England national under-21 football team explained

England U-21
Badge Size:145px
Fifa Trigramme:ENG
Nickname:The Three Lions
Association:The Football Association
(The FA)
Confederation:UEFA (Europe)
Coach:Ben Futcher (Interim)
Most Caps:James Milner (46)
Top Scorer:Eddie Nketiah (16)
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First Game: 0–0
(Wolverhampton, England; 15 December 1976)
Largest Win: 9–0
(Shrewsbury, England; 19 November 2013)
Largest Loss: 4–0
(Ploieşti, Romania; 14 October 1980)
0–4
(Birmingham, England; 27 February 2001)
4–0
(Malmö, Sweden; 29 June 2009)
Uefau21champ Apps:17
Uefau21champ First:1978
Uefau21champ Best: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

Head coach

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
2021–2024 Lee Carsley
2024– Ben Futcher (Interim)
The original and most successful coach is 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

[12]

Media coverage

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

Results and fixtures

See main article: 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).

2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification

See main article: 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group F.

Players

Current squad

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

The following players were named in the squad for qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Luxembourg, played 22 and 26 March 2024.[13]

Caps and goals updated as of 26 March 2024 after the match against Luxembourg. Names in bold denote players who have been capped for the senior team.

Recent call-ups

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

Past squads

Records

Most appearances

RankPlayerCapsGoalsCareerClubs
1James Milner4692004–2009Leeds United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa
2Nathaniel Chalobah4012012–2017Chelsea
3Nathan Redmond38102013–2017Birmingham City, Norwich City, Southampton
4Tom Huddlestone3352005–2009Derby County, Tottenham Hotspur
Fabrice Muamba3302007–2011Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers
6James Ward-Prowse3162013–2017Southampton
7Michael Mancienne3012007–2011Chelsea, Hamburger SV
8Scott Carson2902004–2007Leeds United, Liverpool
Danny Rose2932009–2013Tottenham Hotspur
Steven Taylor2942004–2009Newcastle 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

width=25pxRankPlayerwidth=50pxGoalswidth=50pxCapswidth=50pxRatiowidth=80pxCareerClub(s)
1Eddie Nketiah16172018–2021Arsenal
2Alan Shearer13111990–1992Southampton, Newcastle United
Francis Jeffers13161999–2003Everton, Arsenal
4Saido Berahino11122013–2015West Bromwich Albion
5Nathan Redmond10382013–2017Birmingham City, Norwich City, Southampton
6Darren Bent9142003–2005Ipswich Town, Charlton Athletic
Dominic Solanke9182015–2019Chelsea, Liverpool, Bournemouth
Frank Lampard9191997–2000West Ham United
Tammy Abraham9262016–2019Chelsea
James Milner9462004–2009Leeds 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

See 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.

UEFA European Under-21 Championship recordUEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification recordManager(s)
YearRoundPosition *
1978Semi-Finals4th of 84121444400172Sexton
1980Semi-Finals3rd of 84112444400112Sexton
1982Champions1st of 863211186411125Sexton
1984Champions1st of 865011336501134Sexton
1986Semi-Finals4th of 8412134632193Sexton
1988Semi-Finals3rd of 8421166413073Sexton
1990did not qualify6411105Sexton
1992did not qualify6312115McMenemy
1994did not qualify10433208McMenemy
1996did not qualify8611134Sexton
1998did not qualify10631115Taylor
2000Group Stage5th of 83102649801263Taylor, Reid, Wilkinson[14]
2002Group Stage7th of 83102468521188Wilkinson Platt[15]
2004did not qualify83231410Platt
2006did not qualify126422310Taylor
2007Semi-Finals3rd of 8413053431084Taylor, Pearce[16]
2009Runners-Up2nd of 852218910820225Pearce
2011Group Stage7th of 830212310631178Pearce
2013Group Stage7th of 830031510901263Pearce
2015Group Stage7th of 8310224121110354Southgate
2017Semi-Finals 3rd of 124220738620203Southgate, Boothroyd[17]
2019Group Stage9th of 1230126910820234Boothroyd
2021Group Stage12th of 1631022410910349Boothroyd
2023Champions1st of 16660011010811267Carsley
2025
Total3 titles17/246828182295791911343621426124

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

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6490655.stm BBC News – Wembley opener attracts thousands
  2. News: Wembley game 'sold out' in hours. BBC News. 13 March 2007. 22 September 2017.
  3. https://www.theguardian.com/uklatest/story/0,,-6505159,00.html The Guardian – Early set-back on Wembley's big day
  4. Web site: Aidy Boothroyd set to take on England Under-21s position. The Football Association. 28 September 2016. 22 September 2017. Nicholas. Veevers.
  5. Web site: Pearce named England U21 manager. BBC Sport. 22 September 2017. 19 July 2007.
  6. Web site: Stuart Pearce: England Under-21 boss to leave role. BBC Sport. 22 September 2017. 18 June 2013.
  7. Web site: Roy Hodgson and Ray Lewington to manage England Under-21s against Scotland. thefa.com. 31 July 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130803042652/http://www.thefa.com/england/mens-under-21s/News/2013/roy-hodgson-takes-under-21s-scotland-310713.aspx. 3 August 2013.
  8. News: England Under-21s thrash Scotland 6-0 in friendly. BBC News. 13 August 2013.
  9. News: Gareth Southgate named England Under-21 boss. BBC News. 22 August 2013. 22 September 2017.
  10. Web site: Aidy Boothroyd takes permanent charge of England Under-21 team. 3 February 2017 . BBC Sport. 11 November 2017 .
  11. Web site: Lee Carsley named England MU21s coach . 27 July 2021 . www.englandfootball.com.
  12. Web site: England men's development team coaches confirmed for 2023-24 season. Andy. Walker. 18 August 2023. 18 August 2023. EnglandFootball.com.
  13. Web site: England MU21s squad named for Azerbaijan and Luxembourg. England Football. 15 March 2024. 15 March 2024.
  14. Taylor managed the first five qualifiers, Reid managed one: Wilkinson managed the remainder of qualification and the finals campaign.
  15. Wilkinson resigned after the first five qualifiers, Platt managed the remainder of qualification and the finals campaign.
  16. Taylor managed the qualification campaign. He left before the tournament and was replaced by Pearce.
  17. Southgate managed the first six qualifiers, while Boothroyd managed the rest of the qualifiers and the finals campaign.