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One of the big selection questions facing Gareth Southgate for Euro 2020 is who plays in his first-choice England midfield.
The manager has a reasonably large pool of options to pick from, but against Kosovo he opted for two players who had, until then, been in an either-or situation: Harry Winks and Declan Rice .
West Ham midfielder Rice has won seven international caps since switching allegiance from the Republic of Ireland, while Spurs man Winks has five caps – and now one goal, after he notched on Sunday night.
Southgate has usually taken one player or the other in his lineups of late, but they paired up against Kosovo and Rice says the performance shows they can operate in tandem.
“A lot of people on the outside see it as competition but I’m really good friends with Harry Winks and when he plays I’m happy for him,” he told the Evening Standard .
Show all 48 1 /48England squad ranked and rated England squad ranked and rated England have secured qualification for Euro 2020 next summer by topping Group A – but which players will Gareth Southgate pick for the tournament?
England squad ranked and rated 47. Tom Heaton Suffered an ACL knee injury that scuppers his Euro 2020 hopes.
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England squad ranked and rated 46. Phil Foden Has repeatedly dazzled for the Under-21’s and Gareth Southgate has insisted the Manchester City man is in his plans. But it will be difficult for Southgate to justify selecting him when he so rarely plays for his club.
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England squad ranked and rated 45. Reece James Yet to win a senior cap. Is enjoying a fine season for Chelsea but far down the pecking order at this point.
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England squad ranked and rated 44. Brandon Williams Yet to win a senior cap. But with Danny Rose struggling for form and Luke Shaw struggling for fitness, could he zoom up the order to serve as Ben Chilwell’s deputy?
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England squad ranked and rated 43. James Ward-Prowse Made his first competitive appearance for England during the Euro 2020 qualification campaign, appearing as a second-half substitute in a 5-1 win over Montenegro. But competition for a midfield spot in the final squad is incredibly fierce.
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England squad ranked and rated 42. Nathan Redmond Was called up to England’s squad for the Nations League finals but was cut ahead of the semi-final defeat by the Netherlands. It would take a remarkable season with Southampton for him to force his way into contention.
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England squad ranked and rated 41. Fabian Delph Gareth Southgate rates him highly but the Everton midfielder turns 30 this month and could yet miss out to younger players. He will have rued withdrawing from England’s most recent matches through injury, only to see Harry Winks play so well.
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England squad ranked and rated 40. Luke Shaw Has a good chance of overhauling Danny Rose in the final 23-man squad – but must first work his way up to full fitness. Another player who is plagued by injuries.
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England squad ranked and rated 39. Danny Ings His sole England cap came in a 3-0 win over Lithuania in 2015. However, the Southampton striker is enjoying a superb campaign and is one of the Premier League's top scorers.
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England squad ranked and rated 38. James Tarkowski Placed on standby for the 2018 World Cup. But has fallen down the pecking order in recent months. Only likely to make the final list if other defenders suffer injuries.
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England squad ranked and rated 37. Jesse Lingard Was one of England’s best players in Russia. But has suffered a startling fall from grace since. Left out of the most recent England squad, and he has a fight on his hands to retain his Manchester United starting place. Up against it.
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England squad ranked and rated 36. Jamie Vardy Jamie Vardy effectively retired from international football in August 2018. But with Harry Kane now in a race to be fit for the tournament, could he reverse that decision if called upon? Gareth Southgate meanwhile said in November 2019: “We know his quality. I have always left that opportunity open.”
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England squad ranked and rated 35. Adam Lallana Once a regular England starter. But his career has always been blighted by injury and now a bit-part player for Liverpool, at best.
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England squad ranked and rated 34. Aaron Wan Bissaka The 21-year-old is still waiting on his full international debut. A prodigious talent – but currently behind the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker in the pecking order.
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England squad ranked and rated 33. Callum Wilson Scored his first goal for England in a friendly against the United States and has been on the fringes of the squad ever since. But could fall victim of Gareth Southgate’s likely strategy of listing as many midfielders as possible.
