England Under-21s take on Germany Under-21s on Friday night in an international friendly.

Aidy Boothroyd’s side will look to start 2017 with victory after a disappointing end to 2016, which saw them lose 3-2 to France back in November.

Celtic’s Moussa Dembele scored twice and Wylan Cyprien added a third as the French overcame Boothroyd’s men in Bondoufle, which in turn ended the Three Lions’ 15-match unbeaten streak despite goals from Duncan Watmore and Lewis Baker giving them hope.

Nonetheless, Boothroyd’s side will hope to get back to winning ways on Friday against Germany, having seen the German senior team beat their England counterparts 1-0 in Dortmund on Wednesday, with Lukas Podolski marking the end of his international career with a stunning 25-yard strike 21 minutes from time to secure the win for Joachim Low’s men.

And England boss Gareth Southgate called up the likes of Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse to his squad, both of whom made their debut against Germany on Wednesday, and their promotion to the senior side is sure to give the current Under-21s much confidence ahead of their futures with the national team.

There are several talented players in the England Under-21 squad, but here are their TOP FIVE hottest prospects…

Jordan Pickford

There’s no doubt that Jordan Pickford has the potential to become England’s next number one, as well as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe.

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a terrific breakthrough season for Premier League strugglers Sunderland this season, starting 19 of their 28 league games this term, conceding 29 goals and keeping three clean sheets.

Those figures aren’t exactly great, but if it weren’t for Pickford’s impressive performances in the games against Tottenham, West Brom, Hull, and Liverpool, their goals-against tally would be significantly higher.

Jermain Defoe has deservedly got most of the credit for keeping David Moyes’ men in with a chance of survival this term, yet Pickford also deserves a mention, and if he continues to perform at such a high level, he’ll be England number one sooner rather than later.

Mason Holgate

Mason Holgate has broken into the Everton first team this term, and looks set for a bright future in the game for both club and country.

The 20-year-old came up through the ranks at Championship side Barnsley, and made his senior debut for the Tykes back in December 2014, before appearing a further 21 times for the club to help them to an 11th place finish in League One.

That summer though saw Everton secure the youngster’s signature, and although he didn’t make his Toffees debut last term, he went straight into the side for their opening Premier League game of this season, playing the full 90 minutes in their 1-1 draw with Tottenham on August 13.

And although he lost his place in the team in the months after that, Holgate has been in and around the side for most of the campaign, and was a key part of the back three Ronald Koeman implemented over the festive period.

He is a tough tackler and isn’t afraid to get stuck in, while he is also confident on the ball and looks to play wherever possible.

Clearly, he’s certainly one for the future.

Isaiah Brown

Chelsea’s Isaiah Brown earned his first call-up to the England Under-21 side this week after an impressive season in the Championship.

The 20-year-old performed well for relegation-threatened Rotherham United in the first half of the season, scoring three goals and laying on five assists in 20 games for the Millers, before moving to promotion-chasing Huddersfield Town on loan for the remainder of the campaign back in January.

And he has continued his fine form for the Terriers, netting four goals in 15 matches for David Wagner’s men, including in their 2-1 win over rivals Leeds back in February.

Brown has clearly got huge potential, and given that he possesses great technical ability, he could well become an England regular in the future.

Harry Winks

Tottenham’s Harry Winks is becoming an increasingly prominent part of the squad at White Hart Lane, and looks set for a bright future in the game.

The 21-year-old made his senior debut for Spurs all the way back in November 2014, but didn’t make his league debut for Mauricio Pochettino’s men until this season, when he came on for Christian Eriksen in their 1-1 draw with Liverpool back in August.

He has since then gone on to start 12 games in all competitions for Tottenham this season, including two in the Premier League and two in the Champions League, and produced a man-of-the-match display to help Spurs beat West Ham 3-2 back in November in one of his league starts.

Winks has only been capped once by the Under-21s, but that was back in November last year, and you sense that plenty more appearances for the juniors, as well as for the seniors, will follow for the midfielder.

Demarai Gray

Demarai Gray is already a Premier League champion, and is a wonderful talent who looks set to go on and become a top quality forward in the future.

The 20-year-old impressed at Championship side Birmingham, scoring eight goals in 78 games for the Blues between 2013 and 2016, before sealing a slightly surprising move to the Foxes in January 2016.

However, he has since then proved his worth to the champions, making 32 appearances for Craig Shakespeare’s side this term, and providing them a much-needed boost through his pace and trickery in what has been a tough title-defence for the Midlands club.

Gray causes defenders nightmares whenever he is on the pitch, and although his final ball obviously needs improvement, he has the talent and potential to go on and become a regular for both club and country.