ENGLAND rookies Kobbie Mainoo and Adam Wharton could follow in Jude Bellingham’s footsteps and be named Europe’s next emerging superstar.

Manchester United’s FA Cup Final scorer Mainoo and Crystal Palace schemer Wharton were both named to the initial top 14 rankings for the next Golden Boy Award.

Bellingham became the third English winner, following Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling, when he accepted the prize presented by Turin-based TuttoSport in December.

And, while Gareth Southgate’s two young players trail Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal in the countdown to the 2024 trophy, both have the potential to rise to the top of the list if they do well in Euro 2024.

At the opening event at the Solomeo estate owned by fashion company impresario Brunello Cucinelli, Golden Boy creator Massimo Franchi stated, “The rankings are based on performances in the biggest games.”

“We’ve seen both Mainoo and Wharton, who are quite impressive and could make England’s Euro squad. Perhaps they can repeat what Bellingham accomplished last year.”

Football Benchmark analytics experts use a complicated algorithm to produce the rankings, which only include players born after January 1, 2004.

Alejandro Garnacho, Mainoo’s Old Trafford teammate, begins third, with Benfica’s Joao Neves in second.

However, two other English players are in the top 25, with Rico Lewis of Manchester City in 10th place and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens of Dortmund in 15th.

In total, 11 Premier League kids are among the top 100 names picked from Europe’s top 25 domestic leagues.

Newcastle’s Lewis Miley (6th) and Lewis Hall (60th) are on the list, which also contains four Brighton players, a total only matched by Barcelona, including full-back Jack Hinshelwood.

Mainoo and Wharton, who made a cool and clever debut as a second-half replacement in Monday’s warm-up victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, are not concerned with Southgate’s final selection choice on Friday night.