England national under-21 football team

National U-21 association football team

England U-21Nickname(s)| The Three Lions

|

Association| The Football Association
(The FA)
Confederation| UEFA (Europe)
Head coach| Lee Carsley
Most caps| James Milner (46)
Top scorer| Eddie Nketiah (16)
FIFA code| ENG

First colours

Second colours

|

First international
England 0–0 Wales
(Wolverhampton, England; 15 December 1976)
Biggest win
England 9–0 San Marino
(Shrewsbury, England; 19 November 2013)
Biggest defeat
Germany 4–0 England
(Malmö, Sweden; 29 June 2009)
UEFA U-21 Championship
Appearances| 17 (first in 1978)
Best result| Winners (3) (1982, 1984, 2023)

The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is the national under-21 association football team of England, under the control of the Football Association. It is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team.

This team is for England players aged under 21 at the start of the calendar year in which a two-year UEFA European Under-21 Championship campaign begins, so some players can remain with the squad until the age of 23. As long as they are eligible, players can play for England at any level, making it possible to play for the U21s, senior side, and again for the U21s, as Jack Butland, Harry Kane, Calum Chambers, John Stones and Emile Smith Rowe have done. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and another at senior level (providing the player has not played a senior competitive game in his previous country).

The U21 team came into existence in 1976, following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions. A goalless draw in a friendly against Wales at Molineux Stadium was England U21s' first result.

England U21s do not have a permanent home. They play in stadia across England, in an attempt to encourage younger fans in all areas of the country to attend matches. Because of the lower demand compared to the senior national team, smaller grounds can be used. The record attendance for an England U21 match was set on 24 March 2007, when England U21 played Italy U21 in front of a crowd of just under 60,000 at the new Wembley Stadium, also a world record attendance for a U21 game.[1] The match was one of the required two events the stadium hosted in order to gain its safety certificate in time for its full-capacity opening for the 2007 FA Cup final in May.[2][3]

## Coaching staff

[edit]

### Head coach

[edit]

Tenure | Head Coach/Manager

|

1977–1990 |  Dave Sexton
1990–1993 |  Lawrie McMenemy
1994–1996 |  Dave Sexton
1996–1999 |  Peter Taylor
1999 |  Peter Reid
1999–2001 |  Howard Wilkinson
2001–2004 |  David Platt
2004–2007 |  Peter Taylor
2007–2013 |  Stuart Pearce
2013 |  Roy Hodgson
2013–2016 |  Gareth Southgate
2016–2021[4] |  Aidy Boothroyd
2021– |  Lee Carsley
2024 |  Ben Futcher

The original coach was Dave Sexton, who led the U21s from 1977 to 1990. In this period he combined his duties with managing the top-flight clubs Manchester United (1977–1981) and Coventry City (1981–1983). After Coventry he took a position within the FA as their first Technical Director, at Lilleshall. He handed over U21 responsibilities to England manager Graham Taylor's assistant Lawrie McMenemy for three years before resuming control from 1994 to 1996.

Peter Taylor took over in 1996 and, although never winning a tournament, his teams had an excellent record. He was controversially removed from the position in early 1999, however, and replaced initially by Peter Reid, who resigned after just one match in charge to dedicate more time to his other job as manager of Sunderland. Howard Wilkinson took over afterwards, yet could only produce four wins in ten competitive matches and quit after a year and a half in charge. David Platt took charge leaving his job at Nottingham Forest. Platt was U21 boss from 2001 to 2004, but had little success before Taylor's return. Taylor left in January 2007, as the senior national manager Steve McClaren wanted the U21s to have a full-time manager. Taylor, at the time, was combining his duties with his role as Crystal Palace boss.

On 1 February 2007, Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce was appointed as head coach on a part-time basis until after the European Championships in the summer of 2007. Nigel Pearson, Newcastle United's assistant manager, agreed to become Pearce's assistant. Their first match in charge was a 2–2 draw against Spain on 6 February 2007 at Derby County's Pride Park Stadium. For the match against Italy Nigel Pearson took charge as Stuart Pearce had club commitments. Steve Wigley assisted Pearson.

