England's winger options - ranked

England find themselves with arguably their best squad for a generation - and that strength in depth is no more evident than in the frontline.

Both out wide and through the middle, the Three Lions possess an embarrassment of riches. Such is the profundity of the talent pool, that it has become almost inevitable that some corners of the internet will be irked by questionable call-ups.

Gareth Southgate was adaptable when it came to his wingers and new boss Lee Carsley hasn't been afraid to integrate fresh blood at the expense of Southgate's most trusted lieutenants.

Here are England’s best options out wide - ranked.

12. Raheem Sterling

Raheem Sterling, the boy brought up in Wembley's shadow, was often a nailed-on starter under Southgate. He was key to England's Euro 2020 final run and always exceeded expectations for his country regardless of club form.

However, a move to Chelsea didn't go to plan, with Sterling struggling to flourish in an ever-changing environment. Having been frozen out of the Blues squad by Enzo Maresca, a loan move to Arsenal can offer Sterling some much-needed confidence.

A strong showing in north London in 2024/25 can push him back into England contention, but he's found starts hard to come by under former friend Mikel Arteta.

11. Harvey Barnes

Almost half a decade on from his 14-minute debut for England against Wales in an empty Wembley Stadium, Harvey Barnes is still waiting for his second callup.

There was talk of Barnes switching allegiance to Scotland, but he underscored his ambition to line up for the Three Lions again in April 2024 when he called it "the dream of any player". If the punchy winger can maintain his scoring form - and more crucially, his fitness - he could live the dream once again.

10. Jadon Sancho

When he first exploded on to the scene at Borussia Dortmund, a heap of England caps looked inevitable for Sancho. However, a disastrous move to Manchester United scuppered his progress with the Three Lions.

A return to Dortmund for the second half of 2023/24 should have boosted his confidence and an initial loan move to Chelsea, which will become permanent next summer, has offered him some fresh scenery.

The talent is still there, that's for sure, but Sancho is once again being plagued by unavailability.

9. Jamie Gittens

Borussia Dortmund had navigated the first five decades of the Bundesliga without a single English player to call upon. Over the last few years, the German giants have been a welcoming home to a clustering of stars from British shores.

Following in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham, Jamie Gittens is threatening to become the next Dortmund-based talent to gatecrash England's international set-up. The 20-year-old jet-heeled left-winger is enjoying the best campaign of his career this term and may well have outgrown the under-21 squad.

8. Marcus Rashford

A hot-house flower of a player, Rashford desperately struggles when his surrounding conditions are not suitable. Manchester United's turmoil in 2023/24 weighed heavily on the explosive winger.

Rashford has often been given a new lease of life when reporting for his country over the past year but he was a notable absentee at Euro 2024, where even his biggest advocate Southgate opted against selecting the Man Utd star.

In all honesty, he can have no complaints. An unproductive opening to 2024/25 means Rashford wasn't included in any of Carsley's three squads, but perhaps Ruben Amorim's arrival will spark an upsurge in form by the time Thomas Tuchel takes the reins.

7. Jarrod Bowen

The first English player to score in a European final since Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge in 2016 is a beacon of consistency in a West Ham United side that is equally capable of brilliance and blunders.

Comfortable across all three forward positions, Bowen endured more than a year away from the national team while West Ham's league form plummeted during the 2022/23 campaign. Yet, the Europa Conference League winner forced his way back into Southgate's plans.

Bowen was involved at Euro 2024, albeit infrequently, and will undeniably be an important member of England squads moving forward providing his form doesn't dip. He's come in as a replacement amid mass withdrawals in November.

6. Eberechi Eze

Eze's flexibility throws up questions over his best position. It's likely in attacking midfield but the Crystal Palace star is more than comfortable on the left wing, often donning an England jersey in such a role.

His consistency and quality for the Eagles has made him a regular in recent England squads and he was one of Southgate's first solutions from the bench at Euro 2024.

Whether on the left or through the middle, Eze has a bright future for the Three Lions.

5. Jack Grealish

Although he’s struggled to consistently demonstrate his class since joining Manchester City in 2021, there is no doubting the game-changing talent Grealish possesses.

Southgate was often incredibly loyal to the former Aston Villa winger, even when he spent spells on the bench for his club, but the former England boss couldn't justify his selection for Euro 2024. It was a surprise omission, yet not all that surprising on paper.

Carsley found space for Grealish in his first two England squads and the tricky winger justified his selection with goals against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

4. Noni Madueke

Madueke was a surprise inclusion in Carsley's first England squad for the September international break, perhaps owing his spot in the side to a particularly impressive hat-trick against Wolverhampton Wanderers on matchday two of the 2024/25 season.

England are blessed with an abundance of left wingers but competition for Bukayo Saka on the right is much thinner. Madueke could be one of those to rival the Arsenal winger, although he has the unenviable task of trying to usurp one of the Premier League's most devastating forwards.

3. Anthony Gordon

The last time England Men's Under-21s won the European Championships, Mark Hateley was crowned the tournament's best player. Almost four decades later, Anthony Gordon was deemed to be the brightest of a blinding array of young stars as England lifted the junior continental trophy in 2023.

The Newcastle United winger has only improved since that triumph and was justifiably included in the Euro 2024 squad, even if he was almost certainly underused at the tournament.

His performances with the Magpies continue to be of an incredibly high standard, with goals and assists becoming more frequent, too. Eddie Howe has experimented with him off the right as of late, but he has an important role as a runner off the left in the national team.

2. Phil Foden

With Kevin De Bruyne missing the first half of the 2023/24 season due to a hamstring injury, Pep Guardiola required an alternate hero to emerge. Enter Foden.

He finished the term by being crowned Premier League Player of the Season and netting a brace on the final day to secure a fourth successive league title for the Cityzens.

His Euro 2024 performances were surprisingly flat and England need to decide whether he is an attacking midfielder or winger, but he remains an effortless game-changer for club and country.

1. Bukayo Saka

A ridiculously consistent performer for Arsenal who shines with the same unflinching frequency on the international stage. Saka has already been named his country’s Player of the Year on two occasions, with individual awards likely to follow the winger closely throughout his career.

Saka was one of England's strongest performers at Euro 2024 and produced a characteristically beautiful finish to help the Three Lions past Switzerland in the quarter-final.

That spot on the right-hand side of a front three is undoubtedly his and it's going to take an awful lot for his competitors to wrestle it from him. He's England's best out wide, after all.

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