Blackburn Rovers, Hull City and QPR must feel pride after England Euro 2024 calls: View | OneFootball

With the beginning of UEFA Euro 2024 just days away, Gareth Southgate's official 26-man squad has been confirmed.

The England boss had a number of selection headaches to ponder between the period of selecting his 33-man provisional squad, ultimately having to leave seven of those behind - including James Trafford of Burnley, recently relegated back to the Championship.

At times, Southgate has come under scrutiny from the press and large proportions of England supporters for sticking with a core group of players throughout his eight-year tenure which has seen the Three Lions reach a World Cup semi-final, a European Championship final and a Quarter-Final exit to France in the most recent major tournament.

And whilst that scrutiny hasn't fully dissipated heading into the upcoming Group C fixtures against Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia - not exactly helped by a 1-0 defeat to Iceland in the 'send-off' at Wembley - three second tier clubs in particular will be feeling immense satisfaction over specific inclusions.

Ex-Blackburn Rovers and QPR stars Adam Wharton and Ebere Eze are shining

Two of those come in the form of Crystal Palace's quartet of call-ups, in the form of Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze, who have starred for the Eagles, particularly since Oliver Glasner's arrival, as well as impressing many on the international stage.

The rapid rise of the 20-year-old midfielder in particular has been well documented, having only played his final game for Blackburn Rovers on January 20th - a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town, during which he found the net.

Despite being wanted by a plethora of Premier League sides, Wharton made a reported £18.5m move to Selhurst Park, which could rise up to £22m based on add-ons.

Thankfully, from a Rovers persuasion, having seen his potential come to the fore on so many occasions, they are set to receive a 'significant payment' when the midfielder makes his first competitive international start, which could come imminently.

The highly-rated 20-year-old has made the seamless transition from Championship to Premier League then International football, which culminated in a record-breaking stat despite only being on the field for his Three Lions bow against Bosnia & Herzegovina for 28 minutes.

Such efforts have given the England boss a midfield dilemma, as he also has the talents of 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, Declan Rice and Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham to call upon, but similarly to Wharton and Blackburn, QPR will also be feeling immense pride after Eze's inclusion in the final squad.

Given the abundance of creative talent at Southgate's disposal, it may prove difficult for the 25-year-old to be shoehorned into the starting XI for the first group game at Arena AufSchalke on Sunday, June 16th.

However, Eze definitely made an impression on many during the recent victory at St James' Park, and he could prove to be a vital option to bring on off the bench in tight encounters, something which R's fans in particular were familiar with, as he registered 20 goals and 13 assists, already surpassing those numbers since moving across London.

This tournament could also see the West London outfit benefit in the long run, as interest in the playmaker could intensify further, meaning the R's may see a mass influx of cash come their way as a result of a 20 per cent sell-on-clause insertion following his departure to the Eagles.

Ex-Hull City man Jarrod Bowen earns major tournament call-up

There was an argument to be had as to whether Jarrod Bowen could've made the squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, months after his first cap.

Bowen was one of the Championship's, and certainly Hull City's leading lights between 2017 and 2020, having gone from strength to strength since netting the first of his 96 career goals on his first second tier appearance against Aston Villa.

His influence on the East Yorkshire outfit was only demonstrated further when the club dropped like a stone following his reported £22m exit to West Ham four years ago, with Hull falling from the periphery of the play-offs to League One, whilst Bowen enjoyed his first taste of regular top flight football.

But, it's the last two seasons where the Leominster-born winger has really come to the fore, accumulating 33 league goal contributions since the beginning of 2022/23, as well as breaking onto the European scene, especially after his UEFA Conference League winning strike in Prague, 12 months ago.

Similarly to the aforementioned Wharton and Eze, Bowen's main issue is the competition he faces, in particular, Bukayo Saka, who will no doubt be many people's first choice to start on the right flank, and rightfully so.

However, the 27-year-old will undoubtedly be utilised as a substitute at some point, having posed a threat in all eight of his caps to date, despite unfortunately not managing to register a goal contribution in the famous jersey.

Regardless, all connected with the club have already expressed their delight at Bowen's inclusion, with those who were present during days of low attendances at the MKM Stadium in particular, dreaming that their former winger can more than play his part in, fingers crossed, a successful tournament.

The EFL's impact on many England stars is apparent

As well as the highlighted trio, an abundance of the 26-man squad tasked with bringing football 'home' for the first time in 58 years have all seen EFL clubs play some part in their development.

A recent post by the organisation's official X/Twitter account showcased some incredible statistics, which included a total of 2,128 EFL appearances among the squad - 1,211 of which have come in the Championship.

There are plenty of homegrown talents within all three tiers of the EFL touted with moves to Premier League sides, and the potential to be the next cabs off the rank in this regard will now fuel those with extra motivation.

Nevertheless, Hull, Blackburn and QPR will definitely be feeling a sense of pride after the aforementioned trio's upcoming maiden major tournament adventure.