Tammy Abraham: Jose Mourinho and Gareth Southgate both back their man

England haven't taken an overseas-based player to the World Cup since David Beckham and Owen Hargreaves in 2006.

Now, three of Gareth Southgate's Nations League squad — Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and Jude Bellingham — hope to change that in Qatar.

Abraham scored 27 goals and won the Europa Conference League title under Jose Mourinho with Roma last season and reveals a growing curiosity among Premier League stars about what it's like to play abroad. 

The 24-year-old former Chelsea striker is living proof that it can improve your game.

'Yeah, a few of the England players have asked me about it. I've had a lot questions and I've told them the positives,' says Abraham.

'It's difficult to move countries and learning a language is never easy but when it's good, it's good. I'd like to believe I have improved technically.

'I've always been a goalscorer but in Italy I have had to work on different aspects; hold-up play, beating players.

'I've found out myself that I'm good at this thing, so let's work more on it. Playing consistently and in certain big matches makes you pick up things.'

Abraham's form has seen him overtake Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ollie Watkins and others to become Harry Kane's chief understudy.

Barring injury or an unexpected dip in form, his job at the World Cup will be as a sidekick but he has to be ready just in case — as Geoff Hurst was in 1966 when replacing Jimmy Greaves. Abraham experienced that understudy role at Chelsea.

It also helps that he has great respect for Kane. While Kane went on loan from Tottenham to Leyton Orient and Millwall before hitting it big, Abraham was relegated at Swansea and had loan spells in the Championship with Bristol City and Aston Villa.

'Harry is probably the best striker