Pearce was dismissed as Manchester City manager on 14 May 2007, before the 2007 European Championships, but on 19 July 2007 he was named full-time U21s coach.[5] He remained in the post until June 2013, when it was announced that his contract would not be renewed.[6] On 31 July, the FA announced that England senior manager Roy Hodgson would take charge of an England U21 friendly match against Scotland at Bramall Lane,[7] the match ended in a 6–0 win for Hodgson's side.[8] Former England international Gareth Southgate was made manager of the under-21 team on 22 August.[9]

In September 2016, Southgate was appointed to the temporary position of caretaker manager of the England senior side after the departure of Sam Allardyce. With Southgate overseeing the main team for four games, Aidy Boothroyd, the England under-20 manager, was appointed caretaker manager of the under-21s until Southgate's return.[4] In February 2017, Boothroyd was confirmed as the permanent manager.[10] Boothroyd left the role on in April 2021 following a disappointing European Championship campaign.

On 27 July 2021, Lee Carsley was promoted from his role with the England U20s to become the head coach of the U21s with Ashley Cole appointed as his assistant.[11]

### U21 coaching staff

[edit]

Position  | Staff

|

Manager  |  Lee Carsley
Assistant Manager  |  Ashley Cole
Goalkeeping Coach  |  Timothy Dittmer

Source: [citation needed]

[12]

## Media coverage

[edit]

England Euro qualifiers and friendlies are currently broadcast by The FA Player.

## Results and fixtures

[edit]

Main articles: England national under-21 football team results (2020–present), England national under-21 football team results (2000–2019), and England national under-21 football team results (1976–99)

### 2023

[edit]

Win Draw Loss

England v  France 25 March 2023 International friendly|  England | 4–0|  France | Leicester, England

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|
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Match 404 |

* Skipp 26'
* Smith Rowe 50'
* Aarons 59'
* Madueke 77'
* Jones 79'
* Ramsey 86'

|  |

* Olise 71'

| Stadium: King Power Stadium
Attendance: 12,806
Referee: Joey Kooij (Netherlands)

England v  Croatia 28 March 2023 International friendly|  England | 1–2|  Croatia | Fulham, England

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Match 405 |

* Lewis 33'
* Gibbs-White 87'
* Johnson 90+5'

|  |

* Baturina 34'
* Beljo 53' (pen.)
* Frigan 64'
* Pršir 83'

| Stadium: Craven Cottage
Attendance: 5,005
Referee: Krzysztof Jakubik (Poland)

England v  Japan 10 June 2023 International friendly|  England | 0–2|  Japan | Burton upon Trent, England

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|

Match 406 |  | Report |

* Yamamoto 65'
* Matsumura 75'

| Stadium: St. George's Park

Czech Republic v  England 22 June 2023 (2023-06-22) UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) group stage|  Czech Republic | 0–2|  England | Batumi, Georgia

|
|
|
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20:00 |

* Sejk 19'
* Šulc 45+1'
* Karabec 90+3'

| Report |

* Gordon 20'
* Ramsey 47' 84'
* Aarons 56'
* Gibbs-White 69'
* Smith Rowe 90+4'

| Stadium: Batumi Stadium
Attendance: 8,168
Referee: Horatiu Fesnic (Romania)

England v  Israel 25 June 2023 (2023-06-25) UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) group stage|  England | 2–0|  Israel | Kutaisi, Georgia

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|
|
|

20:00 |

* Gordon 15'
* Johnson 45'
* Smith Rowe 68'
* Jones 76'

| Report |

* Hajaj 76'

| Stadium: Ramaz Shengelia Stadium
Attendance: 5,106
Referee: Rade Obrenović (Slovenia)

England v  Germany 28 June 2023 (2023-06-28) UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) group stage|  England | 2–0|  Germany | Batumi, Georgia

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20:00 |

* Archer 4'
* Elliott 21'

| Report |  | Stadium: Batumi Stadium
Attendance: 9,587
Referee: Aliyar Aghayev (Azerbaijan)

England v  Portugal 2 July 2023 (2023-07-02) UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) quarter-final|  England | 1–0|  Portugal | Kutaisi, Georgia

