Reece James and Calvert-Lewin among uncapped stars worthy of England recognition

Ahead of Thursday's England squad confirmation, there are a number of players vying for that first call up from Gareth Southgate. The Three Lions boss isn't adverse to handing in-form players an opportunity to showcase their talent on the international stage. 

As such, WhoScored look at the six top rated English players since football resumed post-lockdown earlier this year of those yet to be called up by Southgate... 

6. Dwight McNeil (Burnley) - 6.93 

Given Gareth Southgate's preference for nippy wingers, Dwight McNeil is a promising option for the England boss. The 20-year-old may have struggled in front of goal and providing for teammates, registering just two assists and failing to score in his last 11 league appearances, but his 20 successful dribbles since mid-June is the 11th best in the Premier League. This ability to ghost past an opponent is a handy weapon in his arsenal and if Southgate continues with a 4-3-3 setup, then McNeil is worth a look in. 

5. Tariq Lamptey (Brighton) - 6.93 

England are blessed with ample right-back options with Tariq Lamptey the latest off the conveyor belt to shine in the Premier League. Having joined Brighton from Chelsea at the turn of the year, Lamptey has continued to excel for the Seagulls, so much so that this week the right-back was linked with a move to Bayern Munich. The 20-year-old's reading of the game belies his tenders with his 25 interceptions since mid-june the joint-second best in the Premier League to help the defender to a WhoScored rating of 6.93 in that time. 

4. James Justin (Leicester) - 6.96 

Another full-back to impress, James Justin's versatility is an added bonus should Gareth Southgate call on the young Leicester ace. Having deputised for Ricardo Pereira at right-back, Justin has since started the campaign as the Foxes' first choice left-back in the wake of Ben Chilwell's move to Chelsea and Timothy Castagne's arrival from Atalanta. Leicester ended 2019/20 poorly and that explains why Justin's WhoScored rating (6.96) isn't as high as many might expect. Nevertheless, only teammate Wilfred Ndidi (42) has made more tackles than Justin (41) since mid-June and with fit left-back options thin on the ground, the former Luton man could help rectify that issue in Southgate's squad. 

3. Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) - 7.02 

West Ham did well to land Jarrod Bowen unopposed in January. The young forward was all-but single handedly keeping Hull above water in England's second tier and while he is yet to properly transfer his Championship form to the Premier League, like Justin, Bowen's versatility in the final third would benefit Southgate. Indeed, able to play out wide or through the middle, he is an additional option that would cover a number of roles on the frontline. Since mid-June, Bowen has two goals and four assists to his name - only five players can better the latter return over the same period - to contibute towards his WhoScored rating of 7.02. 

2. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton) - 7.09 

Dominic Calvert-Lewin enjoyed a fresh lease of life on the back of Carlo Ancelotti's appointment in November. While the Everton forward failed to hit the back of the net this side of lockdown to see out 2019/20, failing to score in his final 10 league outings last term, Calvert-Lewin has started 2020/21 brilliantly. Indeed, the Toffees frontman has five Premier League goals to his name this season, more than any other player, and his average WhoScored rating since mid-June is a respectable 7.09. Southgate has ample attacking options at his disposal, but Calvert-Lewin is a man in form and warrants his first senior call up this week. 

1. Reece James (Chelsea) - 7.10 

Topping this particular countdown is yet another right-back. Reece James saw injuries restrict him to just 16 league starts last season, but he has made the starting spot at Chelsea his own this term. The attack-minded 20-year-old is tasked with bombarding up field and maximises the opportunity to break forward having made 17 key passes since mid-June, the fourth best of defenders in that period, to reinforce a strength of 'key passes'. Unfortunately for James is that he has ample competition for the right-back spot, notably from Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Southgate can rest assured that the Chelsea man is a viable option at full-back if needs must.