Dunk to push for England start

The Brighton man has been a promising talent for some time, but that talent has only just been recognised this season by Gareth Southgate.

A centre-half in the traditional mould, Dunk has been a solid presence at the heart of an impressive defensive unit for the 'Seagulls' that has conceded just twice in their last five games.

Despite there being stiff competition among defensive players in the English national team, with John Stones, Joe Gomez and Michael Keane also included, dunk offers something different.

At 6ft 4in, he offers a towering presence at the back compared to his slightly shorter colleagues, and therefore is better equipped to deal with aerial threats. Being captain of his team from a young age means that he also has the leaderdship qualities to marshal a young defensive line.

While it looks like Joe Gomez and John Stones may be favourites to start against Croatia in the Nations League, Dunk would be more than capabale of making the step up if required.