How England's starting XI and squad could look when they co-host Euro 2028
The Three Lions boast an exceptional conveyor belt of talent from youth level to its senior men's side, with much of the current crop still under the age of 25.
There are a few big stars pushing 30 though, yet some will still be harbouring ambitions to play at the highest level when the Euros come to the UK.
With plenty of exciting names still coming through in time for the next generation, Flashscore takes a look at how England's starting XI could look in 2028, as well as who could be on the bench and who might be managing the side.
GK - James Trafford
Burnley's James Trafford came to the immediate attention of England fans after his impressive showing in last year's U21 Euros.
En route to winning the whole competition, Trafford managed to keep a clean sheet in every fixture - including a stunning double save at the death during the final against Spain.
The former Manchester City academy product secured a move to Vincent Kompany's newly-promoted Burnley shortly after and has made a steady start to life in the Premier League this season, starting all eight of their league games so far.
He's conceded 20 goals in that time but it is to be expected for a side that is in its first season back in the top flight, and Burnley have already faced most of the league's top sides in the early stages.
He'll be aiming to keep the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Jordan Pickford out of the starting XI - the latter of whom may start to find it difficult even getting near the squad by this time.
While the Everton stopper tends to perform well for his country, he's still often identified as a weak point in England's starting line-up.
There's also another name to keep an eye on - Ajax youngster Charlie Setford has been impressing in the Netherlands and has even won their prestigious 'Talent of the Future', an award previously won by the likes of Christian Eriksen and Matthijs de Ligt. He's been a target for Everton and Tottenham in recent times so don't be surprised to see him pushing to start in five years' time too - he'll be 24 by then.
LB - Tyrick Mitchell
Another problem position of sorts for England and Gareth Southgate has been at left-back, namely due to fitness issues with Manchester United's Luke Shaw and Chelsea's Ben Chilwell.
Both are top drawer on their day, particularly the former who has impressed at major tournaments under Southgate, but both will be in their early 30s by 2028 and potentially suffering from the long-term effects of their injury history.
Crystal Palace's Tyrick Mitchell has been capped once so far by Southgate and is developing nicely at Selhurst Park.
The 24-year-old is not the most glamourous name out there but there aren't a huge amount of names coming through in his position, and his speed and genuine defensive capabilities could see him creep into a starting spot should no other youngster explode onto the scene between now and 2028.
The other standout option would be Manchester City's Rico Lewis, who continues to play his way into a star-studded line-up under Pep Guardiola.
He's often been utilised at left-back and right-back but more recently he's been strutting his stuff in midfield, so it remains to be seen which position he makes his own in the next few years - hence Mitchell just about gets the nod at the time of writing.
CB - Levi Colwill
Levi Colwill is already starting to establish himself in the England set-up and has seen himself being picked in the two most recent squad announcements.
The Chelsea man has become a first-choice centre-back at Stamford Bridge and is seemingly building on his development nicely, having already enjoyed an excellent season on loan at Brighton prior.
He also seems to be learning from his partnership with Brazilian legend Thiago Silva and if he turns out to be even half as good as him, Colwill will do alright.
Centre-back is another problem position for England at this time and still feels like places will continue to be up for grabs - Colwill would do well to begin nailing it down now.
CB - Fikayo Tomori
We nearly gave in to temptation and stuck Harry Maguire in here just for the laughs. Thank us later.
Many argue that Fikayo Tomori should have received more caps already, but the AC Milan defender seems to be finally playing his way into Southgate's good books.
Pacey, good in the air and an excellent passer of the ball, the former Chelsea man has impressed in Italy which is no mean feat for any defensive player.
He'll have just turned 30 by the time the 2028 Euros come around so could very well be in his prime.
Outside of what we know already, James Garner is one to watch over the next few seasons and ideally will be playing his way into England squads.
The Everton youngster - formerly of Manchester United - was one of the top defenders at the U21 Euros and has already begun to assert himself this season with the Toffees, putting in some eye-catching performances under Sean Dyche, who seemingly loves the combative and strong-tackling 22-year-old.
We also shouldn't rule out John Stones going full prime Paolo Maldini and still playing at the highest level by his mid-30s.
RB - Reece James
It's hard to believe that Reece James is still only 23 years old, but there we go.
The Chelsea right-back has evolved immensely as a footballer over the past few seasons and has done exceptionally well to secure his place as England's undoubted first-choice right-back - a position that the Three Lions are very heavily blessed with.
Some nasty injuries have caught him out though and his slightly sketchy medical history is the only real blot on his career.
James is currently already sidelined through injury this campaign and was also unlucky to be ruled out of the World Cup in Qatar entirely. One hopes that would make him hungrier than ever for tournament success, though.
It's a position where options remain available even after the likes of Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier - who will both be 38 by the time of the tournament - will have likely played their last England games.
Max Aarons continues to grow as a footballer and is enjoying a promising start to life this season at Bournemouth, while there's always the next man on the list should another option be required...
CM - Trent Alexander-Arnold
The clamour for Trent Alexander-Arnold to be utilised in central midfield shows no signs of abating, in spite of Southgate and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp's strange reluctance to keep playing him there.
Trent has spent most of his career in the backline but his phenomenal range of passing has proved to be decisive whenever he's been pushed into midfield.
He's displayed his value in the middle on numerous occasions for both club and country and it's growing increasingly difficult to see his future position being anywhere other the the centre.
His attacking mentality and set-piece prowess could well be vital for England, and while his defending has left a bit to be desired at times throughout his career, he's not really as bad a stopper as he's often made out to be.
Managers love a utility player and having the Liverpudlian as an option to fill in at right-back could also prove mightily tempting for future England bosses. He'll be 30 by the time the tournament begins.
