Last month, manager Gareth Southgate handpicked 26 of the best English football players to be apart of his FIFA 2022 World Cup squad.
Fast forward and England are in Qatar preparing to play France in the quarter finals on Saturday (10 December).
The Three Lions finished top of Group B after beating both Iran and Wales, and drawing with USA. They then beat Senegal 3-0 in the knockout rounds which took place on Sunday (4 December).
Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling are competiting in the World Cup for a third time, whilst the likes of Jude Bellingham, Kalvin Phillips and Phil Foden are new to the stage of the biggest football tournament.
However, no matter if it’s their third or first World Cup, each football star started at the very bottom and had years of training in the youth academy’s across the county before making their senior teams debut.
Let’s take a look at where the 26 England World Cup players started off:
17. Mason Mount began his senior career at Chelsea in 2017. He began representing England U16’s in 2014.
Mason Mount (L) and Joe Pritchard (R) during the Premier League 2 match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur on September 9, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) | Getty Images
18. Jordan Henderson began his senior career at Sunderland in 2008. He began representing England U19’s in 2009.
Jordan Henderson during the FA Youth Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Manchester City and Sunderland on March 11, 2008 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images) | Getty Images
19. Conor Gallagher began his senior career at Chelsea in 2019. He began representing England U17’s prior to this in 2017.
Josh Dasilva (L) and Conor Gallagher (R) during the U18 Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal on May 9, 2017 in Cobham, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
20. Nick Pope started his senior career with Bury Town in 2008. He didn’t begin representing England until 2018.
Nick Pope in action during the Sky Bet League Two match between Southend United and York City on November 23, 2013 in Southend, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images) | Getty Images