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20:00 |

* Gordon 34'
* Aarons 51'
* Johnson 80'
* Trafford 85'

| Report |

* Zé Carlos 83'

| Stadium: Ramaz Shengelia Stadium
Attendance: 6,920[13]
Referee: Rade Obrenović (Slovenia)

Israel v  England 5 July 2023 (2023-07-05) UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) semi-final|  Israel | 0–3|  England | Batumi, Georgia

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|
|
|

20:00 |

* Turgeman 20'
* Lemkin 82'

| Report |

* Gibbs-White 42'
* Palmer 63'
* Colwill 81'
* Archer 90'

| Stadium: Adjarabet Arena
Attendance: 11,801[14]
Referee: Morten Krogh (Denmark)

England v  Spain 8 July 2023 (2023-07-08) 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final|  England | 1–0|  Spain | Batumi, Georgia

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|
|
|

20:00 |

* Gomes 24'
* Jones 45+4'
* Colwill 45+6'
* Gibbs-White 69' 90+12'
* Trafford 74'

| Report |

* Baena 34'
* Blanco 37' 90+12'
* Sancet 45+6'
* Oroz 62'
* Riquelme 86'

| Stadium: Adjarabet Arena
Attendance: 18,498
Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway)

### 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification

[edit]

Main article: 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group F

Pos | Team

* v
* t
* e

| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

|
|
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1  |  England | 10  | 8  | 1  | 1  | 41  | 6  | +35  | 25  | Final tournament |  | -- | 2–1 | 9–1 | 3–0 | 7–0 | 7–0
2  |  Ukraine | 10  | 8  | 0  | 2  | 20  | 7  | +13  | 24  |  | 3–2 | -- | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–0
3  |  Serbia | 10  | 5  | 1  | 4  | 13  | 18  | −5  | 16  |  |  | 0–3 | 1–0 | -- | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–0
4  |  Northern Ireland | 10  | 3  | 2  | 5  | 10  | 10  | 0  | 11  |  | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | -- | 0–1 | 5–0
5  |  Luxembourg | 10  | 2  | 2  | 6  | 6  | 23  | −17  | 8  |  | 0–3 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–0 | -- | 2–0
6  |  Azerbaijan | 10  | 1  | 0  | 9  | 4  | 30  | −26  | 3  |  | 1–5 | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 3–2 | --

Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

## Players

[edit]

### Current squad

[edit]

Players born on or after 1 January 2002 are eligible for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[15]

The following players were named in the squad for games against Spain and Netherlands, to be played 15 and 18 November 2024.[16][17]

Caps and goals updated as of 18 November 2024 after the match against Netherlands. Names in bold denote players who have been capped for the senior team.

No. | Pos. | Player  | Date of birth (age)  | Caps  | Goals  | Club

|
|
|
|
|
|

| 1GK | James Beadle |  (2004-07-16) 16 July 2004 (age 20) | 4  | 0  |  Sheffield Wednesday (on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion)
| 1GK | Matthew Cox |  (2003-05-02) 2 May 2003 (age 21) | 0  | 0  |  Brentford

* * *

| 2DF | Charlie Cresswell |  (2002-08-17) 17 August 2002 (age 22) | 18  | 2  |  Toulouse
| 2DF | Bashir Humphreys |  (2003-03-15) 15 March 2003 (age 21) | 5  | 0  |  Burnley (on loan from Chelsea)
| 2DF | Teden Mengi |  (2002-04-30) 30 April 2002 (age 22) | 3  | 0  |  Luton Town
| 2DF | Ben Chrisene |  (2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 21) | 1  | 0  |  Norwich City
| 2DF | Kellen Fisher |  (2004-05-05) 5 May 2004 (age 20) | 0  | 0  |  Norwich City

