Jadon Sancho has become the first player born this millennium to be selected by England as manager Gareth Southgate named a remarkably bold squad.

Within minutes of signing a new four-year contract, which removed a break clause at the end of Euro 2020 and thereby pledged his long-term future to England, Southgate showed that future is now the present.

As well as 18-year-old Sancho, hailed as one of the most exciting talents in world football by his club Borussia Dortmund, Southgate included 19-year-old Mason Mount, on loan from Chelsea to Championship Derby County and Leicester City’s James Maddison, who is 21 as he tries to add more creativity.

There were also recalls for Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Winks, Nathaniel Chalobah of Watford and Chelsea’s Ross Barkley in a 25-man squad which included just one player born before 1990 – and that is the third/fourth choice goalkeeper Alex McCarthy who is uncapped.

The squad is all the braver given England are preparing for tough competitive Nations League matches away to Croatia and Spain – if they lose both the likelihood is they will drop down a division in the newly-formed competition - but it showed that Southgate will not compromise on his beliefs.