Ham on his only Premier League start thus far for Chelsea. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall cost £30m more and hasn’t had that honour just yet.
READ MORE: Five sidelined Premier League stars signed for £132.5m this summer
23) Stephy Mavididi (Leicester)
The forward once stated that “my ultimate goal is to get into England’s senior team” but at least in the short-term it should be to observe and absorb as much of Jamie Vardy’s pre-match routine as possible and invest in Lucozade bottles, skittles vodka and Red Bull.
22) Lloyd Kelly (Newcastle)
There has never been an England international with the forename Lloyd.
21) Leif Davis (Ipswich)
No Leifs either but that seems fair. If and when being a really quite good left-back becomes relevant again in the discussion as to who should be England’s left-back then Davis is quietly compiling a solid argument. Ipswich fans have been stating his case for about 18 months.
20) Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton)
There is an almost unnecessary amount of time on Hinshelwood’s side – he ranks fourth for minutes played of all teenagers so far this season across Europe’s top five leagues – but his level of versatility might be as much a blessing as it is a curse at this stage of his career.
19) Jaden Philogene (Aston Villa)
Two starts this season, coming on either wing against Bayern Munich and Manchester United just before the October international break, suggests Philogene might be the next Emery project to emerge from obscurity (Hull) and suddenly elevate their game.
18) Jacob Greaves (Ipswich)
Carsley described Greaves as “very close” to making the England U21 grade in December 2023 but the Hull centre-half lost out to Levi Colwill, Charlie Cresswell, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Ipswich have provided a higher platform and honestly the competition at senior level is not significantly stronger.
17) Marcus Tavernier (Bournemouth)
Imagine being the joint fourth-highest cap holder in the history of the England U20s. The three above him have five full England caps between them, all of which went to behind-closed-doors enthusiast Ainsley Maitland-Niles in 2020, so the Tavernier pathway is not exactly clear, but he is on the periphery.
16) Joe Willock (Newcastle)
The longer England wait, the greater chance there is of losing Willock to Montserrat. There must be a few players waiting eagerly to see whether the FA can coax Howe.
15) Cameron Archer (Southampton)
While their managerial succession plan has hardly inspired confidence, the FA seem even less prepared to move on from their omnipotent striker. Archer’s candidacy seems to be built on scoring a handful of goals for a promoted club, accompanying them on their way to relegation and then re-joining Aston Villa in an infernal cycle, and he’s probably about fifth in the post-Kane queue.
14) Jarell Quansah (Liverpool)
The route to the England team was certainly clearer in the summer when Quansah was on standby for the Euros. It remains far, far more likely than not that the centre-half becomes a fully-fledged international but he needs to regain the trust of Arne Slot first having not featured in the Premier League since being taken off at half-time of the opening victory over Ipswich.
13) Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa)
Reports persist of interest far and wide in a player who really is developing perfectly well, away from the spotlight and in an ideal environment. Ramsey has missed one Villa game this season and that was only through injury; there really is no obvious reason to leave.
12) Tyler Dibling (Southampton)
The only uncertainty here is whether Chelsea offer Southampton £70m in January or £50m in the summer.
11) Keane Lewis-Potter (Brentford)
It might be the only way England get access to Thomas Frank’s kick-off secrets.
MORE ENGLAND COVERAGE FROM F365
👉 Cole Palmer and co. propped up and flattered by English exceptionalism
👉 England need John Stones in midfield for Declan Rice’s ego
10) Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich)
An England U17 and U19 international, Hutchinson switched allegiances to Jamaica to play in a couple of friendlies in 2023. But the door remains open as those caps were in non-competitive fixtures, giving Ipswich’s record signing a decision to make. The Reggae Boyz played their strongest card by appointing Steve McClaren as manager but Hutchinson seems happy to bet on himself and pursue an England future.
9) Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton)
There can’t be many players with more than 50 England youth caps who failed to step up into the seniors. The captain of an U21 side which won the European Championship without conceding a single goal probably will play “many, many times” for his country as Russell Martin predicted.
8) Max Kilman (West Ham)
Some delightful FIFA nonsense blocked an approach from Ukraine but not even becoming a £40m footballer has pushed Kilman in from the England fringes just yet.
7) Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
Scotland tried their damnedest to persuade Anderson to come and lose loads of games while sitting at the Scott McTominay learning tree but England have won that particular tug of war and will hope the 21-year-old continues to impress for Forest.
6) Tino Livramento (Newcastle)
A recent squad staple, Livramento presumably no longer thinks his mates are winding him up when he sees someone from the FA flash up on his phone, so the best way of tricking him is to constantly call him up without ever actually giving him an England cap.
5) Dwight McNeil (Everton)
It might seem like an appropriate time to emerge as a genuinely great English No. 10 but even Sean Dyche might struggle to justify picking McNeil ahead of Your Palmers, Your Bellinghams, Your Fodens and perhaps Your Maddisons. If his current form can be properly maintained for the first time in his career then the Everton forward should get his chance.
4) Liam Delap (Ipswich)
It is worth reiterating just how bare the post-Kane England cupboard really is. A whole lot of eggs are being placed in the basket of an admittedly thriving Ipswich striker.
READ MORE: Harry Kane race almost (slowly) run but who can replace him for England?
3) Curtis Jones (Liverpool)
Considering how comparatively little some players had to do to become proper internationals, it is a bit weird that Jones remains entirely uncapped even while forming a part of the recent squad fabric.
2) Lewis Hall (Newcastle)
If you are not prepared for a Lewis Hall England Left-Back Clamour then see this as an official warning because it is absolutely coming. The 20-year-old has not missed a single Newcastle or England U21 game so far this season and at this stage has presumably asked everyone to start calling him ‘The Solution’.
1) Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
A matter of when, not if. The rise in 2024 has been rapid – Premier League debut in February, England U21 debut in March and Champions League debut in September for a player whose previous ceiling was the Championship – and England recognition feels like an inevitable culmination of extraordinary progress.
READ NEXT: Who are the favourites to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager?
