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England national under-21 football team facts for kids

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England U-21
Nickname(s) The Young 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 (4) (1982, 1984, 2023, 2025)

The England national under-21 football team, often called England U21s, is a special football team for young players from England. It is managed by The Football Association (The FA). This team helps prepare talented young players for the main England national football team.

Players can join this team if they are under 21 years old at the start of a two-year UEFA European Under-21 Championship competition. This means some players can stay on the team until they are 23. Players like Jack Butland and Harry Kane have played for both the U21s and the senior England team.

The England U21 team started in 1976. Their very first game was a friendly match against Wales in Wolverhampton. The game ended in a 0–0 draw.

The U21 team does not have one main stadium. They play matches in different cities across England. This helps more young fans around the country watch them play. Because fewer people come to U21 games compared to senior team matches, smaller stadiums can be used. A record crowd of nearly 60,000 people watched England U21s play Italy U21s at the new Wembley Stadium in 2007. This was also a world record for an U21 game.

Coaching the Young Lions

Meet the Head Coaches

The England U21 team has had many coaches over the years. These coaches help young players develop their skills.

Tenure Head Coach/Manager
1977–1990 England Dave Sexton
1990–1993 England Lawrie McMenemy
1994–1996 England Dave Sexton
1996–1999 England Peter Taylor
1999 England Peter Reid
1999–2001 England Howard Wilkinson
2001–2004 England David Platt
2004–2007 England Peter Taylor
2007–2013 England Stuart Pearce
2013 England Roy Hodgson
2013–2016 England Gareth Southgate
2016–2021 England Aidy Boothroyd
2021– Republic of Ireland Lee Carsley
2024 England Ben Futcher

Dave Sexton was the first coach, leading the team from 1977 to 1990. He also managed big clubs like Manchester United. After him, Lawrie McMenemy took over for three years.

Peter Taylor became coach in 1996. His teams played very well. Later, David Platt managed the team from 2001 to 2004.

In 2007, Stuart Pearce became the head coach. He stayed in the role until 2013. After him, Gareth Southgate took charge in August 2013. Southgate later became the manager of the senior England team.

Aidy Boothroyd then became the permanent manager in 2017. He left the role in April 2021. On July 27, 2021, Lee Carsley was promoted to head coach of the U21s. Ashley Cole joined him as his assistant.

Current Coaching Team

Position Staff
Manager Republic of Ireland Lee Carsley
Assistant Manager England Ashley Cole
Goalkeeping Coach England Timothy Dittmer

Source:

Watching the Games

You can watch England U21 Euro qualifiers and friendly matches on The FA Player. The 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship was shown on Channel 4.

Recent Matches and Results

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 (1976–1999)

