After Lee Carsley named his England squad on Thursday afternoon, one name might have shocked fans – the inclusion of Angel Gomes.
The Lille star has never been called up to the senior side before but he is well known at Under-21 level.
Gomes was a key player during England’s successful run at the Under-21 European Championship last year.
The midfielder started the final where the Young Lions conquered Spain in the final with a dramatic Cole Palmer winner as James Trafford saved a last-gasp penalty.
Angel Gomes has been called up to the England squad for the first time
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Carsley was in charge of the Under-21s as they claimed the European prize and he has brought several through in his first England squad since stepping up in an interim role.
Morgan Gibbs-White, Noni Madueke and Tino Livramento have all received their first senior call-ups as well, having been a part of the Under-21 set-up.
There were also recalls for Levi Colwill, Anthony Gordon and Kobbie Mainoo, who were also part of the 2023 winning team.
Nevertheless, Gomes’ call-up has shocked fans the most but it was an easy decision for Carsley.
“Angel is probably different to what we would have seen in the past [which] would have been a central midfielder that is more robust,” he said.
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“Angel is very technical, controls the game with his skill and technique. Very determined, excellent attitude.
“Technically and tactically excellent, I think he’s a player that people are going to really be excited to see.”
Lee Carsley’s new England squad features several players from the Under-21s that won the European Championship last summer
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Gomes has spent most of his career out of England, though Manchester United fans might remember him.
London-born Gomes came up through the academy at Carrington, where he was fancied as the next big thing and won the club’s prestigious Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2017.
His godfather, Nani, is well-known among United fans after eight years at the club and 230 appearances.
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However, after failing to break into the first-team following five appearances over three years, he made the brave move to ditch Old Trafford for first-team football abroad, joining Ligue 1 outfit Lille in 2020.
The attacking midfielder was initially loaned out to Portuguese side Boavista where he made 32 appearances and scored six times.
Since then, he has been a regular for Lille and the 23-year-old has played 117 times for the club, scoring eight in all competitions.