10 Reasons Why England Can Win World Cup 2018

If there's one area where Gareth Southgate is spoilt for choice right now, it's at the back. England were so desperate for central defenders in 2010 that they called up 32-year-old Jamie Carragher, who had retired from international duty a few years earlier. This year, however, there's a real wealth of talent in the defensive positions, both in the central roles and out wide.

The current crop of English defenders is so good that great players like James Tarkowski didn't even make it into the final squad. Ashley Young and Kieran Trippier offer a lot on the wings, while the Man City trio of Walker, Stones, and Delph have all been impressive too. Trent Alexander-Arnold has impressed at Liverpool and Leicester's Harry Maguire offers something different at the back as well.

There's a nice mixture of youth and experience among England's defenders, and a lot of different playing styles that seem to complement each other nicely, like John Stones' precise passing game and Gary Cahill's old-fashioned, no-nonsense defending. Since Southgate came in, England have looked very strong at the back and kept a lot of clean sheets, and now it's vital to keep that good defending going at the World Cup.