2024 Matches

      Win       Draw       Loss

6 September 2025 UEFA U-21 Group F Qualifier Northern Ireland  0–0  England Ballymena, Northern Ireland
  • McKiernan Booked in the 36th minute 36'
  • Forbes Booked in the 42nd minute 42'
  • Devlin Booked in the 83rd minute 83'
  • Trafford Booked in the 74th minute 74'
  • Delap Booked in the 90+3th minute 90+3'
 Stadium: The Showgrounds
Attendance: 3,237
Referee: David Šmajc (Slovenia)
9 September International friendly England  4–1  Austria Luton, England
  • Delap Booked in the 1st minute 1'
  • Rogers Goal 25' (pen.), 49'
  • McAtee Goal 59'
  • Quansah Booked in the 78th minute 78'
  • Fellows Goal 82'
  • Ballo Goal 35'
  • Micheler Booked in the 41st minute 41'
 Stadium: Kenilworth Road
Attendance: 5,294
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart (France)
11 October 2025 UEFA U-21 Group F Qualifier England  2–1  Ukraine Bournemouth, England
  • Delap Booked in the 55th minute 55'
  • Morton Booked in the 56th minute 56'
  • McAtee Goal 88', 90+2'
  • Hall Booked in the 89th minute 89'
  • Khlan Booked in the 26th minute 26'
  • Mykhavko Booked in the 63rd minute 63' Goal 70'
 Stadium: Vitality Stadium
Attendance: 9,858
Referee: Joakim Östling (Sweden)
15 October 2025 UEFA U-21 Group F Qualifier England  7–0  Azerbaijan Bristol, England
  • Cresswell Goal 2'
  • Doyle Goal 27'
  • McAtee Goal 55'
  • Hüseynov Goal 70' (o.g.)
  • Anderson Goal 72'
  • Scarlett Goal 86'
  • Hutchinson Goal 90'
  • Qurbanlı Booked in the 29th minute 29'
 Stadium: Ashton Gate
Attendance: 14,974
Referee: Ivana Martinčić (Croatia)
15 November International friendly Spain  0–0  England La Línea de la Concepción, Spain
  • Guerra Booked in the 65th minute 65'
  • Delap Booked in the 65th minute 65'
  • Scarlett Booked in the 77th minute 77'
 Stadium: Estadio Municipal de La Línea de la Concepción
Referee: Cláudio Pereira (Portugal)
18 November International friendly Netherlands  1–1  England Almere, Netherlands
  • Salah-Eddine Booked in the 64th minute 64'
  • van Bergen Goal 82'
  • Kasius Booked in the 88th minute 88'
  • Scarlett Goal 5'
  • Morton Booked in the 37th minute 37'
  • Delap Booked in the 86th minute 86'
  • Gray Booked in the 89th minute 89'
 Stadium: Yanmar Stadion
Referee: Kevin O'Sullivan (Republic of Ireland)

2025 Matches

21 March International friendly France  5–3  England Lorient, France
  • Merlin Goal 4'
  • Ekitike Goal 7', 35', 55'
  • Cherki Goal 76'
  • McAtee Goal 2'
  • Elliott Goal 37'
  • Anderson Booked in the 41st minute 41'
  • Scott Booked in the 50th minute 50'
  • Delap Goal 61'
  • Hutchinson Red card 85'
 Stadium: Stade du Moustoir
Attendance: 15,271
Referee: Lothar D'Hondt (Belgium)
24 March International friendly England  4–2  Portugal West Bromwich, England
  • Hackney Goal 7'
  • Nwaneri Goal 10'
  • Hutchinson Goal 76'
  • Delap Booked in the 87th minute 87'
  • Philogene Goal 90+1'
  • Silva Goal 22'
  • Marques Booked in the 63rd minute 63'
  • Forbs Goal 85'
 Stadium: The Hawthorns
Attendance: 14,783
Referee: Iwan Griffith (Wales)
12 June 2025 (2025-06-12) 2025 UEFA Under-21 Group Stage Czech Republic  1−3  England Dunajská Streda, Slovakia
21:00 CEST (GMT+2)
  • Fila Goal 51'
  • Anderson Booked in the 1st minute 1'
  • Elliott Goal 39'
  • Rowe Goal 48'
  • Cresswell Goal 76'
 Stadium: MOL Aréna
Attendance: 8,087
Referee: Elchin Masiyev (Azerbaijan)
15 June 2025 (2025-06-15) 2025 UEFA Under-21 Group Stage England  0−0  Slovenia Nitra, Slovakia
18:00 CEST (GMT+2)
  • Elliott Booked in the 9th minute 9'
  • Morton Booked in the 85th minute 85'
 Stadium: Štadión pod Zoborom
Attendance: 5,217
Referee: Goga Kikacheishvili (Georgia)
18 June 2025 (2025-06-18) 2025 UEFA Under-21 Group Stage England  1−2  Germany Nitra, Slovakia
21:00 CEST (GMT+2)
  • Scott Booked in the 66th minute 66', Goal 76'
  • Knauff Goal 3'
  • Weiper Goal 33'
 Stadium: Štadión pod Zoborom
Attendance: 5,624
Referee: Sander van der Eijk (Netherlands)
21 June 2025 (2025-06-21) 2025 UEFA Under-21 Quarter-finals Spain  1–3  England Trnava, Slovakia
21:00 CEST (GMT+2)
  • Guerra Goal 39' (pen.)
  • Marín Red card 90+5'
  • McAtee Goal 10', Booked in the 90+5th minute 90+5'
  • Elliott Goal 15'
  • Morton Booked in the 34th minute 34'
  • Rowe Booked in the 86th minute 86'
  • Anderson Goal 90+4' (pen.)
 Stadium: Anton Malatinský Stadium
Attendance: 8,247
Referee: Simone Sozza (Italy)
25 June 2025 (2025-06-25) 2025 UEFA Under-21 Semi-finals England  2–1  Netherlands Bratislava, Slovakia
18:00 CEST (GMT+2)
  • Anderson Booked in the 45+1th minute 45+1'
  • Elliott Goal 62', 86'
  • Ohio Goal 72'
  • Goes Booked in the 78th minute 78'
 Stadium: Tehelné pole
Attendance: 14,719
Referee: Vassilis Fotias (Greece)
28 June 2025 (2025-06-28) 2025 UEFA Under-21 Final England  3–2 (a.e.t.)  Germany Bratislava, Slovakia
21:00 CEST (GMT+2)
  • Elliott Goal 5'
  • Hutchinson Goal 24'
  • Scott Booked in the 43rd minute 43'
  • Rowe Goal 92'
  • Iling-Junior Booked in the 113th minute 113'
  • Beadle Booked in the 115th minute 115'
  • Martel Booked in the 37th minute 37'
  • Weiper Goal 45+1'
  • Nebel Goal 61'
 Stadium: Tehelné pole
Attendance: 19,153
Referee: Sander van der Eijk (Netherlands)
8 September 2025 (2025-09-08) 2027 UEFA U-21 Group D Qualifier Kazakhstan  v  England
10 October 2025 (2025-10-10) 2027 UEFA U-21 Group D Qualifier Moldova  v  England
13 October 2025 (2025-10-13) 2027 UEFA U-21 Group D Qualifier England  v  Andorra
14 November 2025 (2025-11-14) 2027 UEFA U-21 Group D Qualifier England  v  Republic of Ireland
18 November 2025 (2025-11-18) 2027 UEFA U-21 Group D Qualifier Slovakia  v  England

