Former Middlesbrough defender, Gareth Southgate OBE, has announced his latest provisional 33-man England squad with plenty of former EFL stars included.
Among those selected, a total of 2,743 EFL Competition appearances have been made as a collective. The most notable additions, who have showcased their talents recently outside of the first division, are ex-Blackburn Rovers star Adam Wharton, and Jarell Quansah – who enjoyed a successful six-month loan spell with Bristol Rovers, before breaking into the Liverpool first team.
2⃣,7⃣4⃣3⃣ appearances in #EFL competitions from the @England pre-#EURO2024 training squad! 🦁🏴#RaisedInTheEFL https://t.co/SzNJrTH12K pic.twitter.com/U9ZjBansUN
— EFL (@EFL) May 21, 2024
Delving deeper into the highlighted statistics, there have been 1409 appearances in the Championship from this current crop of talent. Jarrod Bowen, who was a big second-tier star with Hull City before his £20 million (plus add-ons) move to West Ham United, played 131 times for the Tigers in all competitions. Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa can also be highlighted as a key contributor to this total, with successful spells at Charlton Athletic and Brentford between 2015 and 2019, accumulating 133 appearances in total.
The third tier has seen some very strong representation too. John Stones is undoubtedly Barnsley’s most successful academy product and his 28 appearances for the Yorkshire side compliment the total of 647 shared around the squad, in League One. Jarrad Branthwaite, who is plying his trade at Everton, has recently been linked with Real Madrid and Manchester United. The former Carlisle United man played 14 times for the recently-relegated side. Many others in the group have seen a similar amount of appearances in the third division towards their early career.
Unpopular opinion:
John Stones was the most fundamental player for our treble winning team. pic.twitter.com/wpGLrX3DuD
— 𝐁𝐣𝐨̈𝐫𝐧 (@StonesRoIe) December 4, 2023
Most impressively, the 191 League Two appearances can highlight the domination that English football is said to have around the world. The EFL is a very important part of England’s footballing heritage and is successful due to the passionate fan bases and the genuine appreciation of the game. This means that products from teams like Exeter City, can nurture young, unheard-of prospects into future England starters. Ollie Watkins, who will be playing Champions League football for Aston Villa next season, made 78 appearances for the Grecians, and a further 143 for Brentford.
The importance of the EFL Cup and the EFL Trophy cannot be understated either, as a way of showcasing the talents of top Englishmen. Highly prolific players who have featured in these competitions at a young age include: former Birmingham City talent Jude Bellingham, who is now Real Madrid’s number five, Liverpool’s Joe Gomez, ex-Peterborough United striker Ivan Toney, and former Preston North End, Sunderland and Bradford City ‘keeper Jordan Pickford.
Perhaps the most impressive asset that has graced the lower tiers, is Bayern Munich’s number nine Harry Kane. The Tottenham Hotspur legend has scored 323 club goals in 473 appearances since his final EFL stint. The 30-year-old has played for the likes of Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City, which gave him the necessary platform to grow and later become Spurs’ all-time record goalscorer and take on the mantle of England captain.
🌟 James Maddison at 20:
🏴 On loan at Aberdeen🌟 Harry Kane at 20:
🦊 On loan at Leicester🌟 Jarrod Bowen at 20:
🐯 Hull U21s🌟 Ebere Eze at 20:
🦢 On loan at Wycombe (L2)Just some context for the fans who've given up on a 20-yo because of 2 performances in the EFL Cup. pic.twitter.com/G0FpDU1w6b
— MatchdayCPFC (@MatchdayCPFC) September 27, 2023
Writer’s View
The EFL is so important in providing the necessary growth and raw appreciation for football. So many phenomenal talents have earned top transfers to Europe’s elite thanks to great spells at lower league clubs around England.
It is no surprise that the current crop of players have been exposed to so much EFL football. Undoubtedly, this representation will continue for many years.
New lower-tier talents can look up to these players who have had similar career paths; most of them harnessed their abilities in the Football League.
