The England Under-21 stars who could shine at Euro 2024: Harvey Elliott, Rico Lewis and... Folarin Balogun?!

The breakout star of Ligue 1 this season, Balogun has hit the headlines recently as doubts over his international future heat up.

The USMNT would love to land the 21-year-old, who was born in New York but who has made 13 appearances for England’s U21 team. Little wonder, given Balogun has scored 18 times in 29 games for Reims this season.

It is expected that he will return to parent club Arsenal this summer, though with the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Eddie Nketiah all competing for striking places, Balogun may find regular football hard to come by at the Emirates.

If he were to leave then, just as at international level, he would have no shortage of suitors.

England have not, it must be said, been blessed by the presence of many top-level centre-backs in recent years. The presence of Maguire, who has started only five league games this season, and Dier, whose form for Tottenham has been scratchy at best, serves only to underline that fact.

Colwill, though, looks like a player who could soon be helping solve that particular problem. Having shone in the Championship with Huddersfield last season, the Chelsea man has performed superbly on loan with Brighton this term, his calmness in possession matched by his sharp defensive instincts.

Colwill is expected to return to Chelsea this summer to fight for a first-team place at Stamford Bridge, and one imagines it won’t be long before the 20-year-old is knocking, metaphorically at least, on Southgate’s door too.

In a season of struggle, only one Liverpool player has featured in all 40 of the Reds’ competitive games – and he’s only 19 years of age.

Elliott, quietly, is building himself quite a career. He has already made more than 100 senior appearances, and would have had plenty more were it not for a serious ankle injury last season.

He, like just about every Liverpool player, has suffered at times this season, and there are legitimate questions as to whether he will eventually turn out be a left-footed, right-sided attacking midfielder or, as he has often been used by Jurgen Klopp this term, a No.8 in a three-man midfield.

Either way, though, he should have a chance of a senior international career.

It has been something of a transitional season at Manchester City, but in 18-year-old Lewis, the Premier League champions look to have unearthed another home-polished diamond.

The Bury-born teenager has taken to senior football like a duck to water, making 18 appearances and standing out a mile with his tactical and technical qualities. Though a right-back by trade, his ability to step into midfield and help City dictate games means he should become a key player in the coming years.

England, in fairness, are pretty well stocked in terms of full-backs at present, but Lewis’ talent will be hard for Southgate and his coaches to overlook for too long.

Part of the great Chelsea January spending spree, Madueke is yet to truly find his feet at Stamford Bridge, as Graham Potter looks to put together a team capable of climbing the Premier League table.

The 21-year-old, though, served notice of his vast talent during his four years with PSV Eindhoven, where he averaged a goal every four games across 80 appearances.

England are not exactly short of quick, skilful wide players, but Madueke has the ability, and the platform, to at least put himself in the frame.

There is no doubt that England plan to build their team around the unique, elite talents of Jude Bellingham in years to come, but beyond the Dortmund star, there are not too many certainties in terms of central midfield players.

Rice is a favourite of Southgate’s, as is Kalvin Phillips, who has barely featured since moving to Manchester City from Leeds last summer.

Henderson will be 33 in June, while the other options in the current squad are Conor Gallagher, in and out at Chelsea, and James Maddison, who has only a single cap to his name and generally plays as more of an attacker at Leicester.

An opening, then, could materialise for someone like Ramsey, who at 21 has already racked up close to 100 games for Aston Villa, and whose stylish technique and hard-running style could be well-suited to international level.

After a superb 2021-22, this season has been rather more frustrating for Smith Rowe, who has found himself largely on the periphery as Arsenal pursue the Premier League title.

The 22-year-old has already played, and scored, for England’s senior side, though, and if he can shake off his recent injury issues, we should certainly see him competing with the likes of Maddison, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden for a place in Southgate’s attack.