Neil Ryan's squad is packed with talent, with plenty who have the potential to become household names in the coming years

There might be no senior tournament for the England men's team this summer, but that doesn't mean it has to be a quiet off-season for Three Lions supporters. In June, Lee Carsley's Under-21s will defend their European Championship crown in Slovakia, while the U19s will kick-off their own Euros at around the same time in Romania.

First up, though, are the U17s, who have travelled to Albania for their own continental competition as they aim to win the Euros for the third time, and first since 2014. Dominic Solanke was the star of the show back then, while the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos have been named Player of the Tournament down the years.

It is a competition, then, where stars of the future can catch the eye, and coach Neil Ryan certainly has an extremely talented squad to work with as England prepare for group games against Belgium, defending champions Italy, and the Czech Republic.

But which players have the potential to use this tournament as an initial springboard towards becoming a key member of the senior squad further down the line? GOAL has picked out six players to keep a particular eye on…

Getty Images SportMax Dowman (Arsenal)

The youngest player at the tournament may also be the most talented – and not just in the England squad. Max Dowman doesn't turn 16 until New Year's Eve, but he is already being spoken about as being on of the most exciting youngsters to emerge in the country for a number of years.

Certainly Arsenal fans can't wait to catch a glimpse of Dowman in the first team next season. Premier League rules meant he couldn't be selected by Mikel Arteta this term, but Dowman has warmed-up for his likely ascension to being a regular among the senior squad by scoring 15 goals in as many games while captaining the Gunners' U18s over the course of 2024-25.

An attacking midfielder who can also operate as a box-to-box player, Dowman will likely be the player around whom Ryan builds his England team in Albania. And if he can impress, then the hype around him is only going to intensify.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLandon Emenalo (Chelsea)

If Landon Emenalo's suname sounds familiar, that's because he is the son of former Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo, and the 17-year-old is now edging towards making a lasting impression of his own on Stamford Bridge in the not-too-distant future.

England have had to fight hard to lock down Emenalo after he earned three caps for the United States U17s last year, and it remains to be seen which country he eventually chooses as his career develops. For now, he will hope to earn a starting spot in Albania over the coming weeks after taking some big steps in west London over the past season or two.

A defensive midfielder who has also spent time moonlighting at centre-back during his academy career, Emenalo has already made the bench for Chelsea's Conference League team this season, and there are plenty at Stamford Bridge who expect him to earn further first-team chances soon enough.

Getty ImagesFinlay Gorman (Manchester City)

Not until the end of 2023 had a British club paid £1.5 million to sign a 15-year-old footballer, but that's exactly what Manchester City did when they decided to pluck Finlay Gorman out of the Leeds United academy and bring him to the Etihad Campus. The early signs suggest he could be worth every penny, too.

A midfielder who can play in any role asked of him, Gorman, now 16, has enjoyed a productive first full season in City's U18s, for whom he returned 17 goals and assists combined in the league while also playing a key role in their run to the FA Youth Cup final. He also scored some important goals for England during qualification for the Euros, so expect him to be heavily involved in Albania.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesHarry Howell (Brighton)

Brighton's recruitment in recent years has allowed them to establish themselves as a force in the Premier League, but they are also starting to produce players of their own who are capable of becoming household names in their own right. Harry Howell looks to be next off the Seagulls' production line after an excellent season at youth level that has seen him force his way onto the first-team bench towards the end of it.

An attacking midfielder who can also play out wide, Howell racked up four goals and a further four assists in just 17 league matches for Brighton's U21s despite not turning 17 himself until mid-April. He also scored a brace on his England U17s debut back in September, and despite intense competition for places in Ryan's squad, he has the chance to be key part of the starting line-up in Albania.

Defending champions smash 227 against LSG to open up a three-point lead at the top of the table

