Thursday 5 September 2019 11:42, UK
Mason Mount and James Maddison can provide the spark England have been missing in recent years, according to Danny Higginbotham.
The pair have been named in Gareth Southgate's latest England squad for the upcoming European Qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo, but are yet to make their senior debuts.
Mount, 20, only made his first Premier League appearance this season, but the Chelsea midfielder is now a key part of Frank Lampard's plans at Stamford Bridge.
"It's been a really good start to the season for Mount - how he links up play and the areas he turns up in across the pitch - it's really good to see," Higginbotham told Match Centre.
"Having that player who can be creative is where I think England have struggled in recent years - that player who can make runs from midfield and join up with the front players.
"I think he's benefiting from playing under Frank Lampard last year on loan at Derby where he had an excellent season, so he knows what Lampard wants. The great thing from his perspective is that Lampard trusts the younger players.
"He's got a massive future ahead of him, not just from the domestic side of things but internationally as well."
Meanwhile, Leicester midfielder Maddison created 100 goal-scoring chances in the Premier League last season, more than any other player in the top division.
He was left out of England's squad for the UEFA Nations League Finals in June, but Higginbotham believes he's got all the attributes to be a success on the international stage.
"Coming from Norwich and moving to Leicester, it was effortless for him, how he went from the Championship to the Premier League," Higginbotham said.
"He's a confident player and he's an arrogant player in the nicest possible way because I think your top players have to have arrogance about them - he's got that in abundance.
"Like Mount, he's very, very clever at finding spaces and finding areas in congested spaces where you think there isn't going to be space. He's another young player full of intelligence and he can really work wonders for England."
England continue their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign against Bulgaria on Saturday at Wembley, before facing Kosovo at St Mary's Stadium three days later.
