Opinion: "Whisper it quietly, but England's future looks very bright"
Share This Article:
When the Under 17 World Cup came around last summer, the media ignorance at the beginning was at best appalling considering the quality and prestige of the team.
The small coverage was focused towards the Manchester pair: Phil Foden and Angel Gomes.
Foden has already caught the eye of Pep Guardiola at just the tender age of sixteen, whereas Gomes’ brief Premier League cameo debut at the end of last season had the Manchester United Twitter mob salivating at what they had seen.
Moreover, England’s key attacking threat was not Gomes as many expected. Besides a few eye-catching glimpses including one very impressive free kick, the youngster had to settle playing second fiddle to Phil Foden.
Foden assumed the traditional playmaker role with absolute aplomb, having an assurance and calmness beyond his years and operating as the essential fulcrum for a very impressive Young Lions outfit.
Although Foden wasn’t always getting the assists that his general play would have warranted, removing him from the team would have been a major blow for a side that relies so heavily on possession and quick incisive passing. His brace in the competition final was a deserved reward for his contributions.
Winning the Golden Ball for Best Player and being named Young Sports Personality of the Year capped off a stunning 2017 for the young man.
On the other side, Callum Hudson-Odoi is someone who many Chelsea fans could tell you about. At Youth level, Odoi looked special and he flourished with an equally outstanding performance in the final, creating three of the goals and actually assisting Foden twice.
Angel Gomes.

- Article continues below...
- More stories you may like...
- World Cup: England's World Cup dreams dashed as Croatia progress make history in reaching the tournament's final for the first time
- The Curious Case of the Checkatrade Trophy and Premier League U23 Teams
- The Chess World Championship Match kicks off
read more
You might also like...
People who read this also read...
TRENDING
TRENDING CHANNELS
CONTRIBUTOR OF THE MONTH
Ranking:
Articles: 26
Reads: 24462