* * *

| 3MF | James McAtee |  (2002-10-18) 18 October 2002 (age 22) | 16  | 6  |  Manchester City
| 3MF | Archie Gray |  (2006-03-12) 12 March 2006 (age 18) | 8  | 1  |  Tottenham Hotspur
| 3MF | Tyler Morton |  (2002-10-31) 31 October 2002 (age 22) | 8  | 1  |  Liverpool
| 3MF | Jobe Bellingham |  (2005-09-23) 23 September 2005 (age 19) | 2  | 0  |  Sunderland
| 3MF | Darko Gyabi |  (2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 21) | 2  | 0  |  Plymouth Argyle (on loan from Leeds United)
| 3MF | Lewis Miley |  (2006-05-01) 1 May 2006 (age 18) | 2  | 0  |  Newcastle United

* * *

| 4FW | Samuel Iling-Junior |  (2003-10-04) 4 October 2003 (age 21) | 11  | 2  |  Bologna (on loan from Aston Villa)
| 4FW | Liam Delap |  (2003-02-08) 8 February 2003 (age 22) | 10  | 2  |  Ipswich Town
| 4FW | Jaden Philogene |  (2002-02-08) 8 February 2002 (age 23) | 7  | 3  |  Ipswich Town
| 4FW | Dane Scarlett |  (2004-03-24) 24 March 2004 (age 20) | 4  | 2  |  Oxford United (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
| 4FW | Omari Hutchinson |  (2003-10-30) 30 October 2003 (age 21) | 2  | 1  |  Ipswich Town
| 4FW | Tyler Dibling |  (2006-02-17) 17 February 2006 (age 19) | 2  | 0  |  Southampton
| 4FW | George Earthy |  (2004-09-05) 5 September 2004 (age 20) | 2  | 0  |  Bristol City (on loan from West Ham United)
| 4FW | Jesurun Rak-Sakyi |  (2002-10-05) 5 October 2002 (age 22) | 2  | 0  |  Sheffield United (on loan from Crystal Palace)

### Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players have previously been called up to the England under-21 squad and remain eligible for selection.

Pos. | Player  | Date of birth (age)  | Caps  | Goals  | Club  | Latest call-up

|
|
|
|
|
|

GK | James Trafford |  (2002-10-10) 10 October 2002 (age 22) | 19  | 0  |  Burnley | v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 SEN[17]
GK | Sam Tickle |  (2002-03-31) 31 March 2002 (age 22) | 1  | 0  |  Wigan Athletic | v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024[18]

* * *

DF | Jarrad Branthwaite |  (2002-06-27) 27 June 2002 (age 22) | 6  | 0  |  Everton | v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 SEN[17]
DF | Callum Doyle |  (2003-10-03) 3 October 2003 (age 21) | 5  | 2  |  Norwich City (on loan from Manchester City) | v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 INJ[17]
DF | Jack Hinshelwood |  (2005-04-11) 11 April 2005 (age 19) | 3  | 0  |  Brighton & Hove Albion | v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 INJ[17]
DF | Tino Livramento |  (2002-11-12) 12 November 2002 (age 22) | 9  | 0  |  Newcastle United | v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 SEN[17]
DF | Jarell Quansah |  (2003-01-29) 29 January 2003 (age 22) | 8  | 0  |  Liverpool | v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 SEN[17]
DF | Taylor Harwood-Bellis |  (2002-01-30) 30 January 2002 (age 23) | 26  | 0  |  Southampton | v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024[18]
DF | Lewis Hall |  (2004-09-08) 8 September 2004 (age 20) | 5  | 0  |  Newcastle United | v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024[18]
DF | Nathan Wood |  (2002-05-31) 31 May 2002 (age 22) | 4  | 0  |  Southampton | v.  Northern Ireland,  Austria, 6–10 September 2024[19]
DF | Rico Lewis |  (2004-11-21) 21 November 2004 (age 20) | 5  | 0  |  Manchester City | v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024 SEN[20]
DF | Brooke Norton-Cuffy |  (2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 21) | 4  | 0  |  Genoa | v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024[21]
DF | Josh Wilson-Esbrand |  (2002-12-26) 26 December 2002 (age 22) | 2  | 0  |  Manchester City | v.  Serbia,  Northern Ireland, 18-21 November 2023[22]
DF | Levi Colwill |  (2003-02-26) 26 February 2003 (age 21) | 11  | 0  |  Chelsea | 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, June-July 2023[23]
DF | Luke Mbete |  (2003-09-18) 18 September 2003 (age 21) | 2  | 0  |  Northampton Town (on loan from Manchester City) | v.  Italy,  Germany, 22–27 September 2022[24]
DF | James Hill |  (2002-01-10) 10 January 2002 (age 23) | 1  | 0  |  Bournemouth | v.  Czech Republic,  Albania,  Kosovo,  Slovenia, 3–13 June 2022[25]

