England U21s successfully defended their European Championship crown on Saturday, beating Germany 3-2 after extra-time in a thrilling final in Bratislava.
Two years ago, Lee Carsley became the first England U21 manager since Dave Sexton (in 1982 and 1984) to win the tournament, and he has also now presided over back-to-back Euros wins. Carsley’s return to his day job has gone perfectly.
After a slowish start, the U21s grew into the competition and were excellent in the knockouts, beating Spain, the Netherlands and Germany, scoring eight goals in the process.
Thomas Tuchel, watching the final from the stands, presumably would have been impressed. England’s senior manager has been criticised for being too conservative, with the selections of 35-year-olds Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson especially contentious.
However, Tuchel has also entrusted youth, notably handing Arsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly his first three caps and retaining a clutch of players who broke through under Carsley last autumn.
Here are six U21 stars who could gatecrash Tuchel’s World Cup plans, and the more experienced players they could replace.
Harvey Elliott
Elliott has been immense at the Euros, scoring five goals in six games, including a confident early opener in the final. He was named Uefa’s Player of the Tournament.
He produced his best performance in the semi-final win over the Dutch with two superb goals that showcased both his ambipedal abilities and impeccable close control.
The 22-year-old’s versatility makes him an ideal tournament option. Elliott is most effective when cutting in from the right on his favoured left foot, but can also play centrally or on the left.
He needs – and is expected to – leave Liverpool this summer after making just two Premier League starts last season.
Incidentally, that’s as many as Cole Palmer made for Manchester City in the season leading up to the last U21 Euros in 2023. There’s his inspiration for the campaign ahead.
City’s James McAtee, player of the match in the final, faces a similarly decisive summer.
Player at risk? Noni Madueke
Tino Livramento
The right-back was named in Tuchel’s first England squad but hasn’t yet added to his solitary cap, won against the Republic of Ireland in Carsley’s final game as interim manager, since the regime change.
The 22-year-old faces plenty of competition, with Real Madrid’s newest Galactico, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tuchel favourite Reece James and Walker all battling it out to start.
However, he enjoyed a breakthrough year at Newcastle and has looked equally comfortable on the left and right at the Euros. He is probably the closest in profile to Walker, which could boost his chances of usurping him by next year.
Player at risk? Kyle Walker
Alex Scott
Bournemouth have endured a rough transfer window, with four of their first-choice back five either leaving (Kepa Arrizabalaga, Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez) or likely to leave (Illia Zabarnyi to Paris Saint-Germain).
The good news is that Andoni Iraola still has plenty of talent at his disposal. Alex Scott, currently wearing a bizarre contraption to protect a broken jaw, is poised to become their next breakout act. Unfortunately, Scott went off injured in the final after a poor tackle from Erik Martel.
The 21-year-old started six of the Cherries’ final nine league matches after missing four months with a knee injury. Silky and composed on the ball, Scott has the type of skillset that England have been crying out for.
Player at risk? Jordan Henderson
Elliot Anderson
A different type of central midfielder to Scott, but no less effective. Anderson is tenacious – no Englishman made more tackles in the Premier League last season – and provides unceasing energy in the middle.
He is a driving force as well, ranking third among Nottingham Forest players for attempted dribbles in 2024-25.
Anderson is an archetypal box-to-box English midfielder, and another strong season at the City Ground will surely put him in contention given England’s lack of depth in the engine room.
Player at risk? Conor Gallagher
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Jarell Quansah
Tuchel is obviously a fan after choosing Quansah in his first-ever England squad, but the 20-year-old is still uncapped after spending the past year in and around the senior setup.
Similarly to Elliott, Quansah had infrequent starting opportunities at Liverpool, but he will play much more next season after signing for Bayer Leverkusen in a club-record move to replace Jonathan Tah, who has joined Bayern Munich.
Tuchel doesn’t have an abundance of options at centre-back, and one, if not both, starting spots are up for grabs ahead of the World Cup. Impress in the Bundesliga and Quansah could well earn himself a seat on the plane.
Player at risk? Dan Burn
Omari Hutchinson
There is no chance of Hutchinson sneaking into the squad if he remains at Ipswich following their relegation, and even if he gets a summer transfer, it remains unlikely.
Nevertheless, the 21-year-old has shone in Slovakia with his directness and nimble feet. He ran Neraysho Kasanwirjo ragged in the semi-final, so much that the right-back was taken off as an act of mercy at the break, and then scored in the final.
England have an abundance of high-class wingers, but Hutchinson could add something a little different as a paint-on-the-boots winger.
Only five players attempted more dribbles than he did in the top-flight last season, albeit that group contains Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze.
Player at risk? Anthony Gordon
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