Nine ex-LFE apprentices featured for England in the opening fixtures of their FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign, facing San Marino, Albania and Poland during the past week.
Seven of them contributed to a convincing 5-0 victory over San Marino, which included a double for Sheffield United academy graduate Dominic Calvert-Lewin and a first senior international strike for James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), while former Exeter City academy player Ollie Watkins marked his Three Lions debut with a goal.
A 2-0 away win in Albania followed before Gareth Southgate’s side made it a clean sweep by overcoming Poland 2-1, with another former Blades youngster, Harry Maguire, bagging the winner with an emphatic late hit.
Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips and ex-Barnsley apprentice John Stones were the the only two to start in every game, while Maguire and his former Leicester City teammate Ben Chilwell played the full 90 minutes in two of the three matches.
The full list of former apprentices to represent England in the recent World Cup qualifiers is as follows:
- Jude Bellingham | Birmingham City, now Borussia Dortmund
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin | Sheffield United, now Everton
- Ben Chilwell | Leicester City, now Chelsea
- Harry Maguire | Sheffield United, now Manchester United
- Kalvin Phillips | Leeds United
- Luke Shaw | Southampton, now Manchester United
- John Stones | Barnsley, now Manchester City
- James Ward-Prowse | Southampton
- Ollie Watkins | Exeter City, now Aston Villa