Hemant Brar07-May-20233:17

Deep Dasgupta: Shubman Gill’s approach to spin is like Virender Sehwag

Gujarat Titans are all but through to the playoffs of IPL 2023 after their 56-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in Ahmedabad. Titans now have 16 points from 11 games and a net run rate of 0.951, by far the best in the league.The win was set up by Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill who added 142 in 12.1 overs for the first wicket – the highest partnership for Titans. Saha scored 81 off 43 and Gill finished on an unbeaten 94 off 51 to power them to 227 for 2.In response, Quinton de Kock, playing his first match of the season, and Kyle Mayers gave LSG a start of 88 in 8.2 overs. But once Mohit Sharma dismissed Mayers to break that stand, the incoming batters couldn’t keep up with the required rate.The contest was also significant because Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya became only the second set of brothers to captain their respective sides against each other in T20 cricket. The Hussey brothers faced off twice during the Big Bash League in 2015-16 when Mike was leading Sydney Thunder and David Melbourne Stars.Saha blazes awayAt Titans, Saha’s role with bat is to attack in the powerplay, and he couldn’t have done more justice to it. He started with two fours off Mohsin Khan in the opening over. The first one had come via an outside edge but that didn’t bother Saha. In the next over, he picked up a six and four off Avesh Khan.Mohsin came in for more punishment in the fourth over with Saha hitting two fours and two sixes. By the end of that over Titans had cruised to 53; Saha’s contribution was 46.With a six over long-on off Yash Thakur, Saha brought up his half-century, off just 20 balls in the sixth over. By the halfway stage, Saha had moved to 74 off 37 but his innings came to an end when he dragged Avesh Khan to deep square leg.Rashid Khan took a brilliant catch to dismiss Kyle Mayers•BCCI

Gill takes overGill had spent most of the powerplay watching Saha from the non-striker’s end. He faced just five balls in the first four overs and was on 9 off ten at one point. But soon he was matching Saha shot for shot, even outshining him.It started with a six off Krunal; Deepak Hooda jumped at long-off and tried to lob it back but failed. Shortly after that, Gill launched Ravi Bishnoi for two sixes in one over, and raised his fifty off 29 balls. There were six sixes but no four in his first 68 runs.After Saha fell, and Gill started tiring a bit in the harsh Ahmedabad heat, Hardik and David Miller chipped in with cameos. Gill had reached 85 when Thakur started the last over of the innings. He hit the first two balls for a six and a two, reaching 93 with four to go. But that was followed by a dot and single. Miller pulled the penultimate ball for a four and took a single off the final one, with Gill finishing six short of what would have been his maiden IPL hundred.Mayers, de Kock respond in kindMohammed Shami started Titans’ defence with a four-run over. But in the next three overs, Mayers and de Kock smashed nine fours and six. With LSG racing to 50 in four overs, Hardik was forced to introduce both wristspinners Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad inside the powerplay. Still, there was no respite for Titans. The LSG openers hit three fours and a six in the Afghan duo’s first two overs.Mohit brings Titans backWhen Titans were batting, a couple of slower balls had stuck in the surface. Mohit used the same trick to dismiss Mayers as the batter miscued one towards deep square leg, where Rashid, after running in diagonally to his right, completed the catch with a slide.Mayers’ wicket slowed LSG down drastically. The next six overs, including the one in which he fell, brought LSG just 33 runs. It left them needing 107 from the last six overs.De Kock tried to revive the chase with a six off Mohit but the bowler bounced back by dismissing Marcus Stoinis with yet another slower ball. In the next over, Rashid sent back de Kock to effectively end the game. Ayush Badoni tried to reduce the margin of the loss before Mohit dismissed him and Krunal to finish with 4 for 29.

Ricky Ponting feels IPL 2023 could be the season the “real Prithvi Shaw” turns up.”He’s trained harder and better than I’ve ever seen. I’m pretty sure leading into an IPL, he is in better physical shape than I’ve ever seen him before,” Ponting told reporters in Delhi on Friday. “And I spoke to him the other day about his attitude and the way that he’s working and how things are going. I honestly feel that this is going to be his biggest season ever in the IPL.”He just has that different look in his eye this year – you can see that he’s probably hungrier than ever. Yes he’s had some success for us, but I think with the level of talent and ability that he’s got, I think we’re going to see the real Prithvi Shaw this season.”Related

• Warner to lead Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023

• Ponting: 'Impact Player rule almost negates role of allrounders'

