Kobbie Mainoo’s meteoric rise continued on Tuesday when he was called up to the England senior squad for the first time by Gareth Southgate.
Having initially been left out last week, the Manchester United midfielder received his promotion from the Under-21s after starring in his side’s dramatic 4-3 FA Cup win against Liverpool on Sunday.
Should he play against Brazil or Belgium in the coming days, Mainoo would become just the 14th male player this century to make his England debut before turning 19.
Mail Sport has taken a look at those starlets and whether they went on to shine or if they fell short at the highest level after bursting onto the international stage.
Kobbie Mainoo received his first call-up to the England senior squad on Tuesday
Gareth Southgate promoted Mainoo from the Under-21s, despite the midfielder not turning 19 until next month
Theo Walcott – England debut at 17 years, two months and 14 days
Walcott was a shock inclusion in England’s 2006 World Cup squad, having never previously played in the Premier League.
He did enough to catch Sven-Goran Eriksson’s eye at Southampton, and was selected for the tournament in Germany, becoming England’s youngest-ever male debutant in a warm-up friendly against Hungary.
But he did not play a single minute in Germany, and went on to never feature at a World Cup after being snubbed in 2010 and then missing out due to injury four years later.
Walcott spent 12 years at Arsenal and earned 47 international caps, but only scored eight goals for his country, with three of those coming in one game during a 4-1 win against Croatia in 2008.
After being viewed as one of the most exciting prospects England has ever produced, Walcott failed to live up to the hype in the end. He finished his career back at Southampton, retiring last year after being released by the Saints.
Theo Walcott made his debut at 17 but struggled to live up to the hype and never played at a World Cup
Wayne Rooney – England debut at 17 years, three months and 19 days
Rooney announced himself by scoring a stunning winner for Everton against Arsenal just days before his 17th birthday in October 2002. Four months later, England came calling.
He instantly looked at home on the international stage, despite England losing 3-1 to Australia on his debut. Just over a year later, Rooney scored four goals at Euro 2004 and was picked up by Manchester United that summer.
It quickly became apparent that he was one of the best players in the world, although his lack of goals at future tournaments led to some criticism from fans.
However, the numbers speak for themselves. Rooney is England men’s second-highest goalscorer of all time with 53 – having been overtaken by Harry Kane last year – and is his country’s most-capped outfield player having made 120 appearances for the Three Lions.
There have not been many better players to pull on the England jersey over the years.
Wayne Rooney was handed his debut at 17 and went on to become the nation’s most-capped men’s player
Jude Bellingham – England debut at 17 years, four months and 14 days
Bellingham is well on the way to emulating Rooney, and may even surpass his achievements for England.
He started for his hometown club Birmingham City just days after his 16th birthday in August 2019, and was picked up by German giants Borussia Dortmund a year later.
In November 2020, the midfielder was handed his England debut in a 3-0 friendly win against Republic of Ireland.
He has only gone from strength to strength since then, and is now at Real Madrid where he has scored 20 goals in his maiden season.
Bellingham already has 27 caps and he does not turn 21 until June. He is one of the first names on the England teamsheet, and if he continues to progress at his current rate he will smash all records.
Jude Bellingham made his senior debut as a 17-year-old in a 3-0 win against Republic of Ireland
Bellingham is now one of the first names on the teamsheet, and is still only 20-years-old
Raheem Sterling – England debut at 17 years, 11 months and six days
Sterling looked the real deal as soon as he moved into Liverpool’s first-team squad, and he made his England bow in November 2012.
The Three Lions lost 4-2 to Sweden that night in a game largely remembered for Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s incredible bicycle-kick goal from 30 yards out.
Sterling was unable to take centre stage on that occasion, but he became a key player under Roy Hodgson and then Southgate.
He has not always been appreciated by England fans, with some turning on him during Euro 2016, while his finishing was also questioned at the 2018 World Cup.
But he thrived at Euro 2020, scoring three goals as England reached the final before losing to Italy on penalties. He has 82 caps and 20 goals to his name, but looks unlikely to add to those tallies any time soon, having not featured for his country since December 2022.
