Big money move: Jordan Henderson (centre) will hope to begin to justify his £20m price tag

Henderson became a £20million player last week while Jones will join him soon in football’s elite, for a fee likely to be even higher. Rodwell is valued at £25m by Everton to try to scare off Manchester City but is not even guaranteed a starting place in Pearce’s team because of the stiff competition.

Arguably the biggest name of them all could turn out to be 18-year-old striker Connor Wickham of Ipswich, already 6ft 4in and coveted by every big club, although Liverpool are expected to get him this summer.

What England’s young guns have that their senior counterparts lack is attitude. They genuinely believe they can match Spain, tactically and technically, and overpower them physically.

Chelsea defender Ryan Bertrand, Ashley Cole’s understudy at Stamford Bridge and backed eventually to replace him in the senior England team at left-back, reveals the players are impatient to destroy the myth that Spanish football is automatically superior.

‘We can’t wait to play them,’ he said. ‘We know if we lose, the first thing people are going to say is “Ah, told you. Spanish players are technically better”. But I am looking to get one over them and I think the rest of the boys feel the same.

‘The talent in our squad is phenomenal. In La Liga, the football is quite slow so players have more time to show different things in their game. The English game is fast so it’s harder. Anyone who has watched us train this week can see the ability in our squad. Some of the goals that are being scored in tight spaces, it’s crazy.’

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