Ranking the 5 most in-form England players in world football currently (2021)
The current England side have looked a different beast under the tutelage and leadership of manager Gareth Southgate. He has picked and created a roster rife with talent, experience, dynamism and the hunger to prove their mettle.
Since taking over in 2016, Southgate has handed deserved debuts to talents such as Phil Foden, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount. Following in their footsteps, other English players around the world, too, have seemingly upped their game in order to stake a claim for a place in the national side.
This has created many welcome selection headaches for the gaffer. However, neither will he nor the English fans complain about the talent in their ranks.
With the new football season slowly but surely picking up momentum, a lot of players have found their stride. There have been scintillating performances from established young players such as Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, others who have recently been picked in the England squad are the ones making the headlines. Let's take a look at the top five most in-form English players across the globe in 2021.
#5 Jude Bellingham - Borussia Dortmund
17-year-old Jude Bellingham was sold by Birmingham City to Dortmund in 2020 for a record fee and many fans were left scratching their heads. The Blues decided to retire the teenager's jersey number too, a move that saw rival fans lay into the decision with jokes and memes. Fast forward 18 months and the youngster has established himself as a regular first-teamer for his club and for England as well.
As per Transfermarkt, the England youngster made 46 appearances for Dortmund last season, scoring four goals and setting up four others for his teammates. He amassed a whopping 2,821 minutes throughout the season, an achievement even more impressive when his tender age is taken into account.
Bellingham has already scored three goals and provided seven assists in 18 games in all competitions this season for the Black and Yellow. With his impressive height and dominant playing style, these statistics are merely qualifiers for the level of exceptional talent fans witness every time Jude steps onto the pitch. The boy from Birmingham has an exciting future ahead of him.
#4 Reece James - Chelsea FC
Reece James is another local boy-turned-national hero, achieving his status due to his stunning exploits for England and Chelsea. He is one of many Chelsea youngsters who have climbed up the ladder from their Cobham academy to the first team.
James has made a total of 96 appearances for Chelsea and is still just 21. What's even more exciting is that despite being deployed as a right-back or a right center-back throughout his young career, he has seven goals and 12 assists to his name.
🦁 Most Premier League goals and assists combined by those in the current England squad:
🥇 Reece James - 7
🥈 Emile Smith Rowe - 6
🥉 Trent Alexander-Arnold / Mason Mount - 5 https://t.co/7jU6ItAiip
Chelsea have struggled with injuries to their two main frontmen Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner this season and many doubted they would be able to plug the gap left by their two talismen in the goalscoring department.
Up stepped Reece James. The young England full-back has made 12 appearances across all competitions, adding four goals and four assists to aid Chelsea's hunt for more silverware this season. James was a crucial part of the West London side that won the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup in 2021. He was also part of the England squad that finished runners-up at Euro 2020.
Considering his roots, it is likely that Reece James will remain a one-club man throughout his career. If he does that and stays healthy and in the first team, this young player is destined for greatness.