Upcoming Qualifiers

Main article: 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group D

2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group D

Players on the Team

Current Squad Members

Players born on or after January 1, 2004, can play in the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

The players listed below were part of the squad for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. This tournament finished in June 2025.

The numbers for games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of June 28, 2025, after the match against Germany. Players whose names are in bold have also played for the senior England team.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Beadle, JamesJames Beadle (2004-07-16) 16 July 2004 (age 21) 12 0 England Birmingham City
13 1GK Simkin, TommyTommy Simkin (2004-12-08) 8 December 2004 (age 20) 0 0 England Stoke City
22 1GK Sharman-Lowe, TeddyTeddy Sharman-Lowe (2003-03-30) 30 March 2003 (age 22) 1 0 England Bolton Wanderers
2 2DF Livramento, TinoTino Livramento (2002-11-12) 12 November 2002 (age 22) 14 0 England Newcastle United
3 2DF Edwards, RonnieRonnie Edwards (2003-03-28) 28 March 2003 (age 22) 2 0 England Southampton
4 2DF Quansah, JarellJarell Quansah (2003-01-29) 29 January 2003 (age 22) 14 0 Germany Bayer Leverkusen
5 2DF Cresswell, CharlieCharlie Cresswell (2002-08-17) 17 August 2002 (age 22) 26 3 France Toulouse
12 2DF Norton-Cuffy, BrookeBrooke Norton-Cuffy (2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 21) 9 0 Italy Genoa
15 2DF Egan-Riley, CJCJ Egan-Riley (2003-01-02) 2 January 2003 (age 22) 3 0 France Marseille
6 3MF Hackney, HaydenHayden Hackney (2002-06-26) 26 June 2002 (age 23) 13 1 England Middlesbrough
8 3MF Anderson, ElliotElliot Anderson (2002-11-06) 6 November 2002 (age 22) 12 2 England Nottingham Forest
14 3MF Gray, ArchieArchie Gray (2006-03-12) 12 March 2006 (age 19) 13 1 England Tottenham Hotspur
16 3MF Hinshelwood, JackJack Hinshelwood (2005-04-11) 11 April 2005 (age 20) 10 0 England Brighton & Hove Albion
20 3MF Scott, AlexAlex Scott (2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 21) 11 1 England Bournemouth
23 3MF Morton, TylerTyler Morton (2002-10-31) 31 October 2002 (age 22) 13 1 England Liverpool
7 4FW Fellows, TomTom Fellows (2003-07-25) 25 July 2003 (age 22) 3 1 England West Bromwich Albion
9 4FW Rowe, JonathanJonathan Rowe (2003-04-30) 30 April 2003 (age 22) 10 3 France Marseille
10 4FW McAtee, JamesJames McAtee (2002-10-18) 18 October 2002 (age 22) 24 8 England Manchester City
11 4FW Hutchinson, OmariOmari Hutchinson (2003-10-30) 30 October 2003 (age 21) 10 3 England Ipswich Town
17 4FW Iling-Junior, SamuelSamuel Iling-Junior (2003-10-04) 4 October 2003 (age 21) 16 2 England Aston Villa
18 4FW Stansfield, JayJay Stansfield (2002-11-24) 24 November 2002 (age 22) 9 0 England Birmingham City
19 4FW Elliott, HarveyHarvey Elliott (2003-04-04) 4 April 2003 (age 22) 28 14 England Liverpool
21 4FW Nwaneri, EthanEthan Nwaneri (2007-03-21) 21 March 2007 (age 18) 8 1 England Arsenal