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England squad ranked and rated 32. Jack Butland Rockets up the order on account of Tom Heaton's injury. Now England's fourth-choice.
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England squad ranked and rated 31. Michael Keane Was given a number of chances for England during the Euro 2020 qualification campaign but never looked particularly assured and has now fallen behind both Tyrone Mings and Fikayo Tomori in the pecking order. Could be destined for a spot on the standby list.
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England squad ranked and rated 30. Jack Grealish Still waiting on his first England call-up. It’s going to be very difficult for him to jump the lengthy queue for a space among England’s midfielders, particularly as Gareth Southgate does not often play with a traditional No 10. But he is playing exceptionally well and could feature in the forthcoming friendlies.
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England squad ranked and rated 29. Eric Dier Has endured a miserable time since the 2018 World Cup. Suffered from a perforated and infected appendix last December which kept him out for months longer than anticipated and has been in underwhelming form ever since. But he is finally back for Tottenham and his versatility makes him the perfect tournament player. Don’t bet against him.
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England squad ranked and rated 28. Dele Alli Like Jesse Lingard, Dele is a 2018 World Cup regular who now stands a very real chance of missing out on his place at the Euros. Has finally returned for Tottenham and is showing glimpses of his old form, but he is already in a race against time to win back his place in this squad.
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England squad ranked and rated 27. Kyle Walker He was not selected for England’s most recent qualifiers. The move away from a three-man defence has not helped his cause and he is now likely in a straight battle with Kieran Trippier for a place in the squad.
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England squad ranked and rated 26. Fikayo Tomori Gareth Southgate is a huge fan. The 21-year-old needs to continue impressing for Chelsea to stake his claim for a place. It’s unlikely both him and Joe Gomez will be selected.
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England squad ranked and rated 25. Ruben Loftus-Cheek One of England’s most injury-prone players. He is essential to the style of football Gareth Southgate wants to play – but can he stay fit? If he manages to, he has a very good chance of being selected.
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England squad ranked and rated 24. James Maddison So talented. And so integral to Leicester City’s success this season. But he is not a natural fit for Gareth Southgate’s England. Faces a real battle to be selected – with Southgate consistently selecting Mason Mount ahead of him.
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England squad ranked and rated 23. Danny Rose Has been desperately poor for both club and country in recent weeks and has certainly lost his first-team place to Leicester’s Ben Chilwell. But England are not blessed with that many options in his position, and he is still likely to make the cut.
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England squad ranked and rated 22. Declan Rice The West Ham midfielder looked like the answer to England’s midfield woes last season. But the 20-year-old has made an inauspicious start to the new season. The recent win over Montenegro appeared to prove he cannot play in the same midfield as Harry Winks – although it would still be a surprise if he was to miss out, given how prominent a role he has played in qualifying.
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England squad ranked and rated 21. Tyrone Mings The Aston Villa defender has impressed when called upon for England and – barring a disastrous relegation with Aston Villa – will likely make the final squad. Whether he can supplant John Stones in the starting XI is another matter.
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England squad ranked and rated 20. Ross Barkley Another Chelsea midfielder who is a favourite of Gareth Southgate. Another Chelsea midfielder who persistently struggles to maintain his fitness. The England manager likely hopes to select both Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. But the odds of that surely aren’t favorable.
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England squad ranked and rated 19. Joe Gomez Could the most recent international break have gone any worse for poor Joe Gomez? After scrapping with Raheem Sterling and being booed by his own supporters, Gomez had to pull out of the Kosovo match through injury. But he is adored by Gareth Southgate and is currently ahead of Fikayo Tomori in the pecking order.
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England squad ranked and rated 18. Dean Henderson Benefitted from Tom Heaton’s recent withdrawal from the squad. Has little chance of actually playing at Euro 2020 – but could be included in the squad for his development, particularly if he continues to impress for Sheffield United.
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England squad ranked and rated 17. Callum Hudson-Odoi Was selected to start for England against Kosovo. One for the future, certainly, but the 19-year-old promises to be an electric option from the bench.