* * *

MF | Elliot Anderson |  (2002-11-06) 6 November 2002 (age 22) | 4  | 1  |  Nottingham Forest | v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 INJ[17]
MF | Hayden Hackney |  (2002-06-26) 26 June 2002 (age 22) | 7  | 0  |  Middlesbrough | v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 INJ[17]
MF | Alex Scott |  (2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 21) | 4  | 0  |  Bournemouth | v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024[18]
MF | Adam Wharton |  (2004-02-06) 6 February 2004 (age 21) | 1  | 0  |  Crystal Palace | v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024[18]
MF | Harvey Elliott |  (2003-04-04) 4 April 2003 (age 21) | 20  | 8  |  Liverpool | v.  Northern Ireland,  Austria, 6–10 September 2024 INJ[19]
MF | Kobbie Mainoo |  (2005-04-19) 19 April 2005 (age 19) | 0  | 0  |  Manchester United | v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024 SEN[20]
MF | Carney Chukwuemeka |  (2003-10-20) 20 October 2003 (age 21) | 0  | 0  |  Chelsea | v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024 INJ[20]
MF | Cole Palmer |  (2002-05-06) 6 May 2002 (age 22) | 15  | 5  |  Chelsea | v.  Serbia,  Northern Ireland, 18-21 November 2023 SEN[22]
MF | Charlie Patino |  (2003-10-17) 17 October 2003 (age 21) | 2  | 0  |  Deportivo La Coruña | v.  Serbia,  Northern Ireland, 18-21 November 2023[22]
MF | Aaron Ramsey |  (2003-01-21) 21 January 2003 (age 22) | 0  | 0  |  Burnley | v.  Serbia,  Ukraine, 12-16 October 2023[26]
MF | Jude Bellingham |  (2003-06-29) 29 June 2003 (age 21) | 4  | 1  |  Real Madrid | v.  Andorra,  Albania, 13–17 November 2020 SEN[27]

* * *

FW | Jamie Gittens |  (2004-08-08) 8 August 2004 (age 20) | 11  | 1  |  Borussia Dortmund | v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 INJ[17]
FW | Morgan Rogers |  (2002-07-26) 26 July 2002 (age 22) | 6  | 4  |  Aston Villa | v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 SEN[17]
FW | Jay Stansfield |  (2002-11-24) 24 November 2002 (age 22) | 3  | 0  |  Birmingham City | v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024[18]
FW | Jonathan Rowe |  (2003-04-30) 30 April 2003 (age 21) | 4  | 1  |  Marseille (on loan from Norwich City) | v.  Northern Ireland,  Austria, 6–10 September 2024[19]
FW | Tom Fellows |  (2003-07-25) 25 July 2003 (age 21) | 2  | 1  |  West Bromwich Albion | v.  Northern Ireland,  Austria, 6–10 September 2024[19]
FW | Noni Madueke |  (2002-03-10) 10 March 2002 (age 22) | 20  | 7  |  Chelsea | v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024[21]
FW | Samuel Edozie |  (2003-01-28) 28 January 2003 (age 22) | 0  | 0  |  Anderlecht (on loan from Southampton) | v.  Luxembourg, 11 September 2023[28]
FW | Sam Greenwood |  (2002-01-26) 26 January 2002 (age 23) | 1  | 1  |  Preston North End (on loan from Leeds United) | v.  Czech Republic,  Georgia, 11–16 November 2021[29]
FW | Joe Gelhardt |  (2002-05-04) 4 May 2002 (age 22) | 0  | 0  |  Leeds United | v.  Slovenia,  Andorra, 7–11 October 2021[30]

* INJ Player withdrew from the squad before any games had been played.
* SEN Player withdrew from the squad due to a call up to the senior team.

