Gareth Southgate has promoted two new young players into the Three Lions squad as the team continue to grapple with a grinding injury crisis, MySportDab reports.
Bury-born Manchester City defender Rico Lewis, who has made 24 Premier League appearances for Man City, has earned his first call-up.
Also promoted to the England senior setup is Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, who will replace injured Crystal Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
Sam Johnstone, including Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker, withdrew from the England squad ahead of Belgium friendly due to injuries. The withdrawal of the trio necessitated the call-up of Lewis and Trafford.
The pair have played for the England youth teams before the accidental call-up to the national teams. They graduated from Manchester City Academy and shared contrasting fortunes after breaking into City’s first team.
While Rico Lewis had enjoyed a promising career stint with City after his big break, James Trafford failed to make an appearance for Manchester City and was loaned to different clubs before subsequently landing a permanent transfer to Burnley in 2023.
Despite his stuttering start to his career at City, Trafford had enjoyed a stellar run with the England youth teams. He has played for England U16, U18, U19, U20, and U21 levels.
Rico Lewis has also had spells with England U18, U19, U20, and U21 levels. The pair will be hoping to build on their gains as they reach the big milestone in their international careers.
England will take on Belgium on Tuesday, March 26 in their second friendly in the international window after losing the first to Brazil.
