These England teenagers all got their first taste of World Cups and Euros at a very young age
(Image credit: Alamy)
England have taken literally hundreds of players to major tournaments over the years, from international veterans to exciting youngsters.
And a few have been lucky enough to go to the World Cup or Euros (or both) before even turning 20.
Here's every player to be included in a Three Lions squad for a big finals while still just a teenager.
Every teenager to go to a tournament with England: 1. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (19 years, 298 days)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Image credit: Alamy)
Capped 35 times by England overall, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got his first taste of Three Lions senior action in pre-Euro 2012 friendlies against Norway and Belgium, making his first start in the latter.
Then of Arsenal, the midfielder impressed Fabio Capello so much that he started England's first game of the tournament, a 1-1 draw with France, before coming off the bench in their subsequent two group matches.
2. Bukayo Saka (19 years, 279 days)
Bukayo Saka (Image credit: Alamy)
Had Euro 2020 taken place as scheduled, Bukayo Saka wouldn't have made this list: he hadn't even made his senior England debut at that point. As it was, due to COVID-19, the tournament got pushed back a year – by which time the Arsenal winger had established himself as one of the most prodigious players in world football.
Voted man of the match in the co-hosts' group stage win over the Czech Republic, Saka would have the misfortune of missing the decisive penalty in the shootout defeat to Italy in the final, but the fact he stepped up at all spoke volumes about his character.
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3. Trent Alexander-Arnold (19 years, 250 days)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Image credit: Alamy)
Assuming he gets called up, Euro 2024 will be Trent Alexander-Arnold's third major tournament, having first been a member of England's squad for the 2018 World Cup.
Having made his Three Lions bow in a pre-tournament friendly against Costa Rica, the Liverpool right-back was handed a competitive debut as Gareth Southgate's side faced Belgium in their final group game in Russia.
4. Raheem Sterling (19 years, 186 days)
Raheem Sterling (Image credit: Alamy)
Born in Jamaica, Raheem Sterling grew up in England and opted to represent the Three Lions at international level, earning his first senior cap in November 2012 while still just 17.
The forward, then at Liverpool, wasn't capped again until the spring of 2014 – but that marked the start of a sustained run in the national set-up which included a place in Roy Hodgson's squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he played in all three matches as England crashed out at the group stage.
5. Phil Neville (19 years, 139 days)
Phil Neville (Image credit: Alamy)
The youngest member of Terry Venables' England squad for Euro 96, Phil Neville got to be part of a truly special summer, as the Three Lions delighted the nation in reaching the semi-finals of their home tournament.
That said, he didn't actually see any action, having to watch from the bench as older brother and Manchester United teammate Gary featured in every game.
6. Gareth Barry (19 years, 108 days)
Gareth Barry (Image credit: Alamy)
The Premier League's record appearance maker with a whopping 653 outings under his belt, former Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and West Brom midfielder Gareth Barry also earned 53 caps for England.
He debuted in a Euro 2000 warm-up match against Ukraine, having been named in Kevin Keegan's squad for the tournament – although he didn't make it onto the pitch at the finals themselves.
7. Aaron Lennon (19 years, 54 days)
Aaron Lennon (Image credit: Alamy)
Once the youngest player in Premier League history, Aaron Lennon became one of England's youngest major tournament players when he went to the 2006 World Cup.
The winger, who by then had left Leeds for Tottenham, came off the bench in the Three Lions' group stage win against Trinidad and Tobago, the last 16 victory over Ecuador and (probably less memorably) their penalty shootout quarter-final exit at the hands of Portugal.
8. Luke Shaw (18 years, 335 days)
Luke Shaw (Image credit: Alamy)
Luke Shaw earned his first full England cap when he came on the replace Ashley Cole in a February 2014 friendly against Denmark; four months later, he took the veteran left-back's place in Roy Hodgson's squad for the World Cup in Brazil.
Cole retired from international football as a result, while Shaw – who also joined Manchester United from Southampton that summer – made his tournament debut in the Three Lions' final group game against Costa Rica (by which time they'd already been eliminated). In doing so, he was the youngest player to feature at the finals.
9. Wayne Rooney (18 years, 232 days)
Wayne Rooney (Image credit: Alamy)
Less than two years after bursting onto the scene with that goal for Everton against Arsenal, Wayne Rooney was one of Manchester United and England's main men.
Still just 18 at the time of Euro 2004, there was little doubt that Wazza would play a starring role for his country at the tournament. He ended up becoming the youngest goalscorer in Euros history, finishing second to the Czech Republic's Milan Baros in the Golden Boot stakes, and making UEFA's Team of the Tournament.
10. Marcus Rashford (18 years, 223 days)
Marcus Rashford (Image credit: Alamy)
Roy Hodgson openly said that Marcus Rashford was "unlikely" to feature in his Euro 2016 squad, citing the need to let Manchester United's hot young talent "develop in peace" – but the England boss never said he wouldn't take him.
And so, less than four months after making his United debut, the uncapped forward was named in the Three Lions' preliminary 26-man roster. He made two substitute appearances at the finals in France, breaking the record for England's youngest-ever Euros player held by Wayne Rooney.
11. Michael Owen (18 years, 178 days)
Michael Owen (Image credit: Alamy)
The penultimate year of the 90s was a momentous year for Michael Owen: in February, Liverpool's precocious new talent made his senior England debut; by the end of the summer, he was lauded by none other than Diego Maradona as "the only good thing to come out of" the 1998 World Cup.
Coming off the bench in the Three Lions' tournament opener against Tunisia, Owen became his country's youngest ever World Cup player – and the young man who manager Glenn Hoddle called "one of greatest finishers" made sure to leave a lasting impression by scoring an iconic solo goal in the last 16 clash with Argentina.
12. Jude Bellingham (17 years, 347 days)
Jude Bellingham (Image credit: Alamy)
Having been heavily involved at Euro 2020 as a 17-year-old, Jude Bellingham made history by becoming the first England player to feature at two tournaments as a teenager, playing an even more pivotal role at the 2022 World Cup.
Out in Qatar, the then Borussia Dortmund midfielder started all five of the Three Lions' games and scored his first international goal, the opener as Gareth Southgate's side kicked off their campaign in style by thrashing Iran 6-2.
13. Theo Walcott (17 years, 85 days)
Theo Walcott (Image credit: Alamy)
Sven-Goran Eriksson's choice to include Theo Walcott in his 2006 World Cup squad raised a few eyebrows: Arsenal's £5m January signing was immensely promising, no doubt, but he hadn't yet won a senior cap.
That changed in a pre-tournament friendly against Hungary, in which he became England's youngest ever senior player at the age of 17 years and 75 days – although he didn't make it onto the pitch at the finals themselves. With England failing to qualify for Euro 2008, it looked like he'd have to wait until the 2010 World Cup to finally make his major tournament debut – only to be left out by Fabio Capello, meaning his chance didn't come until Euro 2012, by which time he'd aged to a ripe old 23...
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
