England Under-21s ended their 39-year wait for glory with victory in the European Under-21 Championship this summer, and first-team boss Gareth Southgate must have loved what he saw from the Young Lions.
Led by Lee Carsley, England did not concede a goal across the entire tournament as they dispatched of Europe’s top young talents. Their performances will serve as an indirect warning to the senior stars that the next generation are raring to take their places in Southgate’s squad sooner rather than later.
Here’s the stand-out performers who should already be knocking on Southgate’s door.
James Trafford was one of a number of top performers for England but stole the show with the final moment of the tournament as he saved a 96th-minute penalty to stop the game from going into extra-time and win the trophy for England.
At club level, Trafford is currently on the books at Manchester City and impressed on loan last season with Bolton in League One. There’s an obvious jump-up in level needed before England come calling, but an imminent transfer to Burnley should see to that.
Premier League newcomers Burnley are signing Trafford in a deal worth up to £19m which, if it all ends up being paid, will make the 20-year-old the third most expensive English goalkeeper ever. Only 16 goalkeepers worldwide have ever commanded more money that that.
That’s the sort of platform that gets you international attention, so if Trafford can live up to the reputation, an England shout cannot be far away.
Southgate already invited centre-back Levi Colwill to senior training before the tournament but opted against handing him any minutes, instead using him as an elite training cone before sending him back to Carsley’s setup to become a champion.
For those who have been living under a rock for the past 12 months, Colwill is one of the highest-rated young defenders on the planet and certainly the leader of the next generation of centre-backs in England. He’s a Chelsea academy graduate and took his career to new heights on loan with Brighton last season.
Brighton have tried to make him their most expensive signing ever, while Liverpool have had a number of enquiries knocked back. Chelsea know they have a supreme talent on their hands and must now prove that by handing the 20-year-old minutes.
Southgate has proven incredibly stubborn when it comes to his centre-backs, but Colwill looks like the sort of talent who could finally force a change.
If it weren’t for Colwill, Taylor Harwood-Bellis would be earning far more praise right now.
The Manchester City centre-back was sensational all tournament but ended up flying under the radar through no fault of his own. The 21-year-old will be playing top-flight football next season, that much is clear.
Harwood-Bellis spent last season on loan with Burnley and returned to City this summer with 12 months remaining on his contract, surely setting up a fascinating summer transfer.
The dominoes are falling into place for Harwood-Bellis, who will be in Southgate’s squad soon enough if he can maintain his current level.
Few players have enjoyed a better six months than Curtis Jones.
Already a regular at senior level with Liverpool, Jones exploded into a first-team starter and was one of several catalysts for the Reds’ major upturn in form towards the end of the campaign. Jones carried that level over into the Euros and ran the show in midfield.
He deserves the chance to keep his place at club level and anywhere close to his current form will undoubtedly force Southgate to look in his direction, particularly since one of the players he has benched is Jordan Henderson, a regular in Southgate’s squad.
It’s taken 22-year-old Jones a little while to figure out his place in the game, but he’s finding his feet right now and Southgate should be very excited.
Morgan Gibbs-White played as a striker for the Under-21s but is more at home in the attacking midfield role in which he shone with Nottingham Forest last season.
He ended the season with three goals and three assists in Forest’s final six games and was similarly impressive at the Euros, with one goal and three assists in five outings.
It’s the sort of form many have been waiting to see from Gibbs-White ever since his emergence from the Wolves academy. A dangerous, powerful goalscorer capable of destroying defences from deep, he possesses a skillset which isn’t particularly common in the English game.
Ebere Eze, a similar player, has just forced his way into Southgate’s thinking, and it feels as though Gibbs-White is next in line.
“Cole is someone that is a really exciting talent with a bright future,” England Under-21 coach Joleon Lescott told 90min before the tournament, and that opinion is shared by most after watching him this summer.
The world is still figuring out his best position, but Cole Palmer took the opportunity to shine on both wings as he ran the show in the semi-final and tormented Spain’s defence in the final, ultimately striking the free-kick that proved to be England’s fortuitous winner.
It was an excellent summer for Palmer, who now returns to Manchester City facing a conundrum. After graduating from the academy in 2021, the 21-year-old has managed 38 senior appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side at an average of around 35 minutes each. Simply put, that’s not enough to play for England.
Will he go on loan, or will he stay and follow Phil Foden’s path of patience? It’s a tough question which only Palmer can answer, but regular minutes will be the key to really hammering home his message to Southgate.
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