England women's national under-21 football team

The England women's national under-21 football team, also known as England women Under-21s or England women U21(s), is a youth association football team operated under the auspices of The Football Association. Its primary role is the development of players in preparation for the senior England women's national football team.

England Women's U-21

Nickname(s)	The Young Lionesses
Association	The Football Association
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Mo Marley
FIFA code	ENG
First colours Second colours
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Appearances	5 (first in 2002)
Best result	Third place, 2018

It was reinstated as an age group in 2018. Under the new system the team will help develop players after each U-20 World Cup. They will take part in the Nordic Cup previously contested by the now defunct U23s, and in non-World Cup years (bi-annually) will provide a World Cup-type programme to keep the flow and consistency of preparation for England seniors.[1]

History

Beginnings

In February 1987 the Women's Football Association (WFA) appointed Liz Deighan to run a women's national under-21 team. Deighan had been a star midfielder in the England team which reached the 1984 European Competition for Women's Football. Four years later Deighan was not re–appointed and John Bilton took over. The team folded shortly afterwards because the WFA had run out of money. Eight of England's squad at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup had come through Deighan's U-21 team, including Pauline Cope, Karen Burke and Louise Waller.[2]

FA sanctioned team

In summer 2004, The Football Association (FA) decided to reconstitute the U-21 team in order to give women a higher level of play to better prepare them for the full national team. Senior team manager Hope Powell held a four-day camp in Shropshire and announced: "This is a major step forward for our international teams and will bridge the gap between Under-19 and Senior levels. We have been observing players in this age bracket for the last six months and with the clubs' assistance I believe we can make this a real success."[3] Powell installed her full-time assistant with the senior team, Brent Hills, as coach of the team, which remained an U-21 selection from 2004 through 2008.

Competing as an U-23 team

2008 saw the change of England's youth national women's team moved to the U-23 level. The move was made by the FA in response to age-level changes FIFA had made to its oldest women's youth competition, now named FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The age limit was raised from being a U-19 tournament to a U-20 tournament. This adjustment, coupled with a newly introduced U-23 age limit to the Nordic Cup, prompted the FA to rethink and eventually change the youth development team.

Return of U-21 team

Following a review in September 2018, the FA announced the amalgamation of the U23s and U20s squads to reform an Under-21s age group, which would become the top tier of the nation's new professional development phase.[4] The move would align England's structure to that used in other European countries to allow for more age-appropriate games and better manage individual player development post-U20 World Cup for those who have genuine senior team potential. The FA's head of women's development Kay Cossington and senior team manager Phil Neville stressed the move as an important part of the wider, long-term plan prior to the following summer's World Cup. The then U20s manager Mo Marley was announced as the team's first head coach.

Eligibility

Although most national football teams represent a sovereign state, as a member of the United Kingdom's Home Nations, England is permitted by FIFA statutes to maintain its own national side that competes in all major tournaments.

Every player must meet FIFA eligibility rules. However, as long as they are eligible, players can play for England at any level, making it possible to play for the U21s, the senior side, and then again for the U21s provided they also meet the age restrictions. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and another at senior level.

Current players

The following 19 players were named to the squad for a double-header of friendlies against  France in March 2020.[5]
Head coach: Rehanne Skinner

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Club
	GK	Charlotte Clarke	21 August 2000	Stoke City
	GK	Emily Ramsey	16 November 2000	Manchester United
	DF	Niamh Cashin	24 February 2000	Rider Broncs
	DF	Megan Finnigan	2 April 1998	Everton
	DF	Taylor Hinds	25 September 1999	Liverpool
	DF	Esme Morgan	18 October 2000	Manchester City
	DF	Mayumi Pacheco	25 August 1998	West Ham United
	DF	Poppy Pattinson	30 April 2000	Everton
	DF	Lotte Wubben-Moy	11 January 1999	North Carolina Tar Heels
	MF	Amelia Hazard	22 October 2000	London Bees
	MF	Aimee Palmer	25 July 2000	Bristol City
	MF	Chloe Peplow	3 December 1998	Tottenham Hotspur
	MF	Connie Scofield	26 May 1999	Birmingham City
	MF	Emily Syme	23 July 2000	Aston Villa
	MF	Ella Toone	2 September 1999	Manchester United
	FW	Angela Addison	9 December 1999	Tottenham Hotspur
	FW	Hannah Cain	11 February 1999	Leicester City
	FW	Niamh Charles	21 June 1999	Chelsea
	FW	Rianna Dean	21 October 1998	Tottenham Hotspur

Recent callups

The following players have also been called up to the England under-21 squad within the last twelve months.

