This evening England go into their first European Championship Finals game against Russia with probably five Tottenham Hotspur players in the starting line-up. In recent press conferences following England friendlies both Gary Cahill and Jack Wilshere have both expressed how impressed they have been with “the Tottenham lads”.
It seems that Mauricio Pochettino has done good things for his own career but he seems to have also bolstered the England National team with his ability to develop players. Add to that the probable inclusion of ex-Southampton man Adam Lallana and there will be six possible starting players who have benefited directly from Pochettino’s coaching.
Spurs could have a significant influence on England’s progression in the tournament. Moreover they could, given their relatively young ages, become permanent fixtures in the England side for some time to come. You would not have imagined this to be the case just two seasons ago or fewer.
Kyle Walker
It seemed then that Kyle Walker was a potentially good but error-prone full-back. Currently Tottenham’s longest-serving player, he had great potential. The one thing he has managed to do under Pochettino is eliminate the number of errors in his game and, more importantly, understand his role and what is required of him.
Whilst his pace allowed him to keep up with some of the fastest attackers in the Premier League that he has had to contend with, it was also a blessing for him when recovering from either the occasional lapse in concentration or being caught out of position. His pace going forward has helped him adapt easily to Pochettino’s system at club level and it now gives Roy Hodgson’s team some attacking width on the right flank.
Danny Rose
Danny Rose was wanted out by many Tottenham fans because they felt that he just wasn’t good enough. The social media meltdown that greeted the announcement of the five year contract extension offered to him by the club in the summer of 2014 was incredulous and quite horrid to witness.
Rose’s problem seemed to be his application and his concentration. A moody player at times, he could often get caught out of position and his aggressiveness in the tackle was occasionally misplaced which caused disciplinary issues. It also meant that he was tactically conceding possession and set plays to the opposition in dangerous areas.
Rose has been visibly and considerably improving his play over the last two seasons. His tackling is crisper and more timely, he is more confident on the ball and in his passing and positionally he is far more aware. Like Walker he has pace and stamina in abundance offering incisive wing play for his team when on the attack.
Indeed both Rose and Walker could put the icing on their general play by improving the quality of their crossing but that aside, their improvement overall has seen them win their places in the England team. Both offer tenaciousness when defending, and are often able to win the ball high up the pitch from opponents (a Pochettino trait) and if the rest of the England team can tune in to this too then there will be attacking opportunities created.
Eric Dier
Dier was a young up and coming centre-back who was as yet unknown on British shores. He showed glimpses of the player he could become in his first season in England. Having spent his formative years in Portugal at the academy of Sporting Lisbon his mindset is most definitely European as a player. His spatial and tactical awareness is a key strength, as is his distribution of the ball.
Tottenham originally bought him to bolster their central defensive position. However, the seamless transition he has made in adopting a central defensive midfield role for his club is testament to his footballing intelligence. He has excelled in a position that no English player could so far master and this has propelled him to one of the first names on the team sheet for club and country.
For years England were bemoaning the absence of a Claude Makélélé-type figure in their midfield and whilst Dier may not yet be the master in that role he is a willing pupil and is still learning. His ceiling could be very high.
Dele Alli
Dele Alli’s story is one with “Roy of he Rovers” similarities. A League One player with MK Dons for so long at the age of just 19 (now 20) he has propelled himself with amazing speed in his development to not just becoming a Tottenham regular and instrumental figure in that side, but also to a player that just has to be included in the England team on pure talent alone.
His importance to the Tottenham team cannot be understated. Missing the last three domestic games for his club proved costly not just for him but for his team in particular. Alli could often go missing for long periods in games but has that uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time to finish off a move. His relationship with Harry Kane has been very important and has evolved to minor telepathic levels now that they have such a good understanding together. The difficulty for England would be if they use him in the position in which he operates best rather than shoe horning him into the side just to get him on the team sheet.
Harry Kane
Harry Kane seemed destined to be the kid that looked a decent prospect but wasn’t quite up to making the grade a few seasons ago. But he has exploded into form from almost nowhere and has not looked back since. Touted as a potential “one-season wonder” by some critics at the end of the 2014/15 season he has carried that form into 2015/16.
Kane and Alli have developed into the kind of players that could propel both their club side and their National side to the next level given their dynamism and energetic forward play especially as they both have an eye for goal. It is worth noting that both scored on their England debuts.
Tottenham’s Famous Five will go into Euro 2016 hoping that England can at last make an impact on a major finals since 1996. Much of course depends on Roy Hodgson’s team selection and tactics but England and Spurs fans will be looking to see these players play in a similar way to the way that they play for their club side. If that is the case then the Tottenham Five could just be the ticket that England have been waiting for.
