England stars who hail from same grassroots patch

Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, and Kobbie Mainoo were all raised in Greater Manchester.

Coaches who helped three footballers become England stars said it is no surprise that they all come from the same area.

They said grassroots football was massive in close proximity in Greater Manchester, where Phil Foden, Kobbie Mainoo and Cole Palmer all grew up.

"Kids are playing football here all the time, it's really on the up," said Palmer's first coach Graeme Folwer.

All three are in England's Euros 2024 squad.

Palmer scored his first England goal in a Euro 2024 warm-up match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mr Fowler said there were "loads of teams, leagues, and untapped talent" in places like Wythenshawe and Stockport.

Palmer, 22, who scored 22 goals in the Premier League for Chelsea this season after leaving Manchester City last year, started out playing for NJ Wythenshawe.

He was a pupil at Gateley Primary School and at an early age his technical ability turned heads.

In his first training session aged five, Palmer "stood out by a mile", Mr Fowler said.

"He was just running with a ball, and kids were just chasing him and they couldn’t get the ball of him, he was brilliant."

'A Wythenshawe lad'

The coach oversaw Palmer's development in the years to come and said it was not long before "every single scout in the North West was after him".

"His biggest thing is the mentality, he always wanted to be a footballer, and he was determined, out practising every day. That’s the difference really," Mr Fowler said.

A boyhood Manchester United fan, Palmer ended up joining Manchester City's youth academy and making his senior team debut in 2020.

His determination was developed at a very young age when he was taken down to Hollyhedge Park by his dad to kick a ball about, his uncle Steve Palmer said.

"We are really proud, he’s a Wythenshawe lad".

Cole Palmer used to practice football with his father at Hollyhedge Park in Wythenshawe

Not far from Wythenshawe, Manchester United's breakthrough star of the season Mainoo was five when he started playing for Cheadle & Gatley Junior Football Club in Stockport.

"He came into our indoor facility on a Sunday morning and literally in the first couple of weeks, we though wow, what a player", youth coach Steve Vare told BBC Radio Manchester.

"He was only small, which sounds daft to say, but you could just see that he was just unbelievably skilful, and just had the ability to go past players for fun.

"It got to the point where I was loading all my best players in the opposing team just to try and make it a challenge for him.

"And even then he would single-handedly win the game."

Kobbie Maino is the youngest player to feature in England's Euro 2024 squad

The midfielder went on to join Manchester United at nine.

He earned his place in the England Euros 2024 squad at 19 on the back of his successful season with the club.

Mr Vare said Mainoo is an inspiration "to all the kids, not just within Cheadle & Gatley, but within grassroots football".

"The moral of this story for kids out there is if you're good enough and you want to go professional, then why not."

Palmer and Mainoo's success is similar to Manchester City's Foden, who grew up in Stockport and joined the club's academy aged four.

The 24-year-old is tipped to play a major role at Euro 2024, having enjoyed his highest-scoring season with the club.

England begin their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.

The games are being shown across Greater Manchester, including at Palmer's youth team NJ Wythenshawe's clubhouse.

"The atmosphere is going to be electric, especially if Cole gets on," Mr Fowler said.