Other Players Called Up Recently

The following players have also been called up to the England U21 squad. They are still young enough to be selected again.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
DF Lewis, RicoRico Lewis (2004-11-21) 21 November 2004 (age 20) 7 0 England Manchester City v.  France,  Portugal, 21–24 March 2025
DF Chrisene, BenBen Chrisene (2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 21) 1 0 England Norwich City v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024
DF Fisher, KellenKellen Fisher (2004-05-05) 5 May 2004 (age 21) 0 0 England Norwich City v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024
DF Hall, LewisLewis Hall (2004-09-08) 8 September 2004 (age 20) 5 0 England Newcastle United v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024
MF Wharton, AdamAdam Wharton (2004-02-06) 6 February 2004 (age 21) 3 0 England Crystal Palace Training Camp, June 2025 INJ
MF Earthy, GeorgeGeorge Earthy (2004-09-05) 5 September 2004 (age 20) 2 0 England West Ham United v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024
MF Gyabi, DarkoDarko Gyabi (2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 21) 2 0 England Leeds United v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024
MF Miley, LewisLewis Miley (2006-05-01) 1 May 2006 (age 19) 2 0 England Newcastle United v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024
MF Mainoo, KobbieKobbie Mainoo (2005-04-19) 19 April 2005 (age 20) 0 0 England Manchester United v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024 SEN
FW Scarlett, DaneDane Scarlett (2004-03-24) 24 March 2004 (age 21) 4 2 England Tottenham Hotspur Training Camp, June 2025 INJ
FW Gittens, JamieJamie Gittens (2004-08-08) 8 August 2004 (age 20) 11 1 England Chelsea v.  France,  Portugal, 21–24 March 2025
FW Dibling, TylerTyler Dibling (2006-02-17) 17 February 2006 (age 19) 2 0 England Southampton v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024
  • INJ Player left the squad due to injury before playing any games.
  • SEN Player left the squad because they were called up to the senior England team.

Past Squads

  • 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
  • 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship squad

Team Records

Players with Most Games Played

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) means the main clubs a player was with while playing for the Under-21s.

Top Goal Scorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career Club(s)
1 Eddie Nketiah 16 17 0.94 2018–2021 Arsenal
2 Harvey Elliott 14 28 0.5 2022–2025 Liverpool
3 Alan Shearer 13 11 1.18 1990–1992 Southampton, Newcastle United
Francis Jeffers 13 16 0.81 1999–2003 Everton, Arsenal
5 Saido Berahino 11 12 0.92 2013–2015 West Bromwich Albion
6 Nathan Redmond 10 38 0.26 2013–2017 Birmingham City, Norwich City, Southampton
7 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) means the main clubs a player was with while playing for the Under-21s.