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England squad ranked and rated 16. Nick Pope Undoubtedly England’s back-up goalkeeper. Only injury will see him miss out.
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England squad ranked and rated 15. Kieran Trippier Ahead of Kyle Walker in the England pecking order – for now. Has been in good form for Atlético Madrid and will need to maintain this level if he is to retain his place in the 23.
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England squad ranked and rated 14. Mason Mount His ascent has been rapid. Already ahead of the likes of Dele, James Maddison and Jesse Lingard in the England pecking order. If he can keep playing well for Chelsea, he’s in.
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England squad ranked and rated 13. Tammy Abraham The Chelsea striker is enjoying a breakthrough season, but it will be hard – if not impossible – for him to overthrow Harry Kane in Gareth Southgate’s starting XI. However, England do not have too many top-class strikers and his place in this squad already appears safe.
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England squad ranked and rated 12. Harry Kane England's captain and influential leader. But the 2018 World Cup golden boot winner suffered a hamstring injury on New Years' Day and is now in a race of time to be fit.
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England squad ranked and rated 11. Harry Winks Whether he can win a place in Gareth Southgate’s preferred XI or not is another matter. But Harry Winks shone for England against Kosovo and offers his country something genuinely different in the middle of the field.
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England squad ranked and rated 10. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain At present, it looks as though his place in England’s three-man midfield is assured. The worry is whether he can remain fit…
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England squad ranked and rated 9. Jadon Sancho One of the truly positive developments in the months since the 2018 World Cup. Already one of England’s most exciting players. Could yet become one of the best in the world. There is little chance he isn’t selected.
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England squad ranked and rated 8. John Stones It’s not beyond the realms of possibility he will lose his starting place to Tyrone Mings, particularly if his form continues to frustrate - but he'll be in the squad at least.
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England squad ranked and rated 7. Trent Alexander-Arnold It has taken longer than most people expected, but Trent Alexander-Arnold is finally England’s first choice right-back. As he should be.
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England squad ranked and rated 6. Marcus Rashford Has perhaps not kicked on in the way England would have hoped since the 2018 World Cup. But he will still be crucial next summer. Battling Jadon Sancho for a starting role up front with England’s two best players: Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane.
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England squad ranked and rated 5. Ben Chilwell Has surpassed Danny Rose as England’s first choice left-back. Has been in fine form this season and will be hoping to announce his arrival on the international stage at Euro 2020.
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England squad ranked and rated 4. Jordan Henderson One of Gareth Southgate’s dressing room leaders and potential captain. A certain pick.
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England squad ranked and rated 3. Jordan Pickford There is close to zero chance of him losing his place in England’s starting XI – let alone their 23-man squad.
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England squad ranked and rated 2. Harry Maguire England’s best defender on current form. A certain starter and an increasingly influential player.
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England squad ranked and rated 1. Raheem Sterling So long as he avoids scratching any more of his team-mates, England’s best player is likely to be named in the final 23-man squad.
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“I played with him for the first time last night and we were speaking afterwards saying how much we enjoyed it.
“We were both want to keep the ball, keep it simple. To play with him last night and form that connection was good. It’s healthy.
“We were keeping the ball really well, they were sat in a good shape but when we brought Marcus [Rashford] on with Raz [Raheem Sterling], the game opened up and we showed our quality.”
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the third midfield starter for England on the night, while the likes of Jordan Henderson, Mason Mount, Ross Barkley and Eric Dier have previously been fighting for those roles, as well as the out-of-favour Fabian Delph, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard and the injured Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has boosted his chances (Getty) It means there will be big decisions on the horizon for the manager when he names his final squad, making proven partnerships even more important.
In the wider context of the squad, Rice also backed the team as a whole to prove the doubters wrong about England’s ability to defend and progress deep into the tournament at Euro 2020.
“We get questioned a lot from the outside about our defensive qualities – it’s people’s opinion – but I think two clean sheets in two games have shown we are strong in defence.
“We can cut out the mistakes, we can go into 2020 being a strong team. I know, and the rest of us know, how good our centre-halves are.”
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