CM - Declan Rice
Yet another player whose lack of years deceives, Declan Rice has blossomed into one of the best midfielders in the world, let alone Europe.
It feels like there's still plenty more to come from the £105 million Arsenal man, who has already started life strongly at his new club.
He can pretty much do everything you could ask for in the middle, whether it be playmaking, beating players or holding and protecting defences.
At 24 years old he's still got room for further improvement but if his current stats are anything to go by - particularly his interception numbers - he will be pivotal to any future success for England, and a player to fear for any opposition sides.
CAM - Jude Bellingham
Probably the most dead-cert player you can bank on being involved at Euro 2028, Jude Bellingham seems to have the world at his feet right now.
The recent Real Madrid arrival has taken La Liga and European football by storm, carrying on his impeccable Borussia Dortmund form to Los Blancos and scoring goals for fun.
It's a total cliché but the sky really is the limit for the 20-year-old, potentially the player of an entire generation if he carries on the way he's going.
Already a leader, physical specimen and immensely grounded and intelligent player, he'd surely be next in line for England's captaincy once Harry Kane hangs up his boots.
Whether he plays a deeper role or continues his mammoth ascent further forward as a central attacking midfielder will obviously depend on the manager's approach and formation, but at this point, it seems daft to not play him just behind a number nine and let him dictate games.
He's not really had any glaring fitness issues thus far in his career, so hopefully that continues and he isn't hampered by any injuries.
He also seems completely capable of handling the pressure and expectations of being a high-profile superstar, which is something he may have to get more used to as he'll likely be the one shouldering the hopes of his nation for the foreseeable future.
As a side note, it'll also be interesting to see how his brother Jobe develops. He's made a solid start to life since his move to Sunderland but has previously caught the attention of many of Europe's top clubs and may well follow suit in his development before too long.
Perhaps the Bellingham dynasty doesn't stop with Jude.
LW - Bukayo Saka
England's player of the year two seasons running, Bukayo Saka is showing no signs of slowing down.
Similar to Bellingham, he's nailed on for a place both in this current England iteration and its long-term future.
Seemingly a little overlooked by rival fans across Europe, Saka has the proven ability to strike absolute fear into any defender and he's combined his lightning pace and electrifying technical ability with a mature-beyond-his-years level of astute and devastating decision-making.
He's a leader in this team already and a player who can influence and win games on his own, especially if those around him are struggling.
The Arsenal man is the type of player any manager would dream of having and his stock is surely only likely to rise further.
He also has the disappointment of his penalty miss at Euro 2020 to motivate him, an invaluable experience that seems to have only made him even more ferociously hungry for success at both club and international level.
RW - Phil Foden
Seen by many still as England's bright spark, Phil Foden hasn't quite managed to make himself undroppable for Southgate during his England tenure.
Of course, that's due in part to the array of options available in attacking positions and particularly out wide, with Jack Grealish, Bukayo Saka often getting the nod on the wings and James Maddison competing for the number 10 position.
Foden's talent is undeniable though and he often simply falls foul to Southgate's more pragmatic approach to team selection. The Manchester City star is very much a luxury, skilful player who, although by no means without a work ethic, perhaps doesn't quite fit the all-round mould that some other options may provide.
Time is very much on Foden's side, however. He's only 23 and if his trophy cabinet is anything to go by, he'll be a shoo-in to be involved with England for years to come.
It's hard to see Grealish being picked over him within a few years, but he'll have to be mindful of fellow youngsters such as Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Bynoe-Gittens or Newcastle's Anthony Gordon pipping him to a place every so often.
CF - Harry Kane
Harry Kane will be 34 going on 35 by the time of Euro 2028 but he no doubt will have his eyes firmly set on playing there.
England's all-time leading goalscorer will no doubt expect to still be playing at the top level, recently stating that he wants to follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in playing late into his 30s.
The Bayern Munich star has struggled with injuries in the past, particularly his ankles, but seems to have put the worst of those behind him in recent seasons.
In fact, he featured in every Premier League game for Spurs last campaign on his way to scoring another 30 league goals.
And pace has never been Kane's strength anyway so that shouldn't pose much of a problem.
It's still probably going to be his last tournament for England, at least as first-choice striker.
Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney will still be there or thereabouts, but there's absolutely space for a young upstart to start leading England's next generation of goalscorers - one that likely won't include a previously earmarked Mason Greenwood.
Bench (based on a 26-man squad):
Charlie Setford | Aaron Ramsdale | Marc Guehi | Rico Lewis | Max Aarons | Morgan Gibbs-White | Curtis Jones | Jacob Ramsey | Oliver Skipp | Cole Palmer | James Maddison | Jamie Bynoe-Gittens | Anthony Gordon | Marcus Rashford | Ivan Toney
Possible inclusions:
James Garner | Lewis Hall | Tino Livramento | John Stones | Harvey Elliott | Jobe Bellingham | Jack Grealish | Dane Scarlett
Manager: Pep Guardiola
It's hard to imagine the FA sounding out anyone other than Pep Guardiola as soon as Gareth Southgate leaves his post as England manager.
The allure of trying his hand at international football with a genuinely competitive team could be tempting for the current City boss, but whether he'd go for it or potentially wait for a crack at the Spain job (albeit he identifies as Catalan) would remain to be seen.
What you don't need to doubt is he would be paid whatever he wants to fulfil the role, and he would be a truly exciting fit with England's depth of talented, creative and intelligent players.
If not Pep, expect to see the likes of Newcastle's Eddie Howe, Chelsea's Mauricio Pochettino or possibly even a wildcard like Roma's Jose Mourinho, such is the latter's love affair with the British press.