England Hopefuls: Everton

We are trying to pin down our squad for the World Cup, while also thinking about the future. So we decided the best way to do this (and fairest) was to go team-by-team and highlight the talent they have, and the talent coming through.

If you have been reading along, you will see we have covered Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Southampton. Today we are going to take a look at Everton, who under Roberto Martinez have impressed this season with their attractive football and push for Champions League qualification.

Let's dive straight in:

Leighton Baines

Baines has unfortunately been sidelined a fair amount this season, however he is now back in the team and starting to perform like we know he can. For me he is England's best left-back, overtaking Ashley Cole this year with his combination of defensive instincts and attacking talent. I don't think we need to spend too much time on Baines, he's scored 3 goals and created 24 chances this season according to Squawka statistics and that's with missing some serious time.

Will he be on the plane? 100% yes, as long as he is healthy he will go and in my opinion he'll be the starting left back when it comes to facing Italy. He's 29 now, so this may be his last World Cup (considering Luke Shaw) but I'm confident he'll do a great job.

Phil Jagielka

Phil and Gary Cahill were England's first choice pairing for World Cup qualification and only conceding 4 goals along the way is testament to the understanding the pair shared. However personally I don't think Phil has been quite as good this season as he was last season. Although he is still probably first choice to be the last line of defense against Italy. He has made 4 defensive errors this season with one of those leading to a goal, and in a knockout tournament that can be deadly. However he is good on the ball, decent in the air and can read the game well.

Will he be on the plane? 100% yes. He is one of the better England defenders and he has a good understanding with Cahill. Not only will he go, but I fully expect him to start against Italy as well.

Ross Barkley

Barkley started the season on fire, scoring on the opening day against Norwich. However a few injuries have slowed his season. At just 20 years of age, he is a fantastic talent who has a bright future for England. He's scored 3 goals this season and created 21 chances and completes 85% of his passes, in the centre of midfield that's not too shabby at all. He has a little speed, good technical ability, can pass and shoot with both feet and possesses strength. He is an attacking midfielder and I don't know a single England fan who isn't excited about the prospect of Barkley playing for the next 15 years.

Will he be on the plane? I definitely think he should be on the plane and I think Roy will take him. He has a great skill-set and as a young lad he has a ton of energy. He can create or score and he puts in a shift in the middle of the park. Again, I think he should be included to add energy and tournament experience.

John Stones

I came across Stones after he was selected for the England U21 squad and was impressed with his maturity in reading the game. He has good pace, a good motor and very solid on the ball. I don't think that's escaped Roberto Martinez as Stones has seem some action this season, including 5 appearances in the last 6 premier league games. At the start of the season he was brought on to sure up the back-line in the last 10-15 minutes, however recently he has started 3 games at the back. He still needs to develop quite a bit, and he may not be as exciting a talent as Luke Shaw but he is a very good player who has everything in front of him.

Will he be on the plane? Unfortunately for John, this World Cup has come a little too soon, If he continues his progression trajectory, I have little doubt he'll be a tremendous player going forward and a regular in the England team.

I'm sure Everton fans know a few more players who may be on England's horizon soon, let us know in the comments so we can keep a look out going forward. Do you agree that Baines, Jagielka and Barkley will go to the World Cup? if not let us know who won't be going and why.