• Injured Iyer doubtful starter for at least first half of IPL

Shaw has played five IPL seasons with Delhi Capitals, with 2021 his best, when he scored 479 runs at an average of 31.93 and a strike rate of 159.14. Barring that, he has largely been inconsistent, with a tournament average of 25.21 and a strike rate of 147.45, but he was retained by the side ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.Over the past 18 months, Shaw has had an up-and-down time, falling off the pace as a contender for a spot in India’s white-ball squads initially, and then struggling with his fitness. He last represented India in July 2021.However, he bounced back in the 2022-23 domestic season with consistent scores for West Zone, India A and Mumbai, with big hundreds in the Duleep Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Ranji Trophy, which translated into his inclusion in the T20I squad in January. His 383-ball 379 against Assam is the second-highest Ranji score of all time.Most recently, though, Shaw was in the news when there was an alleged attack on him and his car, a matter that is being dealt by the police.Ponting, who is no stranger to trouble outside the field from his playing days, said that whether there had been issues outside the field, the one thing he can’t stand is lazy players who do not utilise the talent they possess. On that front, Ponting felt Shaw had been ticking all the right boxes.”It’s well documented that I had some issues early on, but it’s all about just being true to yourself and wanting to be the best that you can be,” Ponting said. “The one thing that I always say to our players is I don’t like laziness and I don’t like guys not utilising the talent that they’ve got. That’s one thing I always say.”And so that’s then my job as a coach. If I can see that guys aren’t working as hard as they should, they’re not getting the most out of them, then it’s up to me to try and change that. So, you know, it just seems to me that this season, though, something has really clicked in Prithvi. He seems to be in a better space than ever before.”Ponting has worked closely with Shaw since taking over the head coach’s role. In 2021, he had said that he hadn’t seen a batter as talented as Shaw in all his years in cricket, but also revealed that he disagreed with Shaw’s philosophy about practice, where he didn’t bat in the nets when he was struggling with form.Now, two years on, Ponting believes that his job as a head coach is as much about making the young squad members better people as it is about making them better cricketers. He said that cricketers having their personal lives in order allows them to be disciplined sportspersons on the field too.1:27

Ponting: No Pant leaves big hole, still undecided on wicketkeeper

“The thing about the IPL is you’re seeing so many younger players getting an opportunity. They’re maybe not ready for it. I mean, I think they’re ready for the cricket side of it, but a lot of the guys are not ready for what comes with that,” Ponting said. “There wasn’t as much spotlight on me, I guess, back as a young player as there is on some of the young Indian guys.”As a player, sometimes you want to play cricket, you want to get out there and represent your team, represent your franchise, and represent your country, but sometimes you don’t see the bigger picture of it. There’s a bigger picture out there than just you playing cricket. It’s how everyone else perceives you in the real world.”So that’s my job to make them better players, but at the end of the day, I want to make them better people as well. That’s a big part. The better person you are, I think it’s easier to become a better player. And if you haven’t got your personal life in order off the field, it’s really difficult to be a disciplined performer on the field. So that’s one of the things that I try to teach because I’ve been there and done it.”Capitals begin their IPL 2023 campaign away at Lucknow Super Giants on April 1, looking to improve from their fifth-place finish last season. They have named David Warner as captain in the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant, with Axar Patel named vice-captain.

GOAL US writers debate the Champions League final, ask who can win it, and whether PSG are actually better without Kylian Mbappe

So, it all comes to a head. In the end, the two best teams are probably squaring off in the final. PSG can claim, with some validity, that they have been the best side in Europe this year, tearing through Ligue 1 and making Europe look remarkably easy.

Yes, they took a bit to get going, but did away with the two best sides in the Premier League. Inter, meanwhile, have been on this journey for a some time, and were about the better side in an enthralling semifinal tie with Barcelona. It could be their time to win this thing.

Either way, it's a tasty matchup. PSG are all attack, ferocious athleticism and real technical quality in the final-third. Inter are smart, strong, and more defensive. But they, too, have their attacking weapons.

Perhaps most crucially, though, both of these teams are also deeply flawed. The Parisians can be exploited on the break and Inter sometimes have a hard time finding the back of the net. Finals are supposed to be cagey; this one might be a good chance for chaos.

PSG have dominated domestic football but have fallen short in Europe, with their only previous Champions League final ending in defeat by Bayern Munich in 2020. Inter won the Champions League in 2010, after also lifting the European Cup in 1964 and 1965, while Olympique de Marseille are the only French club to have won the trophy, back in 1993.

So who will actually win it? Is Ousmane Dembele the main man with Kylian Mbappe now playing his football in Madrid? Who from Inter can make things happen? And from an American point of view, who will be the next USMNT star to play in Europe's biggest game?

GOAL US writers debate all of that and more in a Champions League edition of… The Rondo.

• Getty Images
  

  Who will be the biggest difference-maker in the final?

  Tom Hindle: If Inter are to do the thing, their midfield will really have to step up. Nicolo Barella has been one of Europe's worst-kept secrets in the midfield for a few years now and seems poised to play a key role in whatever the Italian side do on Saturday. A good game from him bolsters their chances infinitely. Watch this space. If a 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi can turn into prime R9 again, that would be cool, too.

  Jacob Schneider: For PSG, it's absolutely Ousmane Dembele. If he REALLY wants to say he's worth a top-3 finish for the Ballon d'Or, this is his stage to prove it. For Inter Milan, it's got to be be either Federico DiMarco or Denzel Dumfries. The attacking prowess each brings, while offering defensive capabilities as well, is crucial to how Inter move the ball up. If their service is on, Lautaro Martinez will have opportunities to find the net.