### Past squads

[edit]

* 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad
* 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad
* 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad
* 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad
* 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad
* 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad
* 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad
* 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad
* 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad
* 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad
* 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad

## Records

[edit]

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|

### Most appearances

[edit]

Rank  | Player  | Caps  | Goals  | Career  | Clubs

|
|
|
|
|

1  | James Milner | 46 | 9  | 2004–2009  | Leeds United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa
2  | Nathaniel Chalobah | 40 | 1  | 2012–2017  | Chelsea
3  | Nathan Redmond | 38 | 10  | 2013–2017  | Birmingham City, Norwich City, Southampton
4  | Tom Huddlestone | 33 | 5  | 2005–2009  | Derby County, Tottenham Hotspur
Fabrice Muamba | 33 | 0  | 2007–2011  | Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers
6  | James Ward-Prowse | 31 | 6  | 2013–2017  | Southampton
7  | Michael Mancienne | 30 | 1  | 2007–2011  | Chelsea, Hamburger SV
8  | Scott Carson | 29 | 0  | 2004–2007  | Leeds United, Liverpool
Danny Rose | 29 | 3  | 2009–2013  | Tottenham Hotspur
Steven Taylor | 29 | 4  | 2004–2009  | Newcastle United

Note: Club(s) represents the permanent clubs during the player's time in the Under-21s. Those players in bold are still eligible to play for the team.

### Leading goalscorers

[edit]

Rank  | Player  | Goals  | Caps  | Ratio  | Career  | Club(s)

|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Eddie Nketiah | 16 | 17  | 0.94  | 2018–2021  | Arsenal
2  | Alan Shearer | 13 | 11  | 1.18  | 1990–1992  | Southampton, Newcastle United
Francis Jeffers | 13 | 16  | 0.81  | 1999–2003  | Everton, Arsenal
4  | Saido Berahino | 11 | 12  | 0.92  | 2013–2015  | West Bromwich Albion
5  | Nathan Redmond | 10 | 38  | 0.26  | 2013–2017  | Birmingham City, Norwich City, Southampton
6  | Darren Bent | 9 | 14  | 0.64  | 2003–2005  | Ipswich Town, Charlton Athletic
Dominic Solanke | 9 | 18  | 0.5  | 2015–2019  | Chelsea, Liverpool, Bournemouth
Frank Lampard | 9 | 19  | 0.47  | 1997–2000  | West Ham United
Tammy Abraham | 9 | 26  | 0.35  | 2016–2019  | Chelsea
James Milner | 9 | 46  | 0.2  | 2004–2009  | Leeds United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa

Note: Club(s) represents the permanent clubs during the player's time in the Under-21s. Those players in bold are still eligible to play for the team.

## Competitive record

[edit]

Main article: England's European Under-21 Football Championship Record

As a European U21 team, England compete for the European Championship, with the finals every odd-numbered year, formerly even-numbered years. There is no Under-21 World Cup, although there is an U20 World Cup. For the first six (1978–1988) European Under-21 Football Championships, England did well, getting knocked out in the semi-finals on four occasions and winning the competition in 1982 and 1984. Then, as one might expect with a rapid turnover of players, followed a lean period.

After losing to France in the 1988 semi-final, England then failed to qualify for the last eight for five whole campaigns. In the qualifying stages for the 1998 tournament, England won their group, but fate was not on their side. Because there were nine groups, and only eight places, the two group-winning nations with worst records had to a play-off to eliminate one of them. England lost the away leg of this extra qualifying round and were eliminated on away goals to Greece. In effect, England finished ninth in the competition despite losing only one of their ten matches.

England qualified for the 2000 finals comfortably. Under the 1996-appointed Peter Taylor England won every match without conceding a goal. But with 3 matches to play, Taylor was replaced in a controversial manner by Howard Wilkinson, who won the next two matches. The three goals conceded in the 3–1 defeat to group runners-up Poland were the only blemish on the team's qualifying record. England got knocked out in the group stage of the European Championship finals in 2000 under Wilkinson.

