Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

The right-back, 19, progressed through the national age groups to be selected for Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad on the back of an eye-catching campaign for his club. He was excellent while earning a second cap in the group game defeat by Belgium. He is quick, strong and with huge potential taking set plays and the only barrier between the Champions League finalist and the England first team has been the excellence of Kieran Trippier, but Alexander-Arnold represents the long-term future. Like Ruben Loftus-Cheek he will have gained from his experiences in Russia and has done nothing but impress, on and off the pitch, at the World Cup. A third cap surely awaits in Saturday’s third-place play-off.

Rhian Brewster (Liverpool)

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The Liverpool striker, secured from Chelsea in 2014 and prolific at junior international levels, scored eight goals to win the Golden Boot at the Under-17s World Cup last year and might have made an impact in the first team last season but for a knee injury from January. He has since apparently agreed a new five-year deal at Anfield – an announcement is to come – with the club having grown infuriated by interest from Borussia Mönchengladbach to the extent that they cancelled a scheduled pre-season friendly against the Bundesliga club.

Phil Foden (Manchester City)

Another singled out by Southgate, Foden claimed the World Cup Golden Ball award after England’s Under-17s triumphed at the tournament in 2017. The midfielder has been with Manchester City since the age of eight, with Pep Guardiola so impressed that he promoted him into the first-team set-up in December 2016. His debut came 11 months later – he is the fourth-youngest Englishman to play in the Champions League at 17 years 177 days – and he made five Premier League appearances last season to claim a title winner’s medal. “Anyone who can get into Manchester City’s team – that’s a hell of a team – is doing well,” Aidy Boothroyd, the England Under-21 coach, said. The 18-year-old may also spend next season on loan.

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Alfie Mawson (Swansea City)

Mawson, at 24, is older than the rest and is expected to feature heavily in England’s future, not least with central defensive options relatively threadbare (for all that Trevoh Chalobah, on loan at Ipswich from Chelsea, caught the eye). The Swansea defender, like many of Southgate’s squad, forged a reputation in the lower leagues. He was called up for friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy in March but did not win a cap. That was a source of considerable disappointment and Southgate telephoned the player to suggest the World Cup might be one tournament too soon. Should he remain a top-flight defender next season, he will be very much in the national manager’s plans.

Mason Mount (Chelsea)

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Chelsea’s Mason Mount after winning the under-18 Premier League in 2017. Photograph: Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Mount has been name-checked regularly by Southgate, trained with the seniors before their departure for Repino and, with Ryan Sessegnon and Phil Foden, attended England’s game against Tunisia in Volgograd as a guest of Nike to experience life at the tournament. The attacking midfielder spent last season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, where he scored 14 goals and provided 10 assists in 39 appearances to be named their player of the season. To that can be added his Golden Player award at the 2017 Under-19s European Championship, where he supplied Lukas Nmecha with England’s winner in the final. The 19-year-old is expected to sign a new long-term contract at Stamford Bridge before continuing his development on loan, potentially under Frank Lampard and Jody Morris at Derby County.

Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)

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Another under-17 World Cup winner in India last year, Sancho took the brave decision to turn his back on Manchester City and Guardiola last summer and, aged 17, moved to Dortmund in search of first-team football. It is a mark of his talent that Real Madrid and Barcelona were as disappointed as City that the Bundesliga lured the forward away. He took the No 7 shirt vacated by Ousmane Dembélé, now a World Cup finalist, and made 12 league appearances, scoring his first senior goal in a 4-0 rout of Bayer Leverkusen in April. Formerly on the books at Watford, Sancho is one of a number of talented English youngsters – Mandela Egbo, Ademola Lookman, Keanan Bennetts, Jonathan Panzo, Noni Madueke are among others – who have pursued their development abroad.

Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)

The 18-year-old, transformed from left-back to forward, excelled with 16 goals to help propel Slavisa Jokanovic’s team out of the Championship and is preparing for a first Premier League campaign. He has been pencilled in as key to England’s future. Boothroyd has described Sessegnon as “an exceptional talent” who will thrive for club and country, a player whose skill, pace and single-mindedness mark him out. “He is so focused in what he wants to do,” said Boothroyd, who handed Sessegnon a first Under-21s cap in March. “Nothing is going to get in his way. He’s a marked man now and the best players come through that. He will because he’s an outstanding talent.”