England's Euro 2024 squad: The strong influence of EFL clubs (2024)

Published

8 July 2024

The England team which have reached the Euro 2024 semi-finals have a strong English Football League background.

Of the 26-man squad Gareth Southgate selected to go to Germany, 19 have played in the EFL, ranging from Ivan Toney's 273 games to Anthony Gordon's 11.

Some 25 current EFL clubs are represented in the squad.

BBC Sport looks at the Football League stories of the England players most likely to start Wednesday's last-four tie with the Netherlands.

EFL clubs: Burton, Carlisle, Bradford, Preston (all loan)

Everton goalkeeper Pickford had four loan spells with EFL clubs while awaiting his breakthrough at Sunderland.

Before that he had spells in non-league with Darlington and Alfreton.

"For me, it was the best thing I could ever do, going out on loan at a young age and develop," he told the EFL, external in 2022.

"You learn about yourself so much as a person and you’ve got to get stuck in early doors as a player.

"To go and play for Sunderland, Everton and England is my dream come true. It’s an amazing feeling, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it if I hadn’t gone to the EFL on loan to these clubs."

EFL clubs: Sheff Utd (permanent), Northampton, Sheff Utd, QPR (all loan)

Manchester City right-back Walker played his first nine senior games for League One Northampton in 2008-09 during a short-term loan from hometown club Sheffield United, who were in the Championship.

"It was a reality check for me but a very good one," Walker told the Standard, external in 2012.

"There were players there whose mortgages were on the line and winning football matches made it easier for them to look after their families.

"If you're lucky enough to get into a Premier League or Championship team straight away, well done to you, but I feel really grateful for the experience that I had at the lower end."

After breaking into the United team he moved to Tottenham, but returned to the Blades on loan and also spent time on loan at QPR.

EFL clubs: Barnsley (loan), Burnley (permanent)

Newcastle United full-back Trippier never broke into the Manchester City team but had two loan spells from City with Barnsley, before moving to Burnley in an initial loan move which became permanent.

He spent three seasons in the Championship with the Clarets and one season in the Premier League before moving to Tottenham.

"When he first came to Burnley, we had to fish him out of Tiger Tiger in Manchester every Tuesday night," former Burnley youth boss Michael Duff told the Yorkshire Post, external in 2022.

"His diet was not very good and he just got by on ability.

"Sean Dyche got hold of him and gave him an understanding of what a professional footballer looks like, as if it's not just turning up on a Saturday and playing.

"He's a manager's dream as he lives his life right and you never see him in trouble outside of football."

EFL club: Barnsley (permanent)

Manchester City centre-back Stones joined Barnsley's academy at the age of seven and stayed at the club for 12 years.

He made his debut at the age of 17 and made 24 league appearances before moving to Everton in January 2013 for about £3m.

"There were tough times," he told the England website, external in 2022.

"I remember when I was 14 or 15, I was dropped down an age group for a year or two, which was a blow at the time, but I just wasn’t physically ready for it.

"I even thought I was going to get released at one stage, as I was really small as a kid. All of a sudden, I came back after one summer like I’d slept in a growth bag."

EFL club: Swansea (loan)

Centre-back Guehi's first taste of league football came during two spells with Swansea on loan from Chelsea in 2020 and 2021.

He helped them to the Championship play-off final, losing to Brentford, before joining Crystal Palace on a permanent basis.

In 2023 Guehi told PA Sport: "Everyone thinks it was plain sailing. I played the first four games and then I didn’t play up until after lockdown. Being away from home, in Swansea, different country, on your own, there’s going to be challenges.

"Those moments were difficult. You learn from them, try to move on and put them right.

"I came from Chelsea with a lot of confidence, and my confidence almost gets knocked.

“For me, it was probably the best moment. I could get away from football, be with my family, and just focus on myself. If we do get back to playing, how can I get back in this team?"

EFL clubs: Charlton, Brentford (both permanent)

The Aston Villa centre-back impressed as a replacement for the suspended Marc Guehi in Saturday's quarter-final win over Switzerland and will be hoping to keep his place against the Netherlands.

Konsa, who joined Charlton at the age of 11, made 71 appearances from 2016 to 18 for the club in League One, before moving on to then Championship club Brentford and newly promoted Aston Villa.

He said: "At Charlton I developed a lot. I had a lot of coaches who wanted to take me to the next level.

"I was at Brentford with Dean Smith, then he took me to Villa and I haven't looked back."

EFL club: Birmingham

Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham's spell at Birmingham City has been well documented.

He spent a decade at St Andrew's between the ages of seven and 17, spending one season in the first team before moving to Borussia Dortmund for £25m.

Bellingham became the youngest senior Birmingham player at the age of 16 years and 38 days - he made 41 appearances in the Championship and scored four goals.

"I can’t thank Birmingham City enough for what they have done for me, not just this past year but since the age of seven," he said when leaving.

Such was his impact that they retired his number 22 shirt.

Pep Clotet, his manager at Birmingham, said in a Coaches Voice article:, external "It was seen as crazy at the time, but it was incredible vision by the people at the club to say that Jude is Birmingham. There will be no-one like him there.

"One of my last moments with him at Birmingham was a dinner at his home with the family.

"The whole dinner, we talked about Birmingham: about how much the club meant to him; about the problems the team had at the time, which were mainly financial; about the city and the fans."

Bayern Munich striker Kane was a bit of a late bloomer - with unspectacular loans at Leyton Orient in League One and Millwall and Leicester in the Championship - plus one at Norwich in the Premier League - before his proper Tottenham breakthrough.

There was little indication then that he would end up becoming England and Tottenham's all-time leading goalscorer.

He did net five goals in nine league starts at Orient, though.

"Harry was not like other Premier League players, where you feel they're going to come in 'Billy Big Time'," said former Orient team-mate Scott McGleish.

"He wanted the experience of learning men's football.

"In training, he was willing to learn from everybody and, even more importantly, willing to just knuckle down and work hard."

In recent years Kane has sponsored Orient and donated the front-of-shirt space to good causes.

"I was born only a couple of miles from Orient's stadium and am really happy to give back to the club that gave me my first professional start," he said.

We have focused on England's likely starting XI, but plenty of the substitutes have EFL grounding too.

Aaron Ramsdale featured in all three divisions and was relegated from League Two during his first spell with Chesterfield.

Ivan Toney has by far the most EFL experience, having played for Northampton, Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Sc*nthorpe, Wigan and Peterborough and current club Brentford.

Ollie Watkins is not far behind on games, having started off at Exeter before spending several seasons in the Championship with Brentford.

Jarrod Bowen began in non-league with Hereford before a few years in the Championship with Hull.

Crystal Palace signed Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze from second-tier Blackburn and QPR respectively.

Lewis Dunk's long career with Brighton started in League One, while Charlton brought through Joe Gomez, now of Liverpool.

Anthony Gordon, Conor Gallagher and Dean Henderson had loan spells in the EFL early in their careers.

Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw have never played in the EFL, while Declan Rice, Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer have not played for a lower-league team but featured in the EFL Trophy for Premier League Under-21 sides.

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