England national under-21 football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
England U-21

Nickname(s)	The Three Lions
Association	The Football Association (The FA)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Ben Futcher (Interim)
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
Romania 4–0 England  (Ploieşti, Romania; 14 October 1980)  England 0–4 Spain  (Birmingham, England; 27 February 2001)  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, often called England U21s, is the national football team for players under 21 years old from England. It is managed by the Football Association (The FA). This team is like a stepping stone for young players who hope to play for the main England national football team.

Players are eligible for the U21 team if they are under 21 at the start of the calendar year when a two-year UEFA European Under-21 Championship competition begins. This means some players can stay with the team until they are 23. Players can move between the U21s and the senior team. For example, Jack Butland, Harry Kane, and Emile Smith Rowe have played for both. It's also possible for a player to represent one country at youth level and another at senior level, as long as they haven't played a competitive senior game for their first country.

The England U21 team started in 1976. Their very first game was a 0–0 draw in a friendly match against Wales at Molineux Stadium. The team does not have one main home stadium. They play games in different stadiums across England. This helps encourage young fans from all over the country to watch matches. Because fewer people attend U21 games compared to senior team matches, smaller stadiums can be used. The record attendance for an England U21 game was almost 60,000 fans. This happened on March 24, 2007, when England U21 played Italy U21 at the new Wembley Stadium. This was also a world record for a U21 game!

Who Coaches the Team?

Meet the Coaches

The U21 team has had many coaches over the years. The first coach was Dave Sexton, who led the team from 1977 to 1990. He also managed big clubs like Manchester United at the same time. Later, Peter Taylor took over and had a great record, even though his teams didn't win a major tournament.

In 2007, Stuart Pearce became the head coach. He stayed in the role until 2013. After him, former England international Gareth Southgate managed the team. He later became the manager of the senior England team. Aidy Boothroyd then took over as the permanent U21 manager in 2017.

Currently, Lee Carsley is the head coach of the England U21 team. He was promoted from his role with the England U20s in 2021. Ashley Cole is his assistant manager.

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	Aidy Boothroyd
2021–	Lee Carsley
2024	Ben Futcher (Interim)

Current Coaching Staff

Position	Staff
Manager	Lee Carsley
Assistant Manager	Ashley Cole
Goalkeeping Coach	Timothy Dittmer

Where to Watch the Games

You can watch England U21 Euro qualifiers and friendly matches on The FA Player.

Recent Games and Upcoming Matches

2023 Matches

      Win       Draw       Loss

UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) group stage 22 June 2023 (2023-06-22)	Czech Republic	0–2	England	Batumi, Georgia
20:00	Sejk 19' Šulc 45+1' Karabec 90+3'	https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2036124/	Gordon 20' Ramsey  47' 84' Aarons 56' Gibbs-White 69' Smith Rowe  90+4'	Stadium: Batumi Stadium Attendance: 8,168 Referee: Horatiu Fesnic (Romania)

UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) group stage 25 June 2023 (2023-06-25)	England	2–0	Israel	Kutaisi, Georgia
20:00	Gordon  15' Johnson 45' Smith Rowe  68' Jones 76'	https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2036135/	Hajaj 76'	Stadium: Ramaz Shengelia Stadium Attendance: 5,106 Referee: Rade Obrenović (Slovenia)

UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) group stage 28 June 2023 (2023-06-28)	England	2–0	Germany	Batumi, Georgia
20:00	Archer  4' Elliott  21'	https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2036143/		Stadium: Batumi Stadium Attendance: 9,587 Referee: Aliyar Aghayev (Azerbaijan)

UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) quarter-final 2 July 2023 (2023-07-02)	England	1–0	Portugal	Kutaisi, Georgia
20:00	Gordon  34' Aarons 51' Johnson 80' Trafford 85'	https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2036148/	Zé Carlos 83'	Stadium: Ramaz Shengelia Stadium Attendance: 6,920 Referee: Rade Obrenović (Slovenia)

UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Final tournament) semi-final 5 July 2023 (2023-07-05)	Israel	0–3	England	Batumi, Georgia
20:00	Turgeman 20' Lemkin 82'	https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2036150/	Gibbs-White  42' Palmer  63' Colwill 81' Archer  90'	Stadium: Adjarabet Arena Attendance: 11,801 Referee: Morten Krogh (Denmark)

2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final 8 July 2023 (2023-07-08)	England	1–0	Spain	Batumi, Georgia
20:00	Gomes 24' Jones  45+4' Colwill 45+6' Gibbs-White  69', 90+12' Trafford 74'	https://www.uefa.com/under21/match/2036152/	Baena 34' Blanco  37', 90+12' Sancet 45+6' Oroz 62' Riquelme 86'	Stadium: Adjarabet Arena Attendance: 18,498 Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway)

Upcoming Qualification Matches

2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group F

Who Plays for England U21?

Current Team Squad

Players born on or after January 1, 2002, can play in the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. The following players were recently chosen for games in November 2024.

