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England’s Euro 2020 aces as kids from pals Mason Mount and Declan Rice to Arsenal trainee Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham


ALL eyes will be on Harry Kane, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount this summer as England aim to win their first ever Euros.

Of course, many fans will remember how close the Three Lions got at Euro ’96 – only to lose in the semi-final to the Germans in a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out.

All eyes will be on England stars Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Declan RiceCredit: Getty

But plenty of our stars wouldn’t have been born when boss Gareth Southgate became the fall guy at Wembley that summer.

However, they would have definitely dreamed of going a few steps further than their current manager and leading their country to glory as they were growing up.

But what did they look like when they were kids? Join SunSport for a flick through the family albums….

HARRY KANE

Captain Kane will, probably, forever be haunted by this photo.

Dressed in an Arsenal kit, rivals to his beloved Tottenham, the England hotshot trained with the Gunners’ U8 team as a youngster before switching allegiances to Spurs.

Such was allegiance to the red side of North London, he even dyed his hair the same colour.

Kane famously played for Arsenal’s U8 team
When Harry Kane was a youngster he could only have dreamed of playing for his country
Kane is now England’s captainCredit: Getty

JACK GREALISH

England’s poster-boy for this year’s Euros, Grealish grew up in Birmingham.

And he’s always been as a cute as a button, wearing his boyhood Aston Villa shirt with pride as a five-year-old.

However, his hair wasn’t the flowing locks we’re used to seeing, and he preferred a more closed crop cut.

Jack Grealish, aged five here, was cute as a button as a kid in his Aston Villa kit
Grealish played for Highgate United as a kid while training for Aston Villa
Grealish could be England’s breakthrough star at the EurosCredit: PA

JORDAN PICKFORD

No1 Pickford was Sunderland through and through.

He climbed through the ranks of the youth team to eventually play for the club before signing for Everton in a £25million deal in 2017.

But before that he was just a fan of the Mackems – posing for a snap with former captain Kevin Ball.

Jordan Pickford sported gorgeous curly blonde hair when he was a toddler
Pickford would later be seen posing for a snap with ex-Sunderland captain Kevin Ball
Pickford will be tasked with keeping the opposition at bay at the EurosCredit: Paul Marriott – The Sun

RAHEEM STERLING

Before he became a superstar at Manchester City, and before that Liverpool, the London-born winger was another hopeful at QPR.

In 2010, he moved to the Reds from the Hoops for a fee of just £500,000.

At 15, we saw Sterling showing off his talent on Sky Sports show Soccer AM for their infamous Skill School segment.

Raheem Sterling grew up in London
Sterling famously appeared on Soccer AM as a 15-year-old
Sterling has established himself as England regularCredit: PA

MASON MOUNT

Cheeky kid Mount has been with Chelsea since he was six. And in 2019, he shared a brilliant video of himself in his pre-adolescent years whipping a free-kick into the top corner.

“I try to base my free-kick on Ronaldo, hit the ball by the valve, and it moves,” he says in the video.

“That’s all you do. Top corner – top bins.”

Mason Mount has been with Chelsea since he was sixCredit: Tony Mount
A cheeky Mount poses for a snap with Chelsea legends Ashley Cole and John TerryCredit: Supplied
Playmaker Mount will want to follow his Champions League success with Chelsea and win the Euros with EnglandCredit: PA

DECLAN RICE

Growing up through the Chelsea ranks alongside Mount was best-mate Declan Rice.

Now a West Ham star, the pair were said to be heartbroken when Rice was released in 2014.

Still, with Jordan Henderson still struggling for match-fitness Mount and Rice could be starring in England’s midfield in the opener against Croatia together.

Declan Rice, left, and Mason Mount were best pals in their Chelsea youth daysCredit: Tony Mount
Rice, first from the right, meets football legend Jimmy HillCredit: Tony Mount
Rice in action against Austria in pre-Euros friendlyCredit: Getty

MARCUS RASHFORD

Young Rashford would never have imagined he would have an MBE at 23, nevermind be a regular for Manchester United and England.

But for the former skinny kid growing up in Wythenshawe has achieved wonders already in his short career.

Will he add a Euros to his glittering CV?

Skinny Marcus Rashford grew up in Wythenshawe, Manchester
Standing in the middle of the back row, Rashford played youth football at the Fletcher Moss Academy when he was sixCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Rashford celebrates his goal against RomaniaCredit: Getty

PHIL FODEN

As he says, he’s been City since he can remember.

Phil Foden, 20, is coming off an excellent season with his club and will hope to transform that on the international stage.

And he hasn’t changed one bit from when he was a nipper.

Credit: Instagram
Foden could be England’s jewel at the EurosCredit: AFP

KALVIN PHILLIPS

Leeds-born midfielder was told as a schoolboy to forget about football and concentrate on his studies.

Luckily, he didn’t listen to his teachers and has blossomed into the one of the country’s best defensive midfielders – nicknamed the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ by Leeds United fans.

And, it seems, he was a very happy kid – always smiling for the cameras.

Kalvin Phillips was always a happy kid
Phillips’ school teachers told him to forget a life in football and concentrate on his studies
Phillips could see plenty of playing time at Euro 2020Credit: Getty

JUDE BELLINGHAM

England’s potential wildcard, in truth Bellingham is still a kid – astonishingly he’s still only 17.

But the Borussia Dortmund star began his football journey at Birmingham City.

There, he was spotted by Trevor Francis as a star of the future during one youth game the former Blues star was watching.

Did the former Sheffield Wednesday manager also discover a future England Euros winner?

Jude Bellingham, aged six here, could be England’s wildcard at this year’s EurosCredit: Twitter @bellinghamjude
Bellingham poses with football legend Trevor FrancisCredit: Refer to Caption
17-year-old Bellingham could be England’s wildcard at Euro 2020Credit: AP
“I was a wreck” – Tony Adams on his secret battle with alcoholism as captain of England’s 1996 Euros side


Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk


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