After enlisting former international star David Platt as manager, England qualified for the 2002 tournament in Switzerland. Again England did poorly in the group stage. Platt's England failed to qualify for the 2004 tournament and he was replaced by the returning Peter Taylor. Taylor's England qualified from the group but lost to a strong France team in a two-legged playoff and failed to qualify for the 2006 tournament.

The next campaign started shortly after the 2006 finals – the qualification stage of the 2007 competition. UEFA decided to shift the tournament forward to avoid a clash with senior tournaments taking place in even-numbered years. The qualification stage was heavily reduced, being completed in a year's less time. In a 3-team qualification group, England qualified over Switzerland and Moldova, and then won a two-legged play-off with Germany to qualify for the finals to be held in the Netherlands. At the tournament, England progressed through to the semi-finals where they led for the majority of the match against the hosts. However, after a late equaliser and a marathon penalty shootout, England were eliminated.

In 2009, England finished as runners-up, losing 4–0 to Germany in the final.

England finished second in their qualifying group for the 2011 championships in Denmark. They subsequently defeated Romania in the play-offs to qualify for the finals tournament, where they were knocked out in the group stage after a 2–1 defeat to the Czech Republic. England also subsequently exited the 2013 and 2015 Finals tournaments at the group stage, reached the last 4 in 2017, before again exiting at the group stage in 2019 and 2021.

England won the tournament for the third time in 2023, winning all their games without conceding a single goal.

UEFA European Under-21 Championship record |  | UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification record  |  | Manager(s)

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Year  | Round  | Position  | Pld | W | D *  | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA
1978 | Semi-Finals | 4th of 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4  | 4  | 0  | 0  | 17  | 2  | Sexton
1980 | Semi-Finals | 3rd of 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4  | 4  | 4  | 4  | 0  | 0  | 11  | 2  | Sexton
1982 | Champions | 1st of 8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 6  | 4  | 1  | 1  | 12  | 5  | Sexton
1984 | Champions | 1st of 8 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 6  | 5  | 0  | 1  | 13  | 4  | Sexton
1986 | Semi-Finals | 4th of 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6  | 3  | 2  | 1  | 9  | 3  | Sexton
1988 | Semi-Finals | 3rd of 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 4  | 1  | 3  | 0  | 7  | 3  | Sexton
1990 | did not qualify | 6  | 4  | 1  | 1  | 10  | 5  | Sexton
1992 | 6  | 3  | 1  | 2  | 11  | 5  | McMenemy
1994 | 10  | 4  | 3  | 3  | 20  | 8  | McMenemy
1996 | 8  | 6  | 1  | 1  | 13  | 4  | Sexton
1998 | 10  | 6  | 3  | 1  | 11  | 5  | Taylor
2000 | Group Stage  | 5th of 8  | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 6  | 4  | 9  | 8  | 0  | 1  | 26  | 3  | Taylor, Reid, Wilkinson[31]
2002 | 7th of 8  | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 4  | 6  | 8  | 5  | 2  | 1  | 18  | 8  | Wilkinson Platt[32]
2004 | did not qualify | 8  | 3  | 2  | 3  | 14  | 10  | Platt
2006 | 12  | 6  | 4  | 2  | 23  | 10  | Taylor
2007 | Semi-Finals | 3rd of 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 4  | 3  | 1  | 0  | 8  | 4  | Taylor, Pearce[33]
2009 | Runners-Up | 2nd of 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 10  | 8  | 2  | 0  | 22  | 5  | Pearce
2011 | Group Stage  | 7th of 8  | 3  | 0  | 2  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 10  | 6  | 3  | 1  | 17  | 8  | Pearce
2013 | 7th of 8  | 3  | 0  | 0  | 3  | 1  | 5  | 10  | 9  | 0  | 1  | 26  | 3  | Pearce
2015 | 7th of 8  | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 2  | 4  | 12  | 11  | 1  | 0  | 35  | 4  | Southgate
2017 | Semi-Finals | 3rd of 12 | 4  | 2  | 2  | 0  | 7  | 3  | 8  | 6  | 2  | 0  | 20  | 3  | Southgate, Boothroyd[34]
2019 | Group Stage  | 9th of 12  | 3  | 0  | 1  | 2  | 6  | 9  | 10  | 8  | 2  | 0  | 23  | 4  | Boothroyd
2021 | 12th of 16  | 3  | 1  | 0  | 2  | 2  | 4  | 10  | 9  | 1  | 0  | 34  | 9  | Boothroyd
2023 | Champions | 1st of 16 | 6  | 6  | 0  | 0  | 11  | 0  |  | 10  | 8  | 1  | 1  | 26  | 7  |  | Carsley
2025 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total | 3 titles | 17/24 | 68 | 28 | 18 | 22 | 95 | 79 | 191 | 134 | 36 | 21 | 426 | 124 |

