World Cup 2018: 5 players who could help England win the trophy
England are, by no measure, favourites at the ongoing FIFA World Cup. However, there's no denying that Gareth Southgate's side does possess plenty of talent with some exceptional players being picked.
Yes, this might not be their best side to feature at a World Cup. Probably not even close. Yes, most folks have already written them off, with the English side becoming the butt of jokes and the premise of bucketloads of memes.
But we've seen what some of their stars are capable of when they put on their club colours. On their day, a number of the English players are more than capable of winning games on their own.
On that note, here is a look at 5 players England will rely heavily on if they're to lift world football's most prestigious trophy:
#5 John Stones
In August 2016, Manchester City signed John Stones for a reported fee of £47.5 million - a fee that saw him become the second most expensive defender in the history of the game at that point.
Now aged 24, Stones has since been an important part of Pep Guardiola's plans, winning the domestic double of the Premier League and the EFL Cup in the 2017/18 season with Manchester City. He was also extensively used by Guardiola in the UEFA Champions League, where he helped the Cityzens reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
The centre-back is a solid presence at the back and against the bigger teams and better players, his young legs could well be England's saving grace at the back. This season, Stones played 29 games across all competitions, averaging 0.8 tackles and 2.7 clearances per game.
Stones has made just 26 appearances in a Three Lions shirt and while he may be inexperienced, his calm demeanour nullifies his inexperience, as we've seen at the club level.