Caps (games played) and goals are updated as of November 18, 2024. Players whose names are in bold have also played for the senior England team.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	1GK	Beadle, JamesJames Beadle	(2004-07-16) 16 July 2004 (age 20)	4	0	Sheffield Wednesday (on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion)
	1GK	Cox, MatthewMatthew Cox	(2003-05-02) 2 May 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Brentford
	2DF	Cresswell, CharlieCharlie Cresswell	(2002-08-17) 17 August 2002 (age 22)	18	2	Toulouse
	2DF	Humphreys, BashirBashir Humphreys	(2003-03-15) 15 March 2003 (age 22)	5	0	Burnley (on loan from Chelsea)
	2DF	Mengi, TedenTeden Mengi	(2002-04-30) 30 April 2002 (age 23)	3	0	Luton Town
	2DF	Chrisene, BenBen Chrisene	(2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Norwich City
	2DF	Fisher, KellenKellen Fisher	(2004-05-05) 5 May 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Norwich City
	3MF	McAtee, JamesJames McAtee	(2002-10-18) 18 October 2002 (age 22)	16	6	Manchester City
	3MF	Gray, ArchieArchie Gray	(2006-03-12) 12 March 2006 (age 19)	8	1	Tottenham Hotspur
	3MF	Morton, TylerTyler Morton	(2002-10-31) 31 October 2002 (age 22)	8	1	Liverpool
	3MF	Bellingham, JobeJobe Bellingham	(2005-09-23) 23 September 2005 (age 19)	2	0	Sunderland
	3MF	Gyabi, DarkoDarko Gyabi	(2004-02-18) 18 February 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Plymouth Argyle (on loan from Leeds United)
	3MF	Miley, LewisLewis Miley	(2006-05-01) 1 May 2006 (age 19)	2	0	Newcastle United
	4FW	Iling-Junior, SamuelSamuel Iling-Junior	(2003-10-04) 4 October 2003 (age 21)	11	2	Bologna (on loan from Aston Villa)
	4FW	Delap, LiamLiam Delap	(2003-02-08) 8 February 2003 (age 22)	10	2	Ipswich Town
	4FW	Philogene, JadenJaden Philogene	(2002-02-08) 8 February 2002 (age 23)	7	3	Aston Villa
	4FW	Scarlett, DaneDane Scarlett	(2004-03-24) 24 March 2004 (age 21)	4	2	Oxford United (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur)
	4FW	Hutchinson, OmariOmari Hutchinson	(2003-10-30) 30 October 2003 (age 21)	2	1	Ipswich Town
	4FW	Dibling, TylerTyler Dibling	(2006-02-17) 17 February 2006 (age 19)	2	0	Southampton
	4FW	Earthy, GeorgeGeorge Earthy	(2004-09-05) 5 September 2004 (age 20)	2	0	Bristol City (on loan from West Ham United)
	4FW	Rak-Sakyi, JesurunJesurun Rak-Sakyi	(2002-10-05) 5 October 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Sheffield United (on loan from Crystal Palace)

