England's international footballers have been flattering to deceive of late. They've been grinding out results and have qualified for next year's World Cup in Russia, but it's been against relatively poor opposition and there's a concern that any half-decent team will turn the Three Lions over.
Gone are the days when the team was littered with world-class stars - in fact, we arguably have just one world class player in the form of Harry Kane - and we'd love to have the likes of Ashley Cole, John Terry, Gary Neville, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney in their primes again.
As a result, it's all too easy to earn a cap these days. A prime example is Harry Winks - he's a fantastic young player, but you wouldn't have seen players anywhere near the England squad if they'd only made four top flight starts 20 years ago.
With that in mind, senior international caps could be just around the corner for a number of talented English teenagers - and that's what this piece is about. Here are five players under the age of 18 who we believe will make their full England debuts before 2020.
Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
Jadon Sancho is a 17-year-old (born 20th of March 2000) forward who plies his trade in Germany with Borussia Dortmund. Sancho signed with Dortmund on the 31st of August 2017 and was immediately assigned to the first team and allocated the number 7 shirt.
The former Manchester City prospect cost the Bundesliga side a reported £8 million, having never played a first team game in England, and was the subject of interest from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
He's an incredibly talented player who is currently lighting up the Under-17 World Cup in India, having won the Golden Player award at the Under-17 European Championships in Croatia earlier this year - a tournament in which England were the eventual runners-up.
Sancho's move to Dortmund was an intelligent one, as it will ensure all English focus in Germany is on him. If Dortmund plan to use him in the first team soon - which his squad number would certainly suggest is the case - he can expect senior England recognition in the very near future.
Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Manchester City's Phil Foden is a 17-year-old midfielder (born May 28, 2000) who first came to national mainstream attention with some eye-catching performances during City's pre-season games prior to the 2017/18 campaign.
He has since been fast-tracked to the first team squad and has been on City's bench on a number of occasions this season. There's no doubt at all that his Premier League debut is just around the corner.
Foden is currently impressing in the Under-17 World Cup in india, where his flamboyant performance against Chile saw him being described as "more South American" than his opponents by former England manager Glenn Hoddle.
For Foden to be anywhere near the Manchester City first team amidst a plethora of hugely expensive international talent is truly a testament to his ability. As soon as he starts playing in the Premier League, he will be on the radar of England's senior coaching staff.
Angel Gomes (Manchester United)
The only player on this list to have appeared in the Premier League already is Manchester United's Angel Gomes. The forward is 17-years-old (born 31st of August 2000) and made his top flight debut in May of 2017, replacing Wayne Rooney against Crystal Palace and becoming the first player born in the 2000s to appear in the Premier League.
Gomes - who is the godson of former Red Devils winger Nani - is currently featuring for England in the Under-17 World Cup in India, where he scored a fantastic free-kick to round off a 4-0 victory against Chile in their opening game.
He has been compared to the likes of Ronaldinho and Paul Scholes - which is high praise indeed - due to his creativity, composure, dribbling and ability to dictate games with his intelligence.
Many United fans are already calling for Gomes to feature more regularly in the first team and, when that happens, a senior international call-up is as good as inevitable.
Tashan Oakley-Boothe (Tottenham Hotspur)
If there's one thing Spurs are known for right now, it's providing the senior England team with players. The most recent squad contains five Spurs men, for example - and with Danny Rose returning from injury soon, that could easily be six very soon.
Tashan Oakley-Boothe could also soon follow his Spurs teammates in adding to the club's England quota. The 17-year-old midfielder (born 14th of February 2000) was part of Spurs' first team squad for their pre-season tour in July of 2017, quietly impressing against Paris Saint-Germain in his first senior appearance.
Oakley-Boothe is currently in India with England Under-17s, where he is part of Steve Cooper's first choice eleven. He got people talking in August of 2017 when he was named on Spurs' bench for the first time for a Premier League match against Burnley, before making his competitive debut in September as a substitute against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.
If Mauricio Pochettino works his magic - as he has done so often with English players during his time with both Southampton and Spurs - Oakley-Boothe will be in the senior England setup in no time.
Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)
Although he's the only player on this list who isn't at a top flight club, Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon is by far the most experienced. The 17-year-old (born 18th of May 2000) seems to have been around for ages and has made 31 appearances in the Championship to date, as well as 7 additional appearances in other competitions.
A left back, Sessegnon is an attack-minded player who can easily play as a wing back or even as a winger, and his performances for Fulham have attracted attention from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Liverpool.
Sessegon is currently on international duty with England at the Under-17 World Cup, where he - rather surprisingly - isn't an automatic choice for the first team.
A transfer to a bigger club is seemingly inevitable for Sessegnon and, once that happens - which could cost his suitors something in the region of £25 million - he will undoubtedly be in the England squad within a matter of months.
