Can YOU guess the identity of England's 2024 stars from their childhood photos?

The European Championships kicks off in less than a week with excitement mounding ahead of this summer's tournament in Germany.

Gareth Southgate selected his England squad last week ahead of The Three Lions' first match against Serbia on Sunday June 16 at 8pm with some bold decisions raising a few eyebrows.

Notable omissions included Manchester City star Jack Grealish and an injured Harry Maguire, who appeared in the Team of the Tournament at the last Euros in 2021 and scored a penalty kick in the final against Italy.

Meanwhile the likes of Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, 20, and 19-year-old FA Cup winner Kobbie Mainoo continue their unstoppable rises to the top.

Whether it's their 100th cap or their debut, many in the squad will have been dreaming of representing England at a major tournament since they first scored a goal in the school playground. 

So can YOU guess the Three Lions player from their childhood photo?

1:  This is England's record goal scorer at an age when he was knocking the ball in between two sets of jumpers.

The Three Lions icon has recently traded north London for Germany in a - so far fruitless - attempt to win a first major trophy of his career but will be hoping a sterling summer for England will make up for it.

In one photo, he's pictured standing next to former England captain David Beckham and, with 63 international goals to his name, has arguably gone on to outshine 'Golden Balls' in a Three Lions shirt.

2: The next player is still a youngster by most people's standards but has already achieved more than the majority of footballers will in an entire career.

The lad from Stourbridge strode onto the world stage at the Euros three years ago, aged just 17, and has already earned 29 England caps.

He's seen by many as England's star player heading into this summer and, while others have struggled under such hype in the past, he seems to take the pressure in his stride as effortlessly as he does a football. 

3: When England boss Gareth Southgate took his side into the 2018 World Cup, very few gave the team a chance after years of embarrassing failures and comically unfortunate defeats.

Thanks to the efforts of a rather untested side which included this loud-mouthed player, pictured below as a young boy, The Three Lions surged to the semi-finals.

If the side end up in a dreaded penalty shoot out this summer he's bound to play a pivotal role but will you get this answer spot on? 

4: Another from the class of 2018, this Three Lions regular provided one of the most iconic moments from that successful summer when he joined Kyle Walker and Jesse Lingard in a jig after the quarter-final win against Sweden.

Consistently ranking among England's best performers at the last three tournaments, this mainstay has played more than 70 matches for England first donning the famous shirt in a pre-World Cup friendly four years prior.

He's pictured below lunging into a tackle with the same enthusiastic expression but with blonder hair and a much baggier shirt. 

5: He may have gone on to score 54 goals, win more than ten trophies and secure the Premier League Player of the Year - all by the age of 24 - but this footballer still has the same haircut after all this time.

Capable of bamboozling defenders with the ball at his feet, this talent has long been loved by his high-profile club manager but is arguably yet to prove himself in an England shirt - something he will be hoping to put right this summer.

Outside football, he famously missed his side's title party to go fishing with his dad but can you reel in the right answer based on these early photos? 

6: This tricky attacking player started life for England further back on the pitch - but Southgate soon recognised the star's devastatingly quick feet and deadly shooting.

He's pictured here in his school years where, unlike some footballers, he divided his time between the beautiful game and his studies, achieving four A*s and three As at GCSE.

The popular Three Lion, who sparked a surge of memes after he was spotted riding an inflatable unicorn in a swimming pool at the last Euros, often goes back to his old school and still sees his PE teacher (who he calls 'Sir' to this day).

7: This tremendous talent has only recently broken into the England setup despite being one of the Premier League's finest for more than five years, recently scoring in a pre-Euros friendly against Bosnia.

He is pictured below with former England defender Jamie Carragher, who is now a regular Sky Sports pundit, and since then has gone on to make a phenomenal 226 appearances for the same side and, like his predecessor, lift a Champions League trophy.

Carragher famously missed a retaken penalty in the heart-wrenching shoot-out loss to Portugal in 2006...England will be hoping this man doesn't follow in his footsteps.

8: England's Mr Dependable, pictured below wearing a captain's armband on his sleeve and a determined look on his face, this player has done a job for the side in a number of different positions on the pitch.

His wonder free-kick to put England 1-0 up against Croatia in 2018 was arguably the most thrilling moment of Southgate's reign but sadly was not enough to send Southgate's chargers through.

He's endured a tough season but is likely to be called on again thanks to a hatful of injuries - so can you avoid slipping up when guessing this Three Lions star?

9: This England stalwart has been picked in the trimmed down squad despite being injured and unavailable until the second match against Denmark at the very earliest - such is Southgate's faith in this key player.

The Three Lions hero, who opened the scoring in the final at Wembley last time round, is pictured below with slightly longer hair and holding a squawky friend.

10: Arguably England's big breakout star this year, this all-action youngster has surged from complete obscurity to one of the side's top talents in just six months.

Firing himself into the headlines with a screamer against Wolves at the start of 2024, the tough-tackling, pinpoint-passing player ended the season on a high - making him a shoo-in for Southgate's squad.

He seems destined to be an England mainstay for years to come but can you match him to his childhood photo, where he is pictured on the left with his first medal of many round his neck?

ANSWERS

1: Harry Kane 

2: Jude Bellingham 

3: Jordan Pickford 

4: John Stones 

5: Phil Foden

6: Bukayo Saka  

7: Trent Alexander-Arnold 

8: Kieran Trippier 

9: Luke Shaw 

10: Kobbie Mainoo