England have ‘great incentive’ to excel at Under-19 Euros, says Foster

Out in Slovakia for the European Championship, England’s Under-19 Young Lions are making waves. With a group-stage record of three matches played, three victories and no goals conceded they enter the semi-final stage as warm favourites to beat Italy, the senior team’s Euro 2020 nemeses, on Tuesday evening in Senec.

An opening 2-0 win over Austria followed by a 4-0 defeat of Serbia had already qualified them for 2023’s Under-20 World Cup even before Saturday’s 1-0 win over Israel, played on a sodden pitch following a midsummer storm. In Indonesia next year, they will aim to repeat the success of their 2017 forebears, who became the first English world champions since 1966 after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s goal beat Venezuela in the final.

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Before that, against an Italian team featuring Fabio Miretti – already a Juventus first-teamer – there is a chance to emulate England’s Under-19 European champions of the same year, a generation including Mason Mount, Ryan Sessegnon and Aaron Ramsdale.

Though England’s joint-top scorer in that tournament may now be known as Ben Brereton-Díaz and play for Chile, Lukas Nmecha also now being a full German international, the pathway to future senior recognition is clear. Gareth Southgate, a former Under-21 manager who addressed the Under-19s at St George’s Park ahead of their flight to Slovakia, is far more readily disposed to England youth products than his predecessors.

“Gareth can empathise with coaches in the pathway as he’s worked here,” says Ian Foster, the Under-19 coach. The 45-year-old Merseysider previously worked alongside Steve Cooper, when the now-Nottingham Forest manager’s team won the Under-17 World Cup