England women's national under-21 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

Last updated March 05, 2025

The England women's national under-21 football team, also known as England women Under-21s or England women U21(s), was a youth association football team operated under the auspices of The Football Association. Its primary role was the development of players in preparation for the senior England women's national football team. In 2021, the England women's under-23 team replaced the purpose of the under-21 team, in order to increase the opportunities for young players.

The U21 team was reinstated as an age group from 2018 until 2021. During this era, the team helped develop players after each U-20 World Cup. They took part in the Nordic Cup, previously contested by the then defunct U23s, and in non-World Cup years (bi-annually). It provided 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 (2008–2018)

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 (2018–2021)

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.

Move back to U-23 team (2021–present)

In October 2021, the FA announced the return of an under-23 team as newly appointed senior manager Sarina Wiegman looked to increase international playing opportunities for promising players in the senior pathway, particularly those who had aged out of the under-21 squad. Mo Marley was appointed head coach and tasked with also mentoring Emma Coates and Fara Williams as coaches.^[5] The move came off the back of the cancellation of two editions of the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship and one FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, further limiting opportunities for youth international experience.^[6]

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.^[7]
Head coach: Rehanne Skinner

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Club
1 GK	Charlotte Clarke	(2000-08-21) 21 August 2000 (age 24)	Stoke City
1 GK	Emily Ramsey	(2000-11-16) 16 November 2000 (age 24)	Manchester United

2 DF	Niamh Cashin	(2000-02-24) 24 February 2000 (age 25)	Rider Broncs
2 DF	Megan Finnigan	(1998-04-02) 2 April 1998 (age 26)	Everton
2 DF	Taylor Hinds	(1999-09-25) 25 September 1999 (age 25)	Liverpool
2 DF	Esme Morgan	(2000-10-18) 18 October 2000 (age 24)	Manchester City
2 DF	Maz Pacheco	(1998-08-25) 25 August 1998 (age 26)	West Ham United
2 DF	Poppy Pattinson	(2000-04-30) 30 April 2000 (age 24)	Everton
2 DF	Lotte Wubben-Moy	(1999-01-11) 11 January 1999 (age 26)	North Carolina Tar Heels

3 MF	Amelia Hazard	(2000-10-22) 22 October 2000 (age 24)	London Bees
3 MF	Aimee Palmer	(2000-07-25) 25 July 2000 (age 24)	Bristol City
3 MF	Chloe Peplow	(1998-12-03) 3 December 1998 (age 26)	Tottenham Hotspur
3 MF	Connie Scofield	(1999-05-26) 26 May 1999 (age 25)	Birmingham City
3 MF	Emily Syme	(2000-07-23) 23 July 2000 (age 24)	Aston Villa
3 MF	Ella Toone	(1999-09-02) 2 September 1999 (age 25)	Manchester United

4 FW	Angela Addison	(1999-12-09) 9 December 1999 (age 25)	Tottenham Hotspur
4 FW	Hannah Cain	(1999-02-11) 11 February 1999 (age 26)	Leicester City
4 FW	Niamh Charles	(1999-06-21) 21 June 1999 (age 25)	Chelsea
4 FW	Rianna Dean	(1998-10-21) 21 October 1998 (age 26)	Tottenham Hotspur

Past results

2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2020

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

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

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

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

Coaches

Mo Marley (2018–2021)

References

↑ Association, The Football. "England Women's national development team structure update". www.thefa.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
↑ Lopez 1997 , p. 68
↑ "Soccer: Heatherson looks for England place". Evening Echo. 16 June 2004. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
↑ Association, The Football. "England Women's national development team structure update". www.thefa.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
↑ Association, The Football. "England Women's U23s squad named for Belgium trip in October 2021". englandfootball.com.
↑ Frith, Wilf (18 November 2020). "FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women's World Cups cancelled". SheKicks. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
↑ Association, The Football. "England WU21s squad named to play double-header France at St. George's Park in March". www.thefa.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2020.

Bibliography

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

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[1] Association, The Football. "England Women's national development team structure update". www.thefa.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.

[Lopez-68-2] Lopez 1997 , p. 68

[echo-3] "Soccer: Heatherson looks for England place". Evening Echo. 16 June 2004. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2010.

[:0-4] Association, The Football. "England Women's national development team structure update". www.thefa.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.

[5] Association, The Football. "England Women's U23s squad named for Belgium trip in October 2021". englandfootball.com.

[6] Frith, Wilf (18 November 2020). "FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women's World Cups cancelled". SheKicks. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2021.

[7] Association, The Football. "England WU21s squad named to play double-header France at St. George's Park in March". www.thefa.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2020.

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