by Max Meads, reporter 

Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland have named a youthful England squad for their upcoming matches against Croatia and Spain in the Nations Cup.

The Three Lions manager has named six youngsters who have been untested in the senior side so far, as well as some England outcasts that have not been seen for some time.

The decision to bring so many youth players up at once has come as a result of Southgate’s recent comments on the lack of big-club investment in home-grown youth. The England manager also said that if this does not change urgently, he may well have to call up Championship players to play for the senior side.

Among the uncapped players is 18-year-old hotshot Jadon Sancho, who featured for the Young Lions squad in their U17 World Cup campaign in India, where they won the tournament.

Sancho left the Manchester City reserves squad last year to pursue first team football, and soon found himself in the employ of Borussia Dortmund in Germany, who have a good reputation for building youth players up, with the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus coming through their ranks.

Sancho has impressed at Dortmund, earning himself a long-term contract extension to stay at the club until 2022.

The prolific winger has also made history, being the first player born in the 21^st Century to be called up to the senior squad.

Leicester City playmaker James Maddison has also been called up for his first appearance in the senior squad.

Maddison has made four appearances for the England U21 team, and has earned a call-up to the full side after impressing so far this season at Leicester, scoring three goals in seven starts for the club.

It is not the first appearance for Ross Barkley, but the Chelsea attacking midfielder will surely find great pleasure in this call up; his first since 2016.

The ex-Everton man joined Chelsea in the winter transfer window, but failed to make a splash at the London club, making only eight appearances since signing, without a single goal.