Sterling has 82 caps after making his England bow in 2012, but is currently out of favour
Callum Hudson-Odoi – England debut at 18 years, four months and 15 days
Hudson-Odoi emerged as a major prospect at Chelsea before he had even turned 18, and was linked with a switch to Bayern Munich.
The Blues managed to keep hold of him and he won his first England cap during a 5-0 victory against Czech Republic in March 2019.
But he struggled to kick on after that due to injuries and inconsistent form, and has only played three times for England, meaning he is still able to switch allegiances to Ghana, who he qualifies to play for through his parents.
After a year on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, Hudson-Odoi was sold to Nottingham Forest last summer.
He has not made an England squad in over four years, and is some way down the pecking order due to the national side’s wealth of talent in wide areas.
Callum Hudson-Odoi played in a 5-0 thrashing of Czech Republic in 2019, but has only made two appearances for England since
Micah Richards – England debut at 18 years, four months and 22 days
Richards became England’s youngest-ever defender in 2006 and is happy to remind everyone that he ‘burst onto the scene’ as a teenager.
He certainly was seen as a huge prospect when he broke into the Man City team, and he was rewarded with his first England cap in a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands.
Richards starred in City’s 2011-12 title-winning season, and also lifted the FA Cup and Carabao Cup during his time at the club, but his international career never took off.
He was often left playing second fiddle to Glen Johnson at right back, and only won 13 caps in total.
His playing career was curtailed by a knee injury, forcing him to retire at just 31, and he now works as a pundit for multiple broadcasters.
Micah Richards became England’s youngest defender in 2006 as he played vs the Netherlands
Jadon Sancho – England debut at 18 years, six months and 17 days
Sancho left England as a teenager to move to Borussia Dortmund and it paid off as he began to shine straight away, leading to him gaining international recognition.
His debut was a rather forgettable affair as England drew 0-0 in Croatia in October 2018, but it was still clear England had a special talent on their hands.
Sancho continued to thrive at Dortmund and was snapped up by Manchester United for £73m in 2021 after a lengthy pursuit, and it seemed a virtual certainty that he would be a success at Old Trafford.
But his time at United has proved disastrous. He failed to hit the same heights he reached at Dortmund in his first season with the Red Devils, took an extended break in his second to focus on his mental health, and was exiled from the first-team earlier this term following a public fall-out with manager Erik ten Hag.
He was loaned back to Dortmund in January and has started to show signs of his old form after netting a crucial goal in their last-16 Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven. But he has not played for England for three years, and has very little chance of making Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad.
Sancho came into the England setup in 2018, but is currently out of the picture after a disastrous spell at Man United
Marcus Rashford – England debut at 18 years, six months and 26 days
Rashford scored on his debut for Manchester United in multiple competitions, and he continued the trend when he stepped onto the pitch for the first time in an England shirt in May 2016.
The Red Devils forward scored just three minutes into his debut in a 2-1 win against Australia, cementing his spot in England’s Euro 2016 squad that summer.
Rashford is still only 26, but has played at four major tournaments for England, and is likely to make that five at Euro 2024.
Some have questioned whether he deserves a place in Southgate’s squad after an underwhelming campaign at United that has seen him score just eight goals, but he has retained the faith of the England boss.
His record of 17 goals in 59 games is a modest one for someone with his talent, but he still has plenty of time to improve those numbers over the coming years.
Marcus Rashford scored on his debut in 2016 and now has over 50 caps for England
Jack Wilshere – England debut at 18 years, seven months and 10 days
Fans will always remember Wilshere’s outstanding display against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona side in 2011, but he actually made his England debut six months earlier in a 2-1 win against Hungary.
Wilshere possessed a rare skillset that allowed him to stand out from the rest as he glided past opposition players with ease, and he looked set to be a permanent fixture in England’s midfield for a decade.
Unfortunately, his career was derailed by one injury after another, leaving everyone wondering what might have been.
He still played 34 times for England, but that figure could have easily been tripled if he had managed to stay fit.
Wilshere is still only 32, but retired two years ago, and has now gone back to Arsenal where he is coaching the club’s Under-18s.
Jack Wilshere looked certain to be an England regular for years, but injuries ended his career
Luke Shaw – England debut at 18 years, seven months and 21 days
Shaw made his England debut 10 years ago this month in a 1-0 win against Denmark and was taken to the 2014 World Cup after an impressive season at Southampton.
