The Young Lions squad that conquered Europe in 2023 was exceptional, but the current crop is shaping up to be even better
"That’s the only goal," Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers said this week when asked about Thomas Tuchel’s ambition to end England's 60-year wait for senior success at the 2026 World Cup. "He was very clear and transparent. With what he wants to do, how he wants to do it, how he wants to go about it, what he sees in us, and what we need to improve. It was very straight-up, no cutting round corners. It was straight and that’s how he is."
Tuchel's contract ends after the tournament in North America, so he's not making any long-term plans. That much was certainly evident when the former Chelsea boss named his first England squad for the March World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, as he included five players over the age of 30 in his 26-man list.
The two most eye-catching moves were undoubtedly the call-ups for 34-year-old duo Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker. Ajax captain Henderson hasn't played for his country in over a year, having paid the price for an ill-advised stint in Saudi Arabia, while Walker joined AC Milan on loan in January after falling out of favour at Manchester City.
Veteran Newcastle defender Dan Burn also got the nod alongside Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford, who has been enjoying a mini-resurgence at Aston Villa after burning all his bridges at Old Trafford. Tuchel is clearly going to bank on experience to get England over the line next summer, but his ultra-safe selections have, understandably, rubbed some fans up the wrong way.
Aside from Liverpool's Jarell Quansah (19) and Myles Lewis-Skelly (18), Tuchel's squad was severely lacking in talented youngsters who have made a massive impression at club level this season. All is not lost for England's next generation of stars, though, because most of them made it into Lee Carsley's Under-21s squad, which has a staggering estimated value of £500 million ($648m) as they prepare to defend the crown they won in 2023 later this year.
gettyPerfect man for the job
First off, it's a huge boost for the U21s to have Carsley back after his impressive interim stint in charge of the first team. The former Ireland international, who masterminded England's historic U21 Euros triumph in 2023, was linked with several high-profile club posts after making way for Tuchel, but has decided he has unfinished business with the national team.
Carsley knows the England set-up like the back of his hand, and helped prospects like Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Curtis Jones reach the next level in their fledgling careers. Now, he's out to do exactly the same with an even more gifted group, which only contains four members of the last U21s Euros squad.
"We are looking at the last squad knowing what they did," Carsley said. "To win six games and not concede any goals [in the entire tournament], I think that will be very hard to recreate. But it's a goal and it's a target. That's the challenge we have put down for these players – we want them to be better than the last group, so hopefully they can be."
The survivors – Jarrad Branthwaite, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Charlie Cresswell and Harvey Elliott – will give the Young Lions an ideal base. Indeed, Everton defender Branthwaite will rightly feel aggrieved not to be in the senior squad after leading the Toffees' revival under David Moyes, and 21-year-old attacker Elliott also had a case after a string of eye-catching performances for Liverpool in the Champions League.
Southampton ace Harwood-Bellis and Cresswell were also good centre-back options for Tuchel, with the former having been handed his maiden senior cap by Carsley in November and the latter enhancing his reputation abroad with Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse. Tuchel's loss will be Carsley's gain, though, because they are all even better players now than two years ago.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesRock-solid defence
It's entirely possible the England U21s could win the Euros again without conceding, because no other country can rival their strength in depth at the back. That's because Carsley also has three brilliant full-backs to call upon in the form of Rico Lewis, CJ Egan-Riley, and Dennis Cirkin.
Lewis has established himself as a regular for Pep Guardiola at City this season, and is versatile enough to step into midfield when required. Burnley's Egan-Riley can also play in multiple positions, including centre-half, and has been one of the main reasons for Scott Parker's side conceding just 11 goals in 38 Championship games.
Cirkin, meanwhile, is a composed left-back with superb powers of recovery, which he has put to good use in Sunderland's bid for promotion to the Premier League. All three men are capable of complimenting Branthwaite and Harwood-Bellis, who will probably be Carsley's first choice centre-back pairing if he reverts to the 4-4-2 system that served him so well at the 2023 U21 Euros.
In goal, the presence of James Trafford might be missed given how well he has performed for Burnley this term, but a worthy successor has stepped forward. Brighton loanee James Beadle has been one of the bright sparks in a largely frustrating season for Sheffield Wednesday, and will be high on confidence after spending some time training with England's senior goalkeepers.
Getty Images SportForest's finest & the younger Bellingham
Carsley has also been blessed with midfield riches that will be the envy of England's rivals. Based purely on form, Elliot Anderson was especially unfortunate not to make Tuchel's squad.
Former Newcastle starlet Anderson has been the driving force behind Nottingham Forest's surprise bid for Champions League qualification, with his £35m ($43m) transfer fee now looking like a major snip. Anderson is a progressive dribbler with an eye for killer passes and he's a relentless presser out of possession, which is why Forest have been so effective on the transition.
He will be the main man in Carsley's engine room, but Tottenham wonderkid Archie Gray and Sunderland talisman Jobe Bellingham, brother of Real Madrid superstar Jude, could also have vital roles to play. Gray has had a fine debut season with Spurs despite being mainly forced to provide defensive cover due to injuries, while Bellingham's playmaking abilities have often given Sunderland the edge in their Championship campaign.
Meanwhile, the glue holding the team together is likely to be Crystal Palace ace Adam Wharton, who made the plane for Euro 2024 but didn't get any minutes in Germany. He's still building up his rhythm again after recovering from groin surgery, but is one of the best central midfielders in the business when fully fit, and should be aiming for a starting role at the 2026 World Cup.
Getty Images SportEngland's wildcard
If England are to retain their title as U21 European champions, they will also need a wildcard: someone capable of turning a game on its head with a moment of magic. Step forward Jamie Gittens, who is currently following in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho at Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
BVB have endured a poor season by their standards, especially after reaching the Champions League final in 2024, but Gittens has given supporters reason to cheer with his dazzling displays on the left-flank. The 20-year-old has scored 11 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions, with four of those coming on Europe's biggest stage, and he's also laid on four assists.
Gittens really put himself on the map when scoring a brace from the bench in Dortmund's 3-0 win over Club Brugge on matchday one in the Champions League, and also fired home a sublime opener in Dortmund's Der Klassiker draw with arch-rivals Bayern Munich in November. He's an explosive winger with bags of pace and a penchant for trickery that makes him a nightmare for defenders.
There is still room for improvement when it comes to end product, but Gittens is a potential match-winner, and thusly a huge asset for the U21s. BVB team-mate Karim Adeyemi recently summed up just how special Gittens is, claiming his team-mate "has no fear". Adeyemi added: "For me, he is one of the best players one-against-one I have ever seen, to be honest. He will be a really good player."