England currently have a fantastic squad ahead of the Euro 2020 competition this summer, with the likes of Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho in fine form for their respective clubs. However, there are four Manchester United players who arguably deserve to start for the Three Lions in June. Dean Henderson has impressed in goal for the Red Devils so far this campaign, recently seeming to have earned his place as starting goalkeeper. Meanwhile, Luke Shaw is in the form of his life, Harry Maguire has proven a vital asset to the United defence, and Marcus Rashford clearly has his indoor soccer cleats on at the moment, breaking some impressive records.
Four Manchester United Players Who Deserve to Start For England This Summer
Dean Henderson
Probably the most controversial on this list, a strong case can be made for the idea that Dean Henderson is England’s best goalkeeper at the moment.
In terms of errors leading to goals, Henderson has been the most stable of the nation’s top choice keepers–himself, Jordan Pickford, and Nick Pope–since becoming a regular starter in the Premier League at the beginning of last season.
The former Sheffield United loanee has made just two errors leading directly to goals in the past two seasons, equating to one such mistake per 21.5 league appearances. Pope and Pickford have made four and six respectively during the same period of time; the Burnley shot-stopper averages a fault resulting directly in an opposition goal every 16.75 league games, while Everton’s number one has made such a blunder roughly every ten league matches.
Furthermore, Henderson may well have just become Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper. Club legend and former preferred starter in the position David de Gea’s wife recently gave birth to their first child, and so the Spaniard spent some time away with his family. This gave Henderson a chance to shine, and he did so, being largely impressive throughout De Gea’s absence.
In a recent fixture against Brighton, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had both keepers available for selection but chose Henderson. The notion that this could imply a changing of the guard in goal for United is furthered by the fact that De Gea started the Red Devils’ Europa League tie on Thursday evening, a competition in which their reserve goalkeeper normally plays.
Being the most stable option, as well as potentially being the best goalkeeper at one of Europe’s top clubs, may be enough to earn Henderson a starting spot in Gareth Southgate’s England side come the summer.
Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire has become one of the most important players at Old Trafford, not missing a minute of Premier League football since he signed in the summer of 2019.
The central defender has been a rock at the heart of United’s defence, hardly letting anything past him and making very few mistakes, contrary to the common misconception that he is highly error-prone.
Furthermore, Maguire provides the added bonus of his willingness to drive forwards. The former Leicester City man regularly dribbles into the opposition’s half, looking to play a pass out to one of his side’s attackers and create a goal-scoring opportunity.
Alongside the extremely low risk of injury that he presents, these factors mean that Maguire is likely to be one of the first names on Gareth Southgate’s team sheet, potentially alongside in-form Manchester City defender John Stones.
Luke Shaw
An undroppable part of Solskjaer’s team recently, Luke Shaw has been first-class this season.
The left-back has been magnificent of late at the Theatre of Dreams, putting his previous struggles at the club behind him as he shows why United broke records to gain his signature in 2014.
The 25-year-old still has time to improve and is certainly doing so under Solskjaer, with both the attacking and defensive aspects of his game having seen a major boost over the last 18 months.
The most threatening alternative to Shaw is Ben Chilwell, who joined Chelsea as part of their spending spree last summer. He has been solid for the Blues, although his impact has been overlooked due to the impressive performances of fellow Chelsea fullback Reece James, and certainly mounts a challenge to Shaw’s position in Southgate’s team, but club form should be enough to carry the Manchester United player into his country’s starting team this summer.
Marcus Rashford
One of the best wingers in the Premier League right now, Marcus Rashford will certainly have to work hard to be picked in the England team this summer. Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, and Jack Grealish provide Southgate with other options in Rashford’s preferred position, while Phil Foden and Jesse Lingard can also be utilised as wide attackers.
United’s first-choice left-winger could be England’s best in the position going into the summer, though, with more goals than any of the other aforementioned players. Having netted against Granada in the Europa League on Thursday night, Rashford is now the Red Devils’ first player to score twenty goals in successive seasons since Wayne Rooney between 2008 and 2010.
The 23-year-old has been highly influential at Old Trafford this campaign, with his presence clearly missed when he doesn’t play, but he has been struggling with some minor ongoing injuries recently. This could be something to keep an eye on going into the Euros, as Rashford looks to help his club to a second-place league finish and the opportunity to win their first trophy under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the Europa League.
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