text: In a week where people have been highlighting the lack of young English talent in the Premier League, it’s good to see three youngsters playing in my old position have really caught the eye this season. Calum Chambers, Eric Dier and John Stones have all enjoyed excellent Premier League campaigns. Defence is not the easiest area for a young player to make an impression — managers can be reluctant to trust youth in a position of responsibility — but these three have done just that. What sets them apart is their self-belief. Chambers and Stones are still 20 and Dier is 21, but there are no signs of fear in their games. Arsenal defender Calum Chambers (left) has impressed in his first season at the club . Everton defender John Stones (right) puts in a challenge against Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge . Tottenham defender Eric Dier (left) has grown in stature as the season has progressed at White Hart Lane . In a way, we shouldn’t really be surprised. Between them they have cost £19million, so they are not exactly surprise packages. What has been surprising is the way they have come on this season. They are by no means the finished article, but their progress is encouraging. It helps that all three have had a taste of playing at full back. I think they are all destined to become top central defenders, but if you are mobile enough, you are often asked to do a job at full back. At this stage it certainly does no harm to your development. I remember playing at right back before moving to the middle. You need pace and stamina to bomb up and down but when it comes to playing at centre half, that agility can be of huge benefit. I first saw Dier playing for the England Under 20s and he still looked raw. He was a powerful, quick right back who charged up and down, but he needed more control. I felt his body type made him ideally suited to centre half and he has made that position his own at Tottenham. Dier (left) stood up strongly against Chelsea striker Diego Costa in the Capital One Cup final at Wembley . Stones has moved across from right back into the centre of defence for Everton and has flourished . His rise has been quite spectacular. He has gone from a promising squad player to a first-team regular alongside Jan Vertonghen. He moves the ball well, is technically very good and he is a fighter — he stood up well to Diego Costa in the Capital One Cup final at Wembley. The next step for him is to become a vocal leader. The best central defenders demand so much from those around them and if that mentality is drilled into him, Dier could improve Tottenham’s rather soft underbelly. Stones has spent time at right back but now finds himself at the heart of the Everton defence. He is very comfortable on the ball, has good speed and reads the game well so is rarely beaten one on one. He can tackle with either foot and his timing is excellent — just when you think he is beaten, he nicks the ball. He is comfortable playing out of defence but he has to be careful not to overplay. He is good in the air but can improve, especially from wide crosses and set-pieces. Experience will help him become more wily. With Chambers, I never doubted he was going to the right club, but I did wonder how many games he would play at Arsenal. With lots of competition for places, he has a real fight on his hands but he has already made 35 appearances this season. Of the three he is the best on the ball and if he makes a mistake, there is no drop in confidence — he still wants to make forward passes. That passing ability means there could be value in trying him in midfield, though that would require careful planning to bed him in. Chambers (right) has played at right back, centre-back and midfield for Arsenal during the season . England manager Roy Hodgson could be tempted to field the trio in a back three for the Three Lions . In one on ones, sometimes he doesn’t look set. He likes to put an arm on the attacker to slow them down and that’s partly why he has picked up eight bookings this season and been sent off. He tries to win the ball in the first few strides and can be prone to gambling. All three have taken huge steps forward this season, and with England using two centre-back partnerships in the last two games, those positions could be up for grabs. And if Roy Hodgson wants to fit more attacking players into his England side in the future, there’s no reason why this trio, with their experiences at full back, couldn’t play together in a back three. It would certainly be a useful option.
target: Calum Chambers has played 35 times already for Arsenal this season .
  Eric Dier has become an important first-team player at Tottenham .
  John Stones has impressed for Everton after being moved to the middle .