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. It'll be interesting to see where Thomas Tuchel turns, especially if he opts for a back three which will likely force England's wide players into inside forward functions,

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

12. Jadon Sancho

When he first exploded onto 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.

The winger has been up-and-down since, with a promising 2024 at both Dortmund and Chelsea potentially being no more than a false dawn. Sancho's struggled in west London this calendar year and currently looks a long way off the England set-up given the alternative options.

11. Ethan Nwaneri

Arsenal haven't been the easiest of watches this season, but teenager Nwaneri has supplied the Gunners with some much-needed attacking inspiration amid an injury crisis.

While an attacking midfielder by trade, Nwaneri has been asked to fill Bukayo Saka's hefty void down the right and has done so with aplomb. The Hale End graduate looks set to be a part of this Arsenal team for years to come, and his bright run of form was rewarded with a maiden call-up to England's U21s in March.

It won't be long until Nwaneri's locking horns with the senior stars at St. George's Park.

10. Jack Grealish

Despite the winger's stock falling, Lee 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.

The Manchester City star boasts great charisma and his a game-changer on his day, but we haven't seen the best of him since City's 2022/23 campaign.

There's scope for Grealish to return to the fold, but it may require a change of scenery at club level.

9. Callum Hudson-Odoi

Hudson-Odoi's initial breakthrough at Chelsea warranted a couple of early caps, but a devastating Achilles injury forced the winger to reset.

The Blues opted to part ways with their gifted academy product for just a few million pounds, and Hudson-Odoi has since found a new lease of life at Nottingham Forest.

He's had an excellent season down the left flank at the City Ground, operating as one member of Forest's scintillating four-pronged attack. The 24-year-old is a standout technician who crosses the ball superbly and has a knack for scoring from range. There are subtleties to his game that only the elites possess.

8. 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 is close to outgrowing the U21 squad.

7. Eberechi Eze

Eze's flexibility throws up questions about 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 and he's been included in Tuchel's first squad.

6. 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 a good fit for Tuchel, especially given that the new manager has laid down his intentions to press from the front.

5. 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. An injury stunted his progress ahead of the March internationals.

4. Marcus Rashford

HE'S BACK!

The revival that many projected following his move to Aston Villa in January has come to pass, with Tuchel opting to bring Rashford back into the England fold after he missed out last summer and in the subsequent autumn squads.

Rashford hasn't set the world alight at Villa Park, but he's playing with a smile on his face again. Tuchel noted that the winger's greater contributions without the ball since teaming up with Unai Emery convinced him that he was worthy of a call-up.

His devastating talent hasn't ceased.

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 at times this season, 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 won't be omitted from Tuchel's plans in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup.

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.

Let's see how he bounces back after recovering from hamstring surgery.

READ MORE ON ENGLAND'S SQUAD OPTIONS & BEST IN EVERY POSITION