Kobbie Mainoo could be England’s hero at Euro 2024. History tells us that international rookies can make all the difference… Geoff Hurst’s first competitive cap was at the 1966 World Cup!

When England players star at a major tournament, our memory is framed by the glare of summer. What we forget is that some of those bolted onto the big stage as international rookies.

Take Kobbie Mainoo. He was not even in the England squad 48 hours ago. In yesterday’s Daily Mail, following his surprise elevation from the Under-21s, former England captain Bryan Robson was talking about the 18-year-old as a Euro 2024 starter. Fanciful? History tells us not.

On March 21, 1966, how many caps did Geoff Hurst have? One. His first competitive appearance was a World Cup quarter-final against Argentina four months later. A week later he was scoring a hat-trick in a World Cup final.

Martin Peters scored in that 4-2 win over West Germany, too. How many caps did he have exactly 58 years ago on the eve of the tournament? Zero. That the West Ham midfielder wore the No.16 shirt during the finals, in the days of 1-11 being the strongest picks, tells you he was not expected to feature.

The 22-year-old only came into the side because of injury and, being an unknown quantity, Sir Alf Ramsey liked the confusion his presence caused, especially as he was deployed on the left instead of his customary right.

Mainoo has received his first senior England call-up after impressing for Manchester United

Geoff Hurst had five caps going into the 1966 World Cup and his first competitive appearance was in the quarter-finals… but he scored a hat-trick in the final!

Thirty years later and England were back at Wembley playing against Germany, this time in the semi-final of Euro 96. Which player was bolted into that team by Terry Venables? Gareth Southgate. 

The defender had four caps going into the finals, all of them in friendlies. He, then, might be minded to pick the likes of Mainoo – as well as the uncapped Antony Gordon, Ezri Konsa and Jarrad Braithwaite – knowing that inexperience is no barrier to performance.

Southgate, of course, missed the decisive penalty in the shootout defeat by Germany. It was not until 2018 that England won again on penalties at a major tournament. 

The hero in that shootout triumph over Colombia, in the last 16 of the World Cup, was goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. An international stalwart? Not at all. Six years ago today, he had one cap. Harry Maguire, another player central to England’s journey to the semi-finals in Russia, had three.

But arguably three of the greatest tournament performances from England players post-1966 have come from a trio who had a combined 29 appearances before the finals. 

Paul Gascoigne went into Italia ’90 with 11 caps, but not a single competitive start. 

Michael Owen was the boy wonder at France 98 but, at this March juncture back then, he had one cap and had played no part in qualifying. His first competitive start was the last-16 win over Colombia, four days before his solo strike versus Argentina. 

He, like Mainoo, was just 18. There is an element of the unknown that appeals to international managers – Sven-Goran Eriksson tried it with 17-year-old Theo Walcott in 2006, only to leave him on the bench throughout the World Cup in Germany.

Waye Rooney was the breakout star of Euro 2004 despite the feeling that he was a wildcard

Paul Gascoigne had 11 caps going into Italia ’90 but not a single competitive start 

Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, was the breakout star of Euro 2004. His 13 pre-tournament caps were more than Gascoigne and Owen, but there was still a feeling of the striker, 18, being a wildcard addition to the Golden Generation.

There are other less heralded examples. Trevor Sinclair, in 2002, was well known to a Premier League audience, but less so internationally. Come the World Cup quarter-final, he was up against Brazil’s Ronaldinho on England’s left. 

Going into this same international break 22 years ago, the 29-year-old had one cap. Despite starting and starring in four matches in Japan and South Korea, the defeat by Brazil was his last competitive appearance.

Paul Parker’s first competitive start for England was in the group stage of Italia ’90 – he had five caps before the finals – and he stayed in the team until the semi-final defeat by West Germany, a success story save for his deflection taking Andreas Brehme’s free-kick over Peter Shilton in that game.

Peter Beardsley started and scored in the shootout loss that night in Turin. Four years earlier, going into Mexico 86, his five caps had all come in friendlies after the turn of the year. He’d had just two seasons as a First Division player with Newcastle.

Bukayo Saka was not expected to start at Euro 2020 but broke into the team and could be an example for Mainoo

More recently, Bukayo Saka is perhaps the closest example of what Mainoo could achieve. He was 19 and not expected to start at Euro 2020, yet he broke into the team and has not looked back. There is a humble likeness about the pair, too.

England, then, will head to Germany in June as favourites to win the tournament, but it could well be an outsider who emerges as their hero.