Steven Gerrard says he has called time on his international career safe in the knowledge that in Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Luke Shaw, England have three players who can lead them forward.
The Liverpool midfielder and former Three Lions captain retired from England duty last month after winning 114 caps, but he believes Barkley and Sterling could one day eclipse that tally, while Shaw could be the first-choice left-back for a decade.
Writing in a column in the Mail on Sunday, Gerrard ran the rule over the three rising stars who he believes will soon become the heartbeat of the national team.
Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling during the World Cup
He said of 20-year-old Everton midfielder Barkley, who has nine England caps: "I was impressed with him from the moment he stepped into the senior ranks and he has the perfect body to be a midfielder – he is big, strong and well balanced; dynamic and skilful.
"He has the potential to be world class. Ross has a tremendous temperament, too."
Gerrard believes Shaw, 19, who joined Manchester United this summer and won the most recent of his three caps in the World Cup match against Costa Rica, will mature into a long-term successor to the recently retired Ashley Cole.
"I watched him play a couple of times for the Under-21s and he looked like a man joining in with a boys’ game. He is a left-back with power, speed and he can defend, too," Gerrard said.
Steven Gerrard has every faith that Raheem Sterling will win 100 caps for England
"He is going to be Manchester United and England’s left-back for the next 10 years."
The Anfield legend reserved special praise for his Liverpool team-mate Sterling, still only 19 but already a star turn with club and country.
"[He's] not very big but he is as strong as an ox – he never gets knocked off the ball – and has electric pace," he said.
"The goals and assists you are seeing him produce for Liverpool are one day soon going to be coming for England; he and Barkley are prime candidates to join the 100-cap club."
The Three Lions return to action against on Norway at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday 3 September
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