All them Lee Carsley's Kids. There were eight of them, each given an England debut by the interim manager during his six-game stint; moments they will never forget. For the record, here they are, in order of appearance: Angel Gomes, Morgan Gibbs-White, Noni Madueke, Curtis Jones, Lewis Hall, Morgan Rogers, Tino Livramento and Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
To Carsley, who knew them all from managing England Under-21s, the job he will now return to, it was easier to trust them. "I did not see it as a gamble," he said after Sunday's 5-0 win over Republic of Ireland at Wembley, a result that confirmed England's promotion back into the Nations League's A section.
"The biggest thing you notice about these young players is their mentality. Any challenge you put in front of them is not too big that they can't produce. We have seen that. The challenge for them is to get back in March."
That will be when Thomas Tuchel names his first squad as England manager, beginning his quest for victory at the 2026 World Cup. It will also be when a host of established players are likely to be available again, taking in those that withdrew from Carsley's final camp because of fitness concerns, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer and Jack Grealish. The list did not feature those who were already injured and not called up - for example John Stones, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo.
Denne historien er fra November 19, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra November 19, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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