Max Dowman, Rio Ngumoha and six future England stars to watch at the Under-17 European Championship

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rio Ngumoha caused a stir last summer when he opted to leave Chelsea and join Liverpool given his standing within the Blues' famed academy, but things have worked out pretty well for him on Merseyside thus far.

After impressing in the youth ranks, Ngumoha began training regularly with Arne Slot's first-team squad, and he became the youngest player to ever start a game for Liverpool when he was named in the line-up for their FA Cup tie with Accrington Stanley in January. The tricky, 16-year-old winger has the ability to turn a game within a moment with his quick feet, and he could be a nightmare for defenders to deal with at the Euros.

In a world where a select group of clubs tend to hoover up the best talents at an increasingly young age, it's refreshing to come across a player who has taken a slightly different route towards the top. That's certainly what Alejandro Rodriguez has done after moving to England from Venezuela before entering the youth football scene at non-league Eastleigh in 2020.

He was picked up by Southampton two years later, and the striker soon went about showing why he should be considered one of the best players among his age group in the country. He wouldn't remain with the Saints, however, as the 17-year-old opted to join Lyon last summer where he has already made his first-team debut for the Ligue 1 outfit.

Rodriguez is expected to lead the line for England at the Euros as the Three Lions aim to convince him to represent them all the way through to the senior ranks having previously played for both Venezuela and Portugal over the course of his short career thus far.