Tournament History

Main article: England national under-21 football team results (2000–2019)

The England U21 team plays in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. This tournament happens every two years. There isn't an Under-21 World Cup, but there is an U20 World Cup.

In the early years of the European Under-21 Championship (1978–1988), England did very well. They reached the semi-finals four times and won the competition twice, in 1982 and 1984.

After 1988, England had a tough time qualifying for the main tournament for several years. In 1998, they won their qualifying group but were unlucky. They had to play an extra match and lost, even though they had only lost one of their ten games overall.

England qualified easily for the 2000 finals. They won every match without letting in a single goal. However, they were knocked out in the group stage of the main tournament.

They also qualified for the 2002 tournament but again did not get past the group stage. After a few more years of not qualifying, England reached the semi-finals in 2007. They played against the host team, the Netherlands, and lost in a long penalty shootout.

In 2009, England made it to the final but lost 4–0 to Germany. They were knocked out in the group stage in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, and 2021. They reached the semi-finals again in 2017.

England won the tournament for the third time in 2023. They won all their games and did not let in any goals! They then won the tournament for a fourth time in 2025.

UEFA European Under-21 Championship record UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification record Manager(s)
Year Round Position Pld W D * L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Europe 1978 Semi-Finals 4th of 8 4 1 2 1 4 4 4 4 0 0 17 2 Sexton
Europe 1980 Semi-Finals 3rd of 8 4 1 1 2 4 4 4 4 0 0 11 2 Sexton
Europe 1982 Champions 1st of 8 6 3 2 1 11 8 6 4 1 1 12 5 Sexton
Europe 1984 Champions 1st of 8 6 5 0 1 13 3 6 5 0 1 13 4 Sexton
Europe 1986 Semi-Finals 4th of 8 4 1 2 1 3 4 6 3 2 1 9 3 Sexton
Europe 1988 Semi-Finals 3rd of 8 4 2 1 1 6 6 4 1 3 0 7 3 Sexton
Europe 1990 did not qualify 6 4 1 1 10 5 Sexton
Europe 1992 6 3 1 2 11 5 McMenemy
France 1994 10 4 3 3 20 8 McMenemy
Spain 1996 8 6 1 1 13 4 Sexton
Romania 1998 10 6 3 1 11 5 Taylor
Slovakia 2000 Group Stage 5th of 8 3 1 0 2 6 4 9 8 0 1 26 3 Taylor, Reid, Wilkinson
Switzerland 2002 7th of 8 3 1 0 2 4 6 8 5 2 1 18 8 Wilkinson Platt
Germany 2004 did not qualify 8 3 2 3 14 10 Platt
Portugal 2006 12 6 4 2 23 10 Taylor
Netherlands 2007 Semi-Finals 3rd of 8 4 1 3 0 5 3 4 3 1 0 8 4 Taylor, Pearce
Sweden 2009 Runners-Up 2nd of 8 5 2 2 1 8 9 10 8 2 0 22 5 Pearce
Denmark 2011 Group Stage 7th of 8 3 0 2 1 2 3 10 6 3 1 17 8 Pearce
Israel 2013 7th of 8 3 0 0 3 1 5 10 9 0 1 26 3 Pearce
Czech Republic 2015 7th of 8 3 1 0 2 2 4 12 11 1 0 35 4 Southgate
Poland 2017 Semi-Finals 3rd of 12 4 2 2 0 7 3 8 6 2 0 20 3 Southgate, Boothroyd
Italy 2019 Group Stage 9th of 12 3 0 1 2 6 9 10 8 2 0 23 4 Boothroyd
Slovenia Hungary 2021 12th of 16 3 1 0 2 2 4 10 9 1 0 34 9 Boothroyd
Romania Georgia (country) 2023 Champions 1st of 16 6 6 0 0 11 0 10 8 1 1 26 7 Carsley
Slovakia 2025 Champions 1st of 16 6 4 1 1 12 7 10 8 1 1 41 6 Carsley
Albania Serbia 2027 Carsley
Total 4 titles 18/25 68 28 18 22 95 79 201 142 37 22 467 130

Note: The year of the tournament is when it finished.

*Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty kicks.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol sub-21 de Inglaterra para niños

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