England will have to pick themselves up from the heartbreak of the Euros last year, after their gutting loss to Italy meant a continued wait for an international trophy. Gareth Southgate and his players can take various positives from their performances at the competition, backing it up with a near-impeccable run in the World Cup Qualifiers.
The England team has several of the world’s best players in its squad, so fans have high hopes for the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Here are five of the best players to look out for during the competition.
Harry Kane
Harry Kane has easily been England’s most important player in the Southgate era, scoring a remarkable 51 goals in 75 games. The Spurs striker isn’t just a goalscorer, regularly dropping deep to instigate attacking moves and draw defenders away from players like Sterling and Saka on the wing.
The England captain will be England’s most important player in Qatar. The nation will be looking at Kane to set the standard.
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka erupted onto the international scene during the delayed Euro 2021 competition, devastating defences with his blistering pace and imperative to get forwards. The Arsenal winger was cruelly pulled back by Giorgio Chiellini in the Final, potentially stopping the young Londoner from scoring the match-winning goal.
Saka has matured as a footballer since then, and won’t let the missed penalty affect his courage and confidence. He’ll be one of England’s most important attacking players in the competition. Hopefully, he can go one step further than before.
Jordan Pickford
With cat-like reflexes and an intense determination to keep his goal safe, Jordan Pickford has been a vital presence between the sticks. The Everton goalkeeper has made some truly unbelievable saves in recent years against Colombia, Denmark and others. Although Pickford’s form has occasionally wobbled, he looks like a surefire bet for Qatar 2022.
High-end football competitions are often decided by goalkeeper heroics, especially in penalty shootouts. Pickford was unlucky not to win in the shootout against Italy, so he will be tenacious in his pursuit of glory this time around.
Mason Mount
Few players benefited more from Chelsea’s transfer ban a few summers ago than Mason Mount. The academy player was finally given his time to shine by Frank Lampard, proving himself as a creative yet defensively diligent advanced midfielder.
The Chelsea midfielder was a mainstay in the England team at the Euros and looks set to play a similar role at the 2022 World Cup.
Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling has spent almost a decade playing in the English international setup, making his debut at 17. The speedy winger has 19 goals in 79 caps, becoming one of the main players on the team.
He was backed to win player of the tournament at the Euros, powering England into the Final with a couple of key goals and assists to his name. If anyone can do it in Qatar, it’s Raheem.
Conclusion
Fans and sports bettors might be closely monitoring the above-mentioned players at the World Cup. Since they’ve been performing highly for their clubs in the 2022-2023 Premier League campaigns, many are expecting to see the same level of performance throughout November and potentially in December. In this case, it’s normal that some may be considering to place a bet on one of these players this coming world cup. Will Kane score a goal vs Iran? Will Mount give an assist vs USA? Will Pickford save the day by stopping a last-minute penalty vs Wales? No one really knows. We’re going to have to just wait and see. However, not all punters are signed up with a sportsbook, rather they might prefer to play at a casino UK online, and set sports aside as a game to enjoy simply as spectator. Whatever the case, all fans are surely in it to enjoy the World Cup for what it is and to support their favourite national team.
That being said, it’s going to be an interesting World Cup for England, and many are expecting the Three Lions to bring their A-game to the pitch. And who knows, this time it might really be coming home!