  Ryan Tolmich: It's not the fun answer, but it's the right one: Gianluigi Donnarumma. There are games at this level that goalkeepers can win single-handedly – and this could end up being one of those games. Donnarumma, at his best, is a trophy-winner, having proven it time and time again since he burst onto the scene as a teenager. Yes, there is attacking talent on both sides. Yes, tactics will come into play. Donnarumma, though, is the type of player that makes none of that stuff matter by simply keeping the ball out of the back of the net.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Are PSG in the final because Kylian Mbappe left for Real Madrid?

  TH: Si. Yes. Oui. 1000 precent. Anyone who watched PSG for the last few years could tell that Mbappe was holding them back. For every goal he scored, the Frenchman was making them worse by virtue of his complete apathy towards the concept of "defense." It is absolutely zero coincidence that this team has improved so much in his absence, although the hefty spend last summer certainly played a role, too. They are not a fairytale for spending hundreds of millions on extremely talented footballers.

  JS: They absolutely are and anyone who argues otherwise doesn't understand the professional game. There is no centerpiece in this PSG team; they are a unit who thrive off the success of each other. Mbappe needed to be the focal point. It doesn't matter who lines up in the attack, whether it's Dembele, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – they play for each other, not for themselves. Mbappe moving to Madrid was the best possible outcome – PSG moved on from a star who needed a bigger stage, and it allowed them to become whole as a unit.

  RT: In basketball, they'd call this the Ewing Theory (shoutout Bill Simmons). Team's best player goes down or leaves, and those that formerly catered to said player come together, find a new level of mental toughness and get the job done. It's hard to say that hasn't happened with PSG, who lost a big piece but replaced him with the pieces. They're not in the final just because Mbappe left, but they are in the final because, minus Mbappe, they've become a better team.

• Imagn
  

  Who will be the next American to play in a UCL final?

  TH: Uh, barring a transfer, it ain't happening any time soon. Perhaps if Antonee Robinson goes to Liverpool, he could end up playing in the final next year. Outside of that, it will be one of the other lads as part of a long-term project. How about Weston McKennie and a dream run in a couple seasons? Seems unlikely. Bank on a barren spell. And no, not hearing any of this Cavan Sullivan or Diego Kochen madness.

  JS: So here's a hot take: if Caleb Wiley makes it at Chelsea, it could be him. In terms of Europe's elite, he is best positioned within a club that in 2-3 years time could compete for the UCL title. Christian Pulisic would need to leave Milan, same with McKennie or Tim Weah at Juventus, if they actually wanted to fight for it. Big picture, consider Cole Campbell. He has the tools to make it at one of Europe's top clubs. And in five years time – if Cavan Sullivan is in the Man City senior team – there's easily an opportunity there.

  RT: Let's take a wild swing and go Kochen. First of all, you need to be at one of the best five-to-10 clubs in the world to even have a shot, and Kochen already checks that box. Folks on both side of the Atlantic are very high on him and, while we don't know if he'll ever be Barca standard, it does seem he has the potential to be very good. It all depends on how the club goes about its imminent goalkeeping transition but, if everything goes his way – and by everything we mean – you could someday see Kochen in net for Barca on the biggest stage.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Prediction time: Who's going to win?

  TH: Inter. PSG are really very good at this sport, and were immensely impressive against Arsenal. But lads, it's Arsenal. Inter beat a better team and have been here before. They're also infinitely more likable, so there's that. Grit over vibes.

  JS: PSG are the more fun team to watch; there's a certain appeal to their attack if you enjoy a through ball, a slick skill move, a rabona of sorts. There's a carefree, yet serious, appeal to them that's reminiscent of some of the best clubs of the mid-to-late 2000s – it makes you want to root for them. With that, though, Inter Milan are a never-say-die program built on resiliency. It's hard to see this group, if they're at their best, letting it slip away.

  RT: PSG has the sauce this year. The soccer gods have watched on with delight as they finally learned how to build a team that functions because of its stars, not caters to them. They have several of the best young players on the planet, and they have shed the "young" part of that in recent months. Inter, meanwhile, are good but seemingly not great. Bet on one last bit of PSG magic to solidify the club atop the European mountaintop.

