Man Utd wonderkid and £80m-rated prospect feature in England’s predicted line-up for Euro 2028

Ben Stewart 20 Mar 2024 7:01 PM

This is how England could line-up in 2028

England are blessed with an abundance of young talent and we’ve tried our best to predict what the Three Lions XI could look like by the time Euro 2028 rolls around.

While Euro 2024 is only around the corner, we’ve already got one eye on the following tournament. Gareth Southgate’s men are one of the favourites for the tournament this year and given the young talent coming through, England should be well-stocked for the following years to come.

We’ve taken a closer look at the England set-up and have predicted what the Three Lions XI could look like at Euro 2028.

GK: Aaron Ramsdale

Given that Jordan Pickford’s best years will probably be behind him in 2028, this will be a perfect opportunity for someone else to step into the role.

As of writing, there seem to be two obvious choices to replace Pickford. The first is Ramsdale who’s already an established member of the England squad and is five years younger than Pickford.

With David Raya leapfrogging the 25-year-old in the Arsenal pecking order of late, it seems more than likely that he will be on the move this summer. Hopefully, by the time Euro 2028 rolls around he’ll be playing regular first team football.

The other shout for the goalkeeper position is James Trafford. While the 21-year-old has experienced a tough debut season with Burnley, his potential is obvious to see. He’ll also be much more of a seasoned pro come 2028.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold

Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier will have probably retired from international duty by this point. Luckily for England, there’s a plethora of options available in this position.

When considering Walker’s long-term replacement, it’s a toss of a coin between Alexander-Arnold and Reece James. Given the constant injury troubles that have plagued the Chelsea star of late, we’ve just given the nod to Alexander-Arnold.

Come 2028, the Liverpool full-back will be in his prime years and he’ll have no doubt broken all kinds of assists records.

While Southgate has tended to use Alexander-Arnold in a more central role, a new England manager will probably be in post by the time 2028 rolls around. It stands to reason that the Reds star could be one of England’s greatest-ever full-backs by this point.

CB: John Stones

With the bulk of this squad being made up of youngsters, England will want to have some experience at the back. Stones will be 33 years old by the time Euro 2028 is taking place, but his experience could prove vital.

The 29-year-old has already racked up 69 caps for the Three Lions and we wouldn’t bet against him making 100 international appearances by the time he hangs his boots up.

Luckily for England, there are a bunch of alternatives in this position too. Marc Guehi is a strong shout for this position in the future, as is Ben White if he changes his stance on being involved in the England set-up.

CB: Jarrad Branthwaite

Step aside Harry Maguire, there’s a new left-sided centre-half in town. Branthwaite has enjoyed an excellent breakthrough campaign with Everton this season and his potential seems scary.

The 21-year-old will be 25-years-old in 2028 and he seems like the perfect candidate to fill Maguire’s boots. Along with replacing him in the England squad, Branthwaite could also take his spot at Old Trafford too.

Accoring to TEAMtalk sources, the Red Devils have made Branthwaite their top defensive target for the summer, with Everton reportedly demanding in excess of £80m for his signature.

Another worthy inclusion for England in this role is Chelsea’s Levi Colwill. The 21-year-old is the same age as Branthwaite and has been similarly impressive this season.

Given the shortage of quality that England have had in this position in recent years, the latest crop of youngsters should rectify this issue.

LB: Rico Lewis

Given the injury problems that have plagued Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell, there’s no guarantee that either of them will still be at their peak in 2028.

As of writing, Lewis seems like the prime candidate to step into this role. The 19-year-old already has one England cap under his belt and he’s only going to improve from this point onwards.

A highly versatile player who’s capable of operating in a number of roles, Lewis looks like an England star in the making. He’s already got Pep Guardiola’s seal of approval.

“To find a player like him playing in the pockets, how he has to move as a holding midfielder, moving in the spaces, he is one of the best I’ve ever trained by far,” Guardiola told reporters earlier this year.

CM: Declan Rice

One of the most obvious picks in this entire XI. Since nailing down a starting spot for England in 2021, Rice doesn’t look like letting go of it anytime soon.

Being just 25 years old, the Arsenal star still has the best years of his career ahead of him yet. Whether he’s playing as a holding midfielder or in a box-to-box role, Rice is capable of running England’s midfield for the foreseeable future.

CM: Kobbie Mainoo

Given the number of rising stars in this department, there’s a debate to be had over who will partner Rice in 2028. It’s hard to look past Mainoo right now, but Leeds United’s Archie Gray also deserves an honourable mention.

In the case of Mainoo, these last few months have been a whirlwind for the youngster. Since making his full Premier League debut in November, the hype levels have gone into overdrive.

The teenage sensation earned his first England call-up on the back of his excellent form for United and if he continues to develop at his current rate, the Three Lions have a scary prospect on their hands.

Another worthy inclusion in this role could be Gray. The 18-year-old has enjoyed a tremendous breakthrough season with Leeds and looks like a £100m player in the making.

DON’T MISS – Archie Gray: Why Leeds United have a future £100m player on their hands

RM: Bukayo Saka

Arsenal’s starboy has now established himself as a key performer on the international stage. Being a two-time England Player of the Year winner, this is Saka’s spot to lose.

In 32 appearances for England, Saka has produced 19 goal contributions with 11 goals and eight assists to his name so far. By the time Euro 2028 comes, he’ll have probably doubled those numbers.

Another honourable mention for this position is Cole Palmer who has enjoyed a fabulous campaign with Chelsea. Since leaving Man City, Palmer has produced 14 goals and 12 assists in just 34 appearances for his new club.

Like many of England’s attackers, he’s versatile enough to play anywhere across the forward line

CAM: Jude Bellingham

It’s crazy to think that Bellingham will only be 24 years old by the time Euro 2028 rolls around. By that point, he could already have a Ballon d’Or or two under his belt.

Of course, it’s easy to get carried away with his potential, but Bellingham looks like he possesses the quality to become one of England’s best-ever players.

Along with Bellingham, his younger brother Jobe could also be in England contention by the time we’re in 2028. He’s continuing to progress well with Sunderland and already has his admirers in the Premier League.

Back in November, TEAMtalk sources revealed that both Chelsea and Real Madrid have been tracking the Sunderland youngster. Watch this space.

LM: Phil Foden

Arguably, the most technically gifted player in the entire squad. Foden is a special player and the England XI would feel incomplete without him in it.

He’s currently playing the best football of his career with Man City and England fans will be hoping that he can transfer that to the international stage.

It’s probably fair to say that Southgate hasn’t got the best out of Foden up until this point, but given he’s only 23 years old, he’s got plenty of time to prove his worth yet.

ST: Harry Kane

While Kane will be approaching his mid-thirties by the time Euro 2028 kicks off, there’s still a very good chance that he’s still England’s best striker.

The Bayern Munich star has never been renowned for his pace, so even if he does slow down in the following years, his finishing will probably still be lethal.

Having scored 62 international goals, Kane is already England’s top goalscorer and we’d back him to significantly add to his tally between now and the summer of 2028.