Saturday, 08 July 2023 07:08

England Under-21s: Can they win the European Championship final?

Can England bring it home?

No, we aren't talking about the Lionesses and their quest to win the World Cup in a few weeks time...

This weekend, it's about the men's side, who face Spain in the final of the Uefa Under-21 European Championships.

It's the first time the Young Lions have reached the final of an Under-21s Euros in 14 years.

The exciting squad includes some Premier League stars as well as some 'up-and-coming' players who are all hoping to make themselves household names on Saturday evening.

The Young Lions, who are yet to concede a goal in the tournament, hope to win the competition for the first time since 1984.

The final kicks off at 5:00pm on Saturday 8 July at the Adjarabet Arena in Batumi, in Georgia.

 

Who is in the England U-21 squad?

Morgan Gibbs-WhiteIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
Morgan Gibbs-White has been a key player for the Young Lions for many years. Will he be rewarded with another trophy?

One of the star players so far has been Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.

The 23-year-old has had a taste of success with England's youth sides before, having been part of the team to win the Under-17s World Cup back in 2017, so can he bring that winning spirit to the rest of the squad?

Well, he has set up three goals and scored one on his way to the final, but is keen to praise his fellow players for their teamwork.

"We have a good together team and the right team that can go all the way."

Despite his brilliant work-rate, he isn't getting ahead of himself.

"It's not an achievement yet, we still have loads of work to do,"

Morgan Gibbs-White

The rest of the team is also brimming with star-quality, as Arsenal's Emile Smith-Rowe, Liverpool's Harvey Elliot and Manchester City's Cole Palmer all looking to impress the Three Lion's senior squad manager Gareth Southgate ahead of next year's European Championships.

Goal keeper James Trafford, who is rumoured to be joining newly promoted Burnley, has also proved to be a reliable force within the team.

The Cumbrian keeper who learned to drive on tractors at his parents farm and spent his summers lifting hay bales in fields, has kept out a wave of shots since the start of the tournament.

Who is the England U-21 coach?

Lee CarlseyIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
England coach Lee Carsley made more than 150 appearances for Everton during his playing career.

Head coach Lee Carsley has been in charge of the Under-21 side since 2021.

He is a former player himself, and played a key role for Everton and Derby County in the late 1990s and 2000s.

Carsley says he has been really impressed with the attitude of the players in his junior squad.

"These young players' mentality is different to my generation" he said.

"Curtis (Jones) gives the ball away and just wants to get on it again, he doesn't even think about it. Morgan is the same.

"It's such a skill to have, that self-belief. The players know we believe in them, we want them to do well. It's important that he keeps getting on it, he keeps creating chances."

The players know we believe in them, we want them to do well."

Who are England playing in the final?

Spain squad before semi-finalIMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
Spain beat Ukraine 5-1 in their semi-final, but can they overcome the consistent England side to win a third European title?

The Young Lions will face Spain in Saturday's final, and previous results suggest they will be fierce competition.

The Spanish side are also unbeaten in the tournament so far, but have drawn one match and conceded four goals.

Much like the England team, the Spanish side is full of top players.

Antonio Blanco, Sergio Gomez, Juan Miranda and Abel Ruiz, along with coach Santi Denia are all going for their version of the "treble".

They were all part of the teams who won both the Under-17s Euros in 2017 and the Under-19s Euros in 2019.

Spanish forward Abel Ruiz is aware of the challenge ahead.

"We know England are a very good team. They came to this tournament as favourites and have had a very good tournament".

[BBC]



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