What next for Gomes after wildcard selection?

Angel Gomes made his England debut under Lee Carsley

Lille’s Angel Gomes has forged an unconventional path to the England team.

Hailed as a wonderkid by supporters of his boyhood club Manchester United, Gomes seemed destined for greatness at Old Trafford.

He made his debut under Jose Mourinho aged 16 but just three years' later was walking away from the club with tears in his eyes.

Frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities, Gomes rejected a new deal, making the "difficult" choice to leave to "better myself as a player and person".

He joined Lille in 2020 - and was immediately sent on a season-long loan to Portuguese team Boavista - before returning to the French side.

The move has allowed him to quietly improve his game while remaining on England's radar.

Gomes, who was part of the Under-17s World Cup winning squad from 2017, was also involved in the triumphant 2023 Under-21s European Championship side under Lee Carsley.

Six of that team, including Gomes, were then selected by Carsley after he became interim manager of the senior squad, for September’s Uefa Nations League wins over the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

Now, aged 24, Gomes has four senior caps and hopes to build on his progress under new manager Thomas Tuchel but should senior recognition have come sooner?

"When he was called up by England, we were like ‘have they never watched him play? Why has it taken them so long?'" French football writer Julien Laurens told BBC Sport.

"We’ve seen for the past three years how good he is. It felt right that he finally got his chance."

The teenage world champion let go by Man United

Angel Gomes (right) replaced Wayne Rooney to make his Premier League debut for Manchester United against Crystal Palace in May 2017, aged 16 years and 263 days old

While Gomes' England selection caught many by surprise, it perhaps shouldn't have done.

Gomes is now into his fourth season in Lille’s first-team squad. In that time, he has also played in the Champions League and Conference League.

"He’s one of the best players in Ligue 1, there’s no doubt," added Laurens.

"The fans love him; a player that you enjoy watching because he’s just so elegant, so creative, such a great touch.

"If you know your football, you know that teams need players like Angel Gomes that make everything click and make everything happen."

The Salford-raised midfielder was highly rated at youth level, with England and Manchester United.

"Angel was always spoken about highly because he’s quality as a player," Jonathan Panzo, who is on loan at Portuguese Primeira Liga side Rio Ave from Nottingham Forest, told BBC Sport when recalling the first time he trained with Gomes.

"You hear about someone, then you get to see it and you are like 'they weren’t lying about this player’.

"He is definitely one of the best players I have played with."

Angel Gomes lifting the 2017 Under-17s World Cup trophy after England's 5-2 win over Spain

Gomes’ crowning moment in youth football came in 2017 when England won the Under-17s World Cup in India.

Managed by Leicester City boss Steve Cooper, the team included Manchester City's Phil Foden, Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher, Chelsea’s Jadon Sancho and Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi.

"It was so special," Joel Latibeaudiere, England’s captain in India who now plays for Coventry City, told BBC Sport.

"On the pitch, he creates goals [and] chances. Also, I think he has a massive effect off the pitch in terms of keeping the camp bubbly.

"Seven weeks with the same group of people can be tough and keeping that camaraderie going can be tough."

"He is down to earth," added Panzo, also a World Cup winner in India. "He gets his head down, works hard, is humble. That’s what I love about him, he never changes."

Before success in India, Gomes had already made his Premier League debut, becoming United’s youngest player since Duncan Edwards in 1953.

He went on to make 10 first-team appearances for United before being released at the end of the 2019-20 season after failing to agree terms on a new contract.

Lille 'could not believe' they could sign him

Of Angel Gomes' appearances for Lille, 19 have come in the Champions League and Conference League.

After Gomes' release, he signed a five-year contract with Lille and immediately went on a season-long loan to Boavista in Portugal. He played 30 of Boavista's 34 league games, starting 29 times.

"What French clubs are very good at, especially clubs like Lille who are maybe not the top, [is] keeping tabs on really good young talents around Europe," Laurens explained.

"If you faced an Angel Gomes in youth football and you are impressed, he stays in your scouting data. If it doesn’t work out at Manchester United or somewhere else, then you know exactly what his qualities are and the talent he has.

"I remember when they signed him, they really could not believe that they were able to."

Since Gomes' return to Lille, he has been a mainstay, making 126 appearances.

A midfield 'magician'

Angel Gomes (right) provided a superb assist for Jack Grealish (left) during England's win over Finland in October

During his United days, Gomes was mainly an attacking midfielder. Now, he has the ability to play in a range of central midfield roles.

"His technical ability really is great," Laurens explained. "He’s got amazing vision, he sees the game before everybody else.

"It’s a profile that England don't produce much and [the] 10 [position] is maybe where you get the most out of him because he’s so creative playing behind the striker, he will shine."

"He's like a magician," said Panzo. "He's a small player, but his IQ is so smart and he just knows how to get around the pitch."

"The thing that makes [Gomes] stand out the most is his build and how he can dominate a role in which a lot of people think you need a big stature," Latibeaudiere added.

"What he's really improved on is almost controlling the game. He's [now playing] in a deeper role so his understanding of the game has seemed to improve a lot because [in] that role, you are the one that dictates play [and] the tempo."

Gomes' future with England and Lille

Angel Gomes and Declan Rice during Gomes' full debut for England at Wembley against Finland in September

Gomes' rise comes in a new era for England's national team.

Last week's Nations League fixtures against Greece and the Republic of Ireland were the last under Carsley before Tuchel takes charge.

It is also a big season for Gomes off the pitch.

His contract is set to expire next summer and Lille may struggle to retain Gomes now his quality has become widely-appreciated. He's been linked with a switch to Tottenham Hotspur in January and even with a return to Manchester United.

"Ideally Lille would want him to extend and let him go in the summer for a bit of money," Laurens said. "I doubt that he will sign an extension."

But what is Gomes’ ceiling?

"He can go as high as he wants," Latibeaudiere said.

"He made a great decision to go to Portugal when he did and get minutes under his belt. Making the move to France [was] another great decision.

"I'm so happy to see him step up onto the international stage as well."