Manchester United swooped in to sign him that summer, and he is still at Old Trafford, but he has endured a stop-start career due to multiple injury setbacks.
The full back broke his leg in 2015, and has battled with fitness issues throughout his time at United.
As a result, he has only received 31 caps for England, but he was Southgate’s first-choice left back at Euro 2020 and the last World Cup.
He is currently sidelined again and facing a race against time to be fit for the Euros, but if he is available, expect Southgate to throw him straight back into his team this summer.
Luke Shaw has also battled with injuries, and is facing a race against time for Euro 2024
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – England debut at 18 years, nine months and 11 days
Oxlade-Chamberlain was a breath of fresh air during a pretty dire period for the national team, and timed his rise to perfection as he made his debut in the lead-up to Euro 2012.
His directness and fearless attitude made him a major threat, and he looked destined for a long and successful international career.
But he is not the first player on this list to struggle with injuries. He was arguably just reaching his peak in his first season at Liverpool in 2017-18 when he suffered a significant knee injury.
That ended his hopes of playing at the World Cup in Russia, and he only made three further appearances for England.
Seven goals in 35 matches does not to justice to the talent Oxlade-Chamberlain possessed, and it appears unlikely he will be seen on the international stage again. He now plays for Turkish outfit Besiktas after leaving Anfield last summer.
Oxlade-Chamberlain was viewed as a major talent, but had his progress stalled by injuries and is now playing in Turkey
Mason Greenwood – England debut at 18 years, 11 months and five days
Greenwood appeared as a substitute in a 1-0 win against Iceland in September 2020, but it is probably a weekend he would rather forget after he was sent home along with Phil Foden for bringing Icelandic girls back to the team hotel when Covid-19 restrictions were in place.
He would have expected to get another chance with the national team, but it hasn’t materialised after he was arrested on multiple charges, including attempted rape, in January 2022. He was suspended by Manchester United while the investigation was ongoing.
The charges were dropped last February, but United and Greenwood mutually decided that it would be best for the forward to recommence his career away from Old Trafford.
Greenwood is currently on a season-long loan at Spanish side Getafe, and has eight goals and five assists this term.
United’s new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has left the door open for Greenwood to potentially return to the club this summer, and the team’s players are reportedly open to the idea as well, but Southgate has ruled him out of contention for Euro 2024.
Mason Greenwood has not played for England since his debut against Iceland in 2020
Rico Lewis – England debut at 18 years, 11 months and 30 days
Manchester City’s Lewis is the latest player on this list to make his debut, and it came just a day before he turned 19.
The versatile youngster was drafted into the side to play at left back and put in a man of the match display, despite giving away a penalty in a 1-1 draw with North Macedonia last November.
Lewis is small in stature but has held his own at arguably the best club in Europe and did not look out of his depth when he stepped in for England.
He has found game time hard to come by at the Etihad Stadium in recent months, but his ability to cover multiple positions could make him an asset during the final run-in as City look to win successive Trebles.
This summer’s Euros may come a touch too soon for him, but he looks likely to be handed more chances to impress in the years to come.
Rico Lewis delivered a man of the match display on his debut, but is not in Southgate’s current squad
Can Mainoo become England’s next superstar?
The 13-player list highlights mixed degrees of success for England’s young stars in the 21st century.
There is plenty of excitement surrounding Mainoo at the moment, but can he live up to or even exceed expectations?
Mainoo has thrived in the big games for Man United, and could become a superstar if he can stay injury-free
The 18-year-old, who turns 19 next month, has already shown he can handle the big occasions by starring against Liverpool, scoring a last-minute winner at Wolves and thriving in the Champions League.
This has shown Southgate that it is worth the gamble of throwing Mainoo in when he is still in the infancy of his senior career.
Steering clear of injuries is vital for Mainoo’s development, as the likes of Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain can attest to. Mainoo missed the opening months of this season with an ankle problem, and needs to avoid any more physical setbacks.
But if he can stay injury-free and continue to gain valuable experience at United and with England, there is no reason why he can’t become a superstar for the Three Lions.
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