At first glance, Joe Gomez’s ascent to the England senior squad seems nothing out of the ordinary. After all, the defender played at junior level for his country aged 16, and has since moved seamlessly through the age groups. Yet the manner of his rise has more in keeping with tomorrow’s opponents, Germany, than with the overwhelming majority of the team-mates he has been getting to know at St George’s Park. Gomez is one of only seven players in Gareth Southgate’s squad whose career has not been shaped by at least one loan move. In total, England’s 21 players have had 66 loans between them as they seek to forge a career, flitting from Blackpool to Peterborough United and Sporting Lisbon to Swansea City.

Source: The Times November 09, 2017 00:00 UTC