Other Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been called up to the England U21 squad before and can still be chosen.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Trafford, JamesJames Trafford	(2002-10-10) 10 October 2002 (age 22)	19	0	Burnley	v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 SEN
GK	Tickle, SamSam Tickle	(2002-03-31) 31 March 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Wigan Athletic	v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024
DF	Branthwaite, JarradJarrad Branthwaite	(2002-06-27) 27 June 2002 (age 22)	6	0	Everton	v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 SEN
DF	Doyle, CallumCallum 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
DF	Hinshelwood, JackJack Hinshelwood	(2005-04-11) 11 April 2005 (age 20)	3	0	Brighton & Hove Albion	v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 INJ
DF	Livramento, TinoTino Livramento	(2002-11-12) 12 November 2002 (age 22)	9	0	Newcastle United	v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 SEN
DF	Quansah, JarellJarell Quansah	(2003-01-29) 29 January 2003 (age 22)	8	0	Liverpool	v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 SEN
DF	Harwood-Bellis, TaylorTaylor Harwood-Bellis	(2002-01-30) 30 January 2002 (age 23)	26	0	Southampton	v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024
DF	Hall, LewisLewis Hall	(2004-09-08) 8 September 2004 (age 20)	5	0	Newcastle United	v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024
DF	Wood, NathanNathan Wood	(2002-05-31) 31 May 2002 (age 23)	4	0	Southampton	v.  Northern Ireland,  Austria, 6–10 September 2024
DF	Lewis, RicoRico Lewis	(2004-11-21) 21 November 2004 (age 20)	5	0	Manchester City	v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024 SEN
DF	Norton-Cuffy, BrookeBrooke Norton-Cuffy	(2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 21)	4	0	Genoa	v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024
DF	Wilson-Esbrand, JoshJosh Wilson-Esbrand	(2002-12-26) 26 December 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Manchester City	v.  Serbia,  Northern Ireland, 18-21 November 2023
DF	Colwill, LeviLevi Colwill	(2003-02-26) 26 February 2003 (age 22)	11	0	Chelsea	2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, June-July 2023
DF	Mbete, LukeLuke 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
DF	Hill, JamesJames Hill	(2002-01-10) 10 January 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Bournemouth	v.  Czech Republic,  Albania,  Kosovo,  Slovenia, 3–13 June 2022
MF	Anderson, ElliotElliot Anderson	(2002-11-06) 6 November 2002 (age 22)	4	1	Nottingham Forest	v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 INJ
MF	Hackney, HaydenHayden Hackney	(2002-06-26) 26 June 2002 (age 22)	7	0	Middlesbrough	v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 INJ
MF	Scott, AlexAlex Scott	(2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 21)	4	0	Bournemouth	v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024
MF	Wharton, AdamAdam Wharton	(2004-02-06) 6 February 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Crystal Palace	v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024
MF	Elliott, HarveyHarvey Elliott	(2003-04-04) 4 April 2003 (age 22)	20	8	Liverpool	v.  Northern Ireland,  Austria, 6–10 September 2024 INJ
MF	Mainoo, KobbieKobbie Mainoo	(2005-04-19) 19 April 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Manchester United	v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024 SEN
MF	Chukwuemeka, CarneyCarney Chukwuemeka	(2003-10-20) 20 October 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Chelsea	v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024 INJ
MF	Palmer, ColeCole Palmer	(2002-05-06) 6 May 2002 (age 23)	15	5	Chelsea	v.  Serbia,  Northern Ireland, 18-21 November 2023 SEN
MF	Patino, CharlieCharlie Patino	(2003-10-17) 17 October 2003 (age 21)	2	0	Deportivo La Coruña	v.  Serbia,  Northern Ireland, 18-21 November 2023
MF	Ramsey, AaronAaron Ramsey	(2003-01-21) 21 January 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Burnley	v.  Serbia,  Ukraine, 12-16 October 2023
MF	Bellingham, JudeJude Bellingham	(2003-06-29) 29 June 2003 (age 21)	4	1	Real Madrid	v.  Andorra,  Albania, 13–17 November 2020 SEN
FW	Gittens, JamieJamie Gittens	(2004-08-08) 8 August 2004 (age 20)	11	1	Borussia Dortmund	v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 INJ
FW	Rogers, MorganMorgan Rogers	(2002-07-26) 26 July 2002 (age 22)	6	4	Aston Villa	v.  Spain,  Netherlands, 15–18 November 2024 SEN
FW	Stansfield, JayJay Stansfield	(2002-11-24) 24 November 2002 (age 22)	3	0	Birmingham City	v.  Ukraine,  Azerbaijan, 11–15 October 2024
FW	Rowe, JonathanJonathan Rowe	(2003-04-30) 30 April 2003 (age 22)	4	1	Marseille (on loan from Norwich City)	v.  Northern Ireland,  Austria, 6–10 September 2024
FW	Fellows, TomTom Fellows	(2003-07-25) 25 July 2003 (age 21)	2	1	West Bromwich Albion	v.  Northern Ireland,  Austria, 6–10 September 2024
FW	Madueke, NoniNoni Madueke	(2002-03-10) 10 March 2002 (age 23)	20	7	Chelsea	v.  Azerbaijan,  Luxembourg, 22–26 March 2024
FW	Edozie, SamuelSamuel Edozie	(2003-01-28) 28 January 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Anderlecht (on loan from Southampton)	v.  Luxembourg, 11 September 2023
FW	Greenwood, SamSam 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
FW	Gelhardt, JoeJoe Gelhardt	(2002-05-04) 4 May 2002 (age 23)	0	0	Leeds United	v.  Slovenia,  Andorra, 7–11 October 2021

• ^INJ Player could not play due to an injury.
• ^SEN Player was called up to the main senior team.

Past Teams

• 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

Team Records

Most Games Played

These players have played the most matches for the England U21 team.

Note: Club(s) shows the permanent clubs where the player was during their time in the Under-21s. Players in bold can still play for the team.

Top Goal Scorers

These players have scored the most goals for the England U21 team.

Note: Club(s) shows the permanent clubs where the player was during their time in the Under-21s. Players in bold can still play for the team.

Tournament History

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 a U20 World Cup.

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

After a strong start, the team had a tougher period, sometimes failing to qualify for the main tournament. For example, in 1998, they won their qualifying group but were unlucky to be eliminated in a play-off game.

England qualified for the 2000 finals easily, winning all their matches without letting in a single goal. However, they were knocked out in the group stage of the main tournament. They also struggled in the group stage of the 2002 tournament.

In 2007, England made it to the semi-finals. They led for most of the game against the host country, the Netherlands, but after a late goal and a long penalty shootout, they were knocked out. In 2009, England reached the final but lost 4–0 to Germany.

The team faced more challenges in later tournaments, often exiting in the group stage. However, in 2017, they reached the semi-finals again.

A big moment came in 2023 when England won the tournament for the third time! They had an amazing performance, winning all their games without letting in any goals.

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
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
2002		7th of 8	3	1	0	2	4	6		8	5	2	1	18	8		Wilkinson Platt
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
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
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 is when it finishes.

*Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty kicks.

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol sub-21 de Inglaterra para niños