Two Leicester City stars watched by England staff for Gareth Southgate

The fact that Southgate has already sent staff out to watch him is a big encouragement for the Syston-born defender. His age still allows him to be selected for the U21s, and I’d imagine he’ll build on those caps in the upcoming weeks.

Away from defence, Harvey Barnes and James Maddison were also excluded from Southgate’s squad, but both will be on the cusp of a call-up if they continue their impressive form. Both endured slow starts to the season as they recovered from their respective injuries. This year, Barnes and Maddison have been two of the Foxes’ most impressive attacking forces. If they can help guide Leicester to Europa Conference League glory, they won’t be far away from the England squad.

The other name to mention is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The midfielder is arguably the player of the season for Leicester and has looked better and better with each performance. Some may have wanted to see him included in this squad; however it is important to remember that this is his debut campaign in the Premier League. His development is going smoothly so far, rushing an international appearance could ruin that.

If KDH continues to impress, he will soon be a shoo-in for the international set-up, but he – and fans – will need patience. The World Cup may come too soon for him, but come Euro 2024, he will certainly be one of the names in contention for a spot.