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Sign some of these young English stars for your FIFA squad.
It's been a fantastic year for England's youth players. First, the U20s won the World Cup for the first time in their history, beating Venezuela in the final. The U19s followed it up with victory in Euro 2017, and now the U17s – with Dortmund's Jadon Sancho in the side – are performing impressively at their World Cup in India.
EA have been watching. FIFA 18 features a range of homegrown stars with excellent potential – add any of these 11 English wonderkids to your Career Mode squad, and you'll benefit from their talents in seasons to come.
Goalkeeper: Dean Henderson
Man Utd keeper Henderson is currently on loan at League One high-fliers Shrewsbury Town, and was a member of England's U20 World Cup-winning squad back in May. The 20 year old starts out with a rating of 65 in FIFA 18, but this can rise to 81 in time, putting him on par with Jack Butland. And the best part? You can sign him for free in January as he's out of contract in the summer of 2018.
Defender: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Young Alexander-Arnold has already achieved much in his short career. Making his Liverpool debut at the tender age of 18, he won the club's Young Player of the Season award, and scored a crucial free-kick on his European debut against Hoffenheim back in August. The versatile 19 year old's best position is right-back in FIFA 18 – he currently has a 69 overall rating, but boasts a hefty potential of 85.
Defender: Axel Tuanzebe
Playing as Manchester United in FIFA 18? It's hard to resist picking Bailly, Smalling, Rojo and Lindelöf in the Man Utd setup, but it's worth giving young Axel Tuanzebe as much Career Mode playing time as possible. The 19 year old has a 73 overall rating in-game, but his potential can rise to 84 with the right development. Give him the opportunity to break into your squad, and you'll reap the rewards in years to come.
Defender: Rob Holding
21-year-old Rob Holding enjoyed a fruitful start to his time with the Gunners last season, playing all 90 minutes in his side's 2-1 FA Cup Final victory back in May. It's a surprise, then, that the ex-Bolton star begins Career Mode with a poorer rating than that of the aforementioned Tuanzebe. You'll find him equipped with greater potential (85) though, sporting the ability to match the talent of Azpilicueta, Raphaël Varane and even Vincent Kompany in time.
Defender: Ryan Sessegnon
England have a lot of talented young left-backs – Manchester United's Luke Shaw and Brentford's speedy Rico Henry would both be great signings, but it's 17-year-old Ryan Sessegnon who boasts the most potential. Fulham's highly-rated prospect became the youngest player to ever be included in the PFA Championship Team of the Year back in 2016, and finished joint top scorer in England U19s' Euro 2017-winning campaign.
Midfielder: Marcus Edwards
Tottenham's Marcus Edwards was another star of England U19s' Euro 2017 campaign – his sublime 93rd minute assist helped England secure a place in the final. Although yet to feature regularly for Spurs, Edwards remains one of FIFA 18's hottest prospects, sporting a gigantic 87 potential rating. Initially, he's limited to a 65 overall stat, but regardless, you'll be able to take advantage of his 91 balance, 83 agility and 78 acceleration from the off.
Midfielder: Dele Alli
It's hard to believe that Dele Alli is still only 21. The Spurs star continues to impress at the highest level, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award last season. Alli's FIFA 18 rating clocks in at 84, but this can rise to 90 as you progress through Career Mode. The biggest challenge you'll face is trying to sign him, as the ex-MK Dons midfielder commands a significant wage and is valued at £37.5m in-game.
Midfielder: Jadon Sancho
Back in August, Borussia Dortmund showed such confidence in new signing Jadon Sancho that they fitted him with the Ousmane Dembele's old no.7 shirt. EA Sports clearly believes 17-year-old Jadon Sancho is set to flourish too, with his poor 63 initial rating rising to a massive 86 when developed correctly in Career Mode. Versatile enough to play on either wing, Sancho's speed, agility and dribbling skills are impressive from the outset.
Midfielder: Angel Gomes
Attacking midfielder Angel Gomes became the youngest player to represent Manchester United since 1950s legend Duncan Edwards when he made a substitute appearance against Palace in May. The England U17 international has a potential rating of 89 in FIFA 18, and should he reach this figure in Career Mode, he'll compare to stars such as Paulo Dybala and Alexis Sánchez. He's already been compared to Paul Scholes by former United trainee Danny Webber.
Striker: Tammy Abraham
Tammy Abraham was a big hit on loan at Bristol City last season, netting 23 times in the Championship and winning their Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Top Goalscorer awards. Now on loan at Swansea, the young Chelsea forward has adapted to the Premier League well, scoring twice in a victory over Huddersfield. He's decent from the off with an overall 73 rating in FIFA 18, but this can rise to 86 in future seasons. Good luck tempting him away from Chelsea, though!
Striker: Marcus Rashford
Unlike many of the players in our English Wonderkids XI, Rashford is already a Premier League star. The Manchester United and England forward is rated at 81 in FIFA 18, but like his international teammate Alli, this can rise to 90 in future seasons. For now, you can take advantage of his incredible 93 acceleration, 92 sprint speed and 90 agility.
For more FIFA 18 tips and tekkers, check out our Play Like A Pro video series.