Note: The year of the tournament represents the year in which it ends.

*Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ BBC News – Wembley opener attracts thousands
2. ^ "Wembley game 'sold out' in hours". BBC News. 13 March 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
3. ^ The Guardian – Early set-back on Wembley's big day
4. ^ a b Veevers, Nicholas (28 September 2016). "Aidy Boothroyd set to take on England Under-21s position". The Football Association. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
5. ^ "Pearce named England U21 manager". BBC Sport. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
6. ^ "Stuart Pearce: England Under-21 boss to leave role". BBC Sport. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
7. ^ "Roy Hodgson and Ray Lewington to manage England Under-21s against Scotland". thefa.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
8. ^ "England Under-21s thrash Scotland 6-0 in friendly". BBC News. 13 August 2013.
9. ^ "Gareth Southgate named England Under-21 boss". BBC News. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
10. ^ "Aidy Boothroyd takes permanent charge of England Under-21 team". BBC Sport. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
11. ^ "Lee Carsley named England MU21s coach". www.englandfootball.com. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
12. ^ Walker, Andy (18 August 2023). "England men's development team coaches confirmed for 2023-24 season". EnglandFootball.com. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
13. ^ "England vs. Portugal" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
14. ^ "Israel vs. England" (JSON). Union of European Football Associations. 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
15. ^ "Regulations of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship". UEFA. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
16. ^ "England MU21 squad named for Spain and Netherlands". England Football. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "England squad updates: November 2024". England Football. 13 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
18. ^ a b c d e f "England MU21 squad named for Ukraine and Azerbaijan". England Football. 4 October 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
19. ^ a b c d "England MU21s squad named for Northern Ireland and Austria". England Football. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
20. ^ a b c "England squad update". England Football. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
21. ^ a b "England MU21s squad named for Azerbaijan and Luxembourg". England Football. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
22. ^ a b c "England MU21s squad named for November". England Football. 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
23. ^ "England MU21s squad named for EURO Finals". England Football. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
24. ^ "England men's Under-21 squad for games with Italy and Germany". England Football. 16 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
25. ^ "England MU21s squad named for June's EURO qualifiers". England Football. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
26. ^ "England MU21 squad for October qualifiers with Serbia and Ukraine". England Football. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
27. ^ "Jude Bellingham added to senior England squad as duo withdraw from November fixtures". The Football Association. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
28. ^ "England MU21s squad named for Luxembourg". England Football. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
29. ^ "Gallagher gets first England call". England Football. 14 November 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
30. ^ "Carsley includes Angel Gomes in England MU21s squad". England Football. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
31. ^ Taylor managed the first five qualifiers, Reid managed one: Wilkinson managed the remainder of qualification and the finals campaign.
32. ^ Wilkinson resigned after the first five qualifiers, Platt managed the remainder of qualification and the finals campaign.
33. ^ Taylor managed the qualification campaign. He left before the tournament and was replaced by Pearce.
34. ^ Southgate managed the first six qualifiers, while Boothroyd managed the rest of the qualifiers and the finals campaign.

## External links

[edit]

* Official FA England Under-21 website Contains listings of current England U-21 players.
* UEFA Under-21 website Contains full results archive
* The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Contains full record of U-21 Championship hosts and additional statistics, such as the Group Winners table for the 1998 qualifiers.

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