Real Madrid icon Roberto Carlos hilariously taught Trent Alexander-Arnold essential Spanish words when the pair met at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Roberto Carlos teaches Alexander-Arnold SpanishPair met at Spanish Grand PrixEngland international has joined Real MadridFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Alexander-Arnold was at the event as a member of the England squad, who are in Spain ahead of Saturday's World Cup qualifying match against Andorra at Espanyol's RCDE Stadium. However, the outgoing Liverpool full-back will soon be living permanently in the country after signing for Real Madrid – and Brazilian legend Carlos took the opportunity to help him learn the language.

As per , Carlos was heard informing Alexander-Arnold of the essential Spanish words for him to pick up, as he said: "Good morning, good night, friend… and that's it."

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Carlos is a legendary Real Madrid left-back, making 527 appearances between 1996-2007. He is now educating the future of the club in Alexander-Arnold, who has signed for a €10m fee so he can play in the Club World Cup, which begins later this month.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

Alexander-Arnold will hope to feature for the Three Lions in the Andorra qualifier and a subsequent friendly against Senegal next week, before he joins the Real Madrid squad ahead of their Club World Cup campaign in the USA.

Derbyshire captain shepherds home side to a draw after second-innings collapse

ECB Reporters Network14-May-2023Derbyshire captain Leus du Plooy steered his side to safety with an unbeaten half-century on the final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Derby.Gloucestershire were in with a chance of victory when Derbyshire slipped to 28 for 3 but du Plooy’s 61 off 77 balls guided Derbyshire to 166 for 5 to secure the draw.The visitors claimed their first batting points of the season before being bowled out for 383, a lead of 132, with Ben Charlesworth, Zafar Gohar and Matt Taylor scoring fifties. Gohar and Taylor shared a ninth-wicket stand of 99, a Gloucestershire record against Derbyshire, to set up the prospect of a tense finale but du Plooy stood firm.Any late drama looked unlikely at the start when Gloucestershire’s main objective was to secure batting points. Charlesworth was also eying a maiden first-class century and, with Tom Price, carried his side to within five runs of 250 when Derbyshire broke the partnership.Price had already been dropped twice, at short midwicket off Suranga Lakmal and a caught-and-bowled chance to Alex Thomson, before he went for a big swing at the offspinner and miscued to cover.The pair had put on 63 from 129 balls and Charlesworth, who had passed his previous best score of 77 not out, secured the first point when he cut Henry Brookes over the slips for four. Charlesworth was then caught behind off a short ball from Brookes and Marchant de Lange’s attempts to hit the ball out of the Incora County Ground resulted in a broken bat before he edged Lakmal to second slipBut that was the home side’s last success for 18 overs as Taylor and Gohar eclipsed Gloucestershire’s highest ninth-wicket stand against Derbyshire of 95 by Mark Hardinges and Carl Greenidge at Derby in 2007.Taylor drove Luis Reece for six to bring up 300 and dispatched Brookes for another maximum on his way to a 60-ball fifty. Gohar drove Lakmal for six to reach his fifty from 65 balls and set the new ninth-wicket record before he skied the Sri Lankan to mid-off.The innings ended in the next over but Gloucestershire now had a big enough lead and enough overs left to put the home side under pressure. Any chance of the game meandering quietly to a conclusion vanished when Derbyshire lost three wickets in the space of 17 balls with the arrears still in three figures.Harry Came held his team together in the first innings but this time he lasted only five overs before he got an edge onto his pad and was caught at gully.Price struck in the next over with a full length ball that hit Haider Ali in front and alarm bells were ringing when Wayne Madsen went without scoring. The veteran had his off stump knocked back by a ball from Price that straightened to leave Derbyshire in trouble.Du Plooy decided to be positive from the outset, dancing down the pitch to drive Taylor for six over long-off, but he was close to being run out just before tea, which was taken with Derbyshire 64 behind with 40 overs remaining.Brooke Guest stayed with his skipper for 13 overs before pulling Ajeet Singh Dale to midwicket the over after du Plooy was dropped on 33 by Miles Hammond at slip off Gohar.Mitch Wagstaff, in his second first-class innings, shared a stand of 43 from 70 balls although Gohar thought he had him caught and bowled on 7 only for the umpires to rule the ball had not quite carried. Wagstaff faced 48 balls before he fell cutting Gohar but Derbyshire were now in front and Luis Reece joined du Plooy to finally close the door on Gloucestershire.

South Africa internationals David Miller and Gerald Coetzee will also be part of the Dallas-based franchise

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2023

Faf du Plessis, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Ambati Rayudu and David Miller are among Texas Super Kings’ signings for the upcoming MLC 2023. As reported earlier, the side will be coached by Stephen Fleming who is also in charge of Super Kings in the IPL and SA20.