England bid to defend Under-21 crown – plus who else could star

The European Under-21 Championship starts on Wednesday and England approach the tournament in a position they have not been in since the 1980s – as reigning champions.

Lee Carsley’s Young Lions were in superb form in 2023 as they won all six of their matches in Georgia and Romania, without conceding a goal, to lift the trophy.

England won group games against Czech Republic, Israel and Germany, beat Portugal 1-0 in the quarter-final and were 3-0 winners over Israel in the semi-final.

They defeated Spain 1-0 in the final with Liverpool’s Curtis Jones scoring the only goal, before goalkeeper James Trafford saved a last-minute penalty.

Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon was named player of the tournament, while the team of the tournament, also included Trafford, defenders Levi Colwill and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, as well as midfielder Jones.

Of England’s 23-man squad two years ago, 10 of them – defenders Jarrad Branthwaite, Colwill and Harwood-Bellis, midfielders Morgan Gibbs-White, Angel Gomes, Jones and Emile Smith Rowe, and forwards Gordon, Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer – have all now played for the senior team.

That was the third time England had won the competition, but the first occasion since the 1980s, when they won successive tournaments in 1982 and 1984.

After Gareth Southgate resigned from the role of senior team boss following Euro 2024, Carsley had a six-game spell in charge of the Three Lions, winning five matches and losing one and guiding England back to the top tier of the Nations League.

He is now back at under-21 level and recently signed a new deal with the Football Association that lasts until 2027.

“It’s important I just do a good job, I’m just trying to do it again [win the Euros],” said Carsley. “The priority is the Euros and I won’t be taking my eye off of that.

“Hopefully we’ll be good to watch. That’s what you want. You want people back home watching the next generation of England players and being excited by it.”

There are 16 nations in the tournament in Slovakia, with England placed in Group B, along with Czech Republic, Germany and Slovenia, with the top two from each section moving into the quarter-finals.

Carsley’s 23-man squad includes Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento, who has one cap for the senior side, along with plenty of players with Premier League experience, including Liverpool’s title-winning duo Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott.

Other players named include Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Tottenham’s Archie Gray, Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood, Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, Manchester City’s James McAtee and Ipswich’s Omari Hutchinson.

Arsenal winger Ethan Nwaneri, at 18, is the youngest player in the England squad after a breakthrough season for the Gunners, which saw him score nine goals in all competitions.

Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke).

Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool).

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Archie Gray (Tottenham), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (Bournemouth).

Anyone born on or after 1 January 2002 is able to play in the tournament, so those aged 23 are still eligible to compete.

There are British-based players representing a number of countries.

Tottenham duo Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert are in the France squad, Brighton midfielder Brajan Gruda has been selected by Germany, while Leeds have forwards Mateo Joseph in the Spain 23 and Wilfried Gnonto in Italy’s selection, which also includes Brentford defender Michael Kayode and Burnley forward Luca Koleosho.

Wolves pair Carlos Forbs and Rodrigo Gomes have been named by Portugal, as have midfielders Mateus Fernandes and Paulo Bernardo, who play for Southampton and Celtic respectively.

Newcastle forward William Osula is in Denmark’s squad, Ukraine have named Brentford midfielder Yehor Yarmolyuk in theirs, while Netherlands have four British-based players – defenders Ian Maatsen (Aston Villa), midfielders Neraysho Kasanwirjo (Rangers) and Rav van den Berg (Middlesbrough) and Stoke forward Million Manhoef.

The Fifa Club World Cup is being held in the United States from 14 June to 13 July, with 12 European teams – Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris St-Germain, Porto, Real Madrid and Red Bull Salzburg – taking part.

Players from those clubs will therefore play in Fifa’s tournament instead of in Slovakia. It has also affected players that have been signed earlier this month as England will now be without striker Liam Delap and midfielder Jobe Bellingham who have moved to Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

But there is still a number of talented players in the under-21 competition.

Italy central midfielder Cesare Casadei is expected to make a big impression after being the player of the tournament at the Under-20 World Cup in 2023.

A host of football’s big names over the past 40 years have impressed at the European Under-21 tournament.

The list of people that won the Player of the Tournament award include France defender Laurent Blanc (1988), Croatia striker Davor Suker (1990), Portugal playmaker Luis Figo (1994), Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro (1996), Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo (2000), Netherlands striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (2006) and Spain midfielders Juan Mata and Thiago Alcantara (winners in 2011 and 2013 respectively).

Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon, the winner in 2023, has gone on to play for the England senior team 10 times, while Spain’s Fabian Ruiz, the 2019 winner, has just helped Paris St-Germain win the Champions League.

But not all players go on to fulfil their potential.

Dutch midfielder Royston Drenthe signed for Real Madrid after being named the player of the tournament in 2007 tournament and he was a part of their squad that won La Liga the following season, but he could not maintain that level.