For each of these home nations sides, Leeds United have a star player vying for a place at the World Cup in Qatar. Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper, Tyler Roberts, and Daniel James are all in the mix right now and may play a big role in their respective sides going to the novel winter World Cup.

Leeds' Core Midfielder to Remain in England's Plans

Having broken into the first team in 2015, Kalvin Phillips has become one of Leeds United's most consistent top-class performers. The defensive midfielder is just as strong on the ball as he is pursuing opponents in possession. In the Premier League, he's arguably become Leeds' most important player.

In fact, without Phillips in the side, Marco Bielsa's side has only picked up six points since the start of last season, with the English midfielder missing 11 games in that time. Following the 1-0 defeat to Southampton, the team's struggles during the injury crisis only became more apparent.

Still, when he returns, Phillips will continue to prove himself worthy of England caps. He missed the 5-0 win against Andorra and the 1-1 tie with Hungary, but throughout 2021, the Peacocks star-man has been a staple of Gareth Southgate's side and pivotal in England's top-place standing after eight matches. With Albania and Poland left to go, Phillips will undoubtedly be called upon to secure the top spot.

Roberts and James Looking to Bring Their Small Nation to the World Cup

Regular substitute Tyler Roberts and new £26 million signing Daniel James haven't boomed onto the scoresheet for Leeds so far this season but, then again, neither have any Lilywhites. Still, both continue to tally caps for Wales and might just be key to returning one of the competition's smallest nations to the big stage.

Wales have only ever been in one World Cup (1958), in which they went all the way to the quarter-finals. While Wales' population of only 3.1 million would make them one of the smallest countries to qualify, it's not quite small enough to make them one of the top-five smallest countries in the competition, which include Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobego. Still, it'd be a monumental achievement, possibly with James and Roberts at its heart.

Much like it is at Leeds, Roberts rotates into the Wales line-up, sometimes getting starts, but mostly listed among the substitutes. James is already among the first names on the team sheet despite still only being 23-years-old. He's featured on either wing and as the striker en route to 27 caps and five goals. Both look to be called upon in their crucial final Group E games against Belgium and Belarus to try to advance to the second round.

Cooper in the Picture for Scotland

Leeds United's captain has forced his way into the Scotland set-up over the last couple of years, becoming a trusty, if not infrequent, inclusion in the starting XI. While Liam Cooper wasn't on the field for very long in their colossal triumph against fellow second-place chasers Israel, he was trusted at the back in the major clash against Denmark earlier this year.

Bielsa's giving Cooper his best possible chance of becoming a more prominent feature in Scotland's next games. The Scot has easily been one of the best players at Elland Road, perhaps only behind Raphinha. He's dominated in the air, been a tidy passer of the ball, and laid down team-leading tackles and blocks per game. So, despite Leeds' position, Cooper should still be in the mix for Scotland.

The 2022 World Cup could feature three home nations sides, with England set to qualify from the groups while Wales and Scotland could both battle in the second round. In the coming matches, Phillips, James, Roberts, and Cooper could all be core to the Qatar campaigns of their countries.