This list may be incomplete.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Sophie Baggaley	29 November 1996	-	-	Bristol City	Nordic Tournament, October 2019
GK	Hannah Hampton	16 November 2000	-	-	Birmingham City	Nordic Tournament, October 2019
DF	Anna Patten	20 April 1999	-	-	South Carolina Gamecocks	v.  France, March 2020
DF	Georgia Eaton-Collins	9 June 2000	-	-	Florida Gators	Nordic Tournament, October 2019
DF	Gabby George	2 February 1997	-	-	Everton	Nordic Tournament, October 2019
MF	Amy Rodgers	4 May 2000	-	-	Liverpool	v.  France, March 2020
MF	Georgia Allen	16 June 1998	-	-	Ipswich Town	Nordic Tournament, October 2019
FW	Charlie Wellings	18 May 1998	-	-	Bristol City	v.  France, March 2020
FW	Rinsola Babajide	17 June 1998	-	-	Liverpool	Nordic Tournament, October 2019
FW	Ellie Brazil	10 January 1999	-	-	Brighton & Hove Albion	Nordic Tournament, October 2019
FW	Lauren Hemp	7 August 2000	-	-	Manchester City	Nordic Tournament, October 2019
FW	Alessia Russo	8 February 1999	-	-	North Carolina Tar Heels	Nordic Tournament, October 2019

Recent schedule and results

2019

5 April 2019 La Manga U23 Tournament	England	2–1	France	Murcia, Spain
3pm	Wellings  14', 27'		Gago  45+1'	Stadium: La Manga Club Ground

7 April 2019 La Manga U23 Tournament	England	2–3	Norway	Murcia, Spain
3pm	Toone  9' Pacheco  31'	Report	Hasund  5', 85' Abrahamsen  13'	Stadium: La Manga Club Ground

9 April 2019 La Manga U23 Tournament	England	1–1	Sweden	Murcia, Spain
12pm	Hinds		de Jongh	Stadium: La Manga Club Ground

26 May 2019 U23 Open Nordic Tournament	England	0–0	Norway	Arvika, Sweden
		Report		Stadium: Solviksvallen

30 May 2019 U23 Open Nordic Tournament	England	3–0	China PR	Säffle, Sweden
	Babajide  19' Toone  42' Dean  80'			Stadium: Sporthälla Idrottsplats

1 June 2019 U23 Open Nordic Tournament	England	4–1	Netherlands	Sunne, Sweden
	Finnigan  21' Wellings  45' Carter  55' Babajide  90+5'		Snoeijs  56'	Stadium: Kolsvik

28 August 2019 Nordic Tournament	England	0–5	Sweden	Loughborough, England
13:00	George		Angeldal  (pen.) Kullashi  (pen.) Hed Almqvist	Stadium: Loughborough University

30 August 2019 Nordic Tournament	England	0–1	United States	Loughborough, England
13:00			Dorsey	Stadium: Loughborough University

2 September 2019 Nordic Tournament	England	4–1	Norway	Loughborough, England
13:00	Cain Finnigan Palmer  (pen.) Toone		Naalsund	Stadium: Loughborough University

2020

5 March 2020 Friendly	England	1–0	France	Burton, England
	Dean  4'	Report		Stadium: St George's Park

8 March 2020 Friendly	England	2–0	France	Burton, England
	Charles Dean			Stadium: St George's Park

9 April 2020 La Manga U23 Tournament	England	v	Germany	Murcia, Spain
				Stadium: La Manga Club Ground

13 April 2020 La Manga U23 Tournament	Netherlands	v	England	Murcia, Spain
				Stadium: La Manga Club Ground

Coaches

• Mo Marley (2018–present)

References

1. Association, The Football. "England Women's national development team structure update". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
2. Lopez 1997, p. 68
3. "Soccer: Heatherson looks for England place". Evening Echo. 16 June 2004. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
4. Association, The Football. "England Women's national development team structure update". www.thefa.com. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
5. Association, The Football. "England WU21s squad named to play double-header France at St. George's Park in March". www.thefa.com.

Bibliography

• Lopez, Sue (1997). Women on the Ball: A Guide to Women's Football. London, England: Scarlet Press. ISBN 1857270169.