In the top flight Stewart Downing and Shaun Wright-Phillips had fantastic seasons dazzling Premier League crowds and earning their first caps at senior international level from England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. Then there was Kieran Richardson's outstanding performances for England in the summer tour of America.

And now two of England's brightest young prospects, Aaron Lennon and Wayne Routledge, have attracted the attention of Tottenham's Dutch coach Martin Jol.

He has brought them both to White Hart Lane during the summer and is excited about their long-term prospects, as he recently told Spurs.co.uk.

"They are both talented and we wanted pace, exciting wing play, plenty of crosses in and good service and we also wanted to give the supporters something as well," he said. "That’s why we brought the two lads in.

"Everyone can see we’ve made the right decision on Lennon because perhaps not everyone would have known him but now the fans have seen him, I’m sure they will be satisfied.

"He has to work on his final pass but what more can you expect? He’s only 18 years old and a great prospect.

"Of course, people knew all about Routledge, he had a terrific season at Palace."

Both players have come up through the England youth setup, with Routledge a current England Under-21 star and Lennon most recently playing for the U19s.
Wayne Routledge - 28 England Youth Caps
Under-21s: 3 caps (inc 2 subs)

Under-20s: 5 caps (inc 1 sub)

Under-19s: 5 caps

Under-17s: 15 caps (inc 2 subs)

Aaron Lennon - 24 England Youth Caps

Under-19s: 1 cap (inc 1 sub)

Under-17s: 15 caps (inc 7 subs)

Under-16s: 8 caps (inc 4 subs)