Fans blown away after image of England’s ‘crazy’ U16s team from 2015 emerged online

A teamsheet from an England under-16 game in 2015 has resurfaced – and it features some present day household names like Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho.

Nine years ago, Three Lions manager Dan Micciche was met with a selection headache as he prepared to face host nation USA in their Nike International Tournament opener.

In fact, Micciche made a call to bench future Premier League stars Emile Smith Rowe, Phil Foden and Oliver Skipp in the first of three games at Lakewood Ranch, Florida.

But still, the raw talent on show in England's starting XI was evident. Marc Guehi, who now has nine international first-team caps to his name, featured alongside Ryan Sessegnon and Jonathan Panzo in defence.

Angel Gomes, then of Manchester United, was named captain by Micciche while Jadon Sancho, Danny Loader and Nya Kirby featured up top. Not a bad team, huh?

Image credit: Instagram/risingballers

In terms of what happened in the game, Danny Loader put the Young Lions ahead in the 24th minute.

At the time, Loader was a highly-rated forward at Reading but four years later, he penned a deal with FC Porto. The 23-year-old has made 17 appearances for the Portuguese giants this season.

The United States went on to take the lead but the visitors "showed their character", according to England's official match report, and equalised through then-Manchester City forward Jadon Sancho.

Sancho, who would later flourish at Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund before joining Manchester United in 2021, went on to score a last-gasp winner just seconds before the final whistle.

So what about Phil Foden? Well, Micciche decided to make two substitutes during the game. He brought on then-Brentford forward Ian Carlo Poveda for Nya Kirby in the 58th minute.

And not long after, Spurs midfielder Oliver Skipp replaced Tashan Oakley Boothe, meaning Foden was an unused sub alongside Emile Smith Rowe and Steven Sessegnon.

England would go on to lift the Nike International Tournament that year after positive results against Brazil and the Netherlands.

Topics: England, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Angel Gomes, United States

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

@jackkenmare_