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England’s Under-21 stars
- Updated: October 6, 2016
England have qualified comfortably for the 2017 Under-21 European Championship in Poland following their 1-0 win in Kazakhstan on Thursday.
Aidy Boothroyd got the young stars over the line after Gareth Southgate stepped up for senior duty, securing top spot in Group 9 with a game to spare.
Here, we look at the main contributors to a successful qualification campaign, and why the future looks bright for England…
Jordan Pickford – Goalkeeper – Sunderland – 22
England’s first-choice goalkeeper at Under-21 level made his debut for Sunderland in the FA Cup last January, and has made five starts for the Black Cats this term.
He was linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer by The Sun, and has conceded just two goals in his five appearances in Euro Qualifying.
Calum Chambers – Defender – Arsenal (on loan at Middlesbrough) – 21
Chambers has been a mainstay in the Under-21s defence throughout the campaign, but is yet to add to his three senior caps picked up in 2014.
His loan move to Boro in the summer has allowed him more game time, however, and we could be seeing the former Southampton man in the full England squad in years to come.
Matt Targett – Defender – Southampton – 21
Another youngster to come through Southampton’s academy, Targett made 20 appearances for Ronald Koeman’s side last season.
He picked up Southampton’s Young Player of the Season award for 2014/15, but the queue ahead of him for senior duty is long, with Danny Rose, Ryan Bertrand, Kieran Gibbs and Luke Shaw all ahead of him at present.
Dominic Iorfa – Defender – Wolves – 21
The 21-year-old is a regular in the Championship for Wolves, and has also established himself as first-choice right-back for the Under-21s.
Remarkably well-built for his age at 6ft 2in, the pacy full-back can also get forward, and was linked with a move to West Ham in the summer.
Nathan Chalobah – Defender/Midfielder – Chelsea – 21
A regular at centre-back for the Under-21s, Chalobah has enjoyed successful loan spells in the Championship in midfield with Watford and Middlesbrough.
He spent 2015/16 on loan at Napoli but …
