The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football. As of 2021, players must have been aged 21 or under as of 1 July immediately preceding the start of the season; in the past the age limit has been 23, which led to criticism in the media over whether a player who was 24 years old at the end of the season could really be considered "young" in footballing terms. The award has been presented since the 1973–74 season and the winner is chosen by a vote amongst the members of the players' trade union, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA). The first winner of the award was Ipswich Town defender Kevin Beattie. The current holder is Chelsea player Cole Palmer, who won the award on 20 August 2024.
The England women's national football team, nicknamed the Lionesses, has been governed by the Football Association (FA) since 1993, having been previously administered by the Women's Football Association (WFA). England played its first international match in November 1972 against Scotland. Although most national football teams represent a sovereign state, England is permitted by FIFA statutes, as a member of the United Kingdom's Home Nations, to maintain a national side that competes in all major tournaments, with the exception of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament.
The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is the national under-21 association football team of England, under the control of the Football Association. It is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team.
Lucy Elizabeth Staniforth-Wilson is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Aston Villa and the England women's national team.
Jordan Lee Pickford is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Everton and the England national team.
Bethany Jane Mead is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Women's Super League (WSL) club Arsenal and the England national team. A creative and prolific forward, she has all-time most assists and all-time second-most goal contributions in the WSL. Joint with Vivianne Miedema, she is the first player to reach a combined total of 100 goals and assists in the WSL. At UEFA Women's Euro 2022, she became the Golden Boot winner, Player of the Tournament, and top assist provider, leading England to win a major tournament for the first time. Later that year, she was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, becoming the first women's footballer to win the prestigious award; and finished runner-up for the Ballon d'Or and UEFA Player of the Year.
Millie Bright is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Chelsea who she captains, and the England national team. She previously played for Doncaster Belles and Leeds Ladies, and represented England on the under-19 and under-23 national teams.
Jess Carter is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for National Women's Soccer League club NJ/NY Gotham FC and the England national team. She began her senior career at Birmingham City and has represented England from under-19 to under-23 youth level.
The UEFA Euro 2020 final was an association football match that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 11 July 2021, to determine the winners of UEFA Euro 2020. It was the sixteenth final of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial tournament contested by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA to decide the champions of Europe. Originally scheduled for 12 July 2020, the match had been postponed along with the rest of the tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. The match was contested between Italy, in their fourth Euro final, and England, in their first ever Euro final, and just their second final at any major tournament, after the 1966 FIFA World Cup final.
Ella Ann Toone is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Women's Super League club Manchester United and the England national team. She represented England from under-17 to under-21, scoring her first Euro goal against Spain in 2022, with another against Germany in the Euro 2022 final, helping the team to win the European Championship.
Poppy Pattinson is an English professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Brighton & Hove Albion of the Women's Super League. She has previously played for Sunderland, Manchester City, Bristol City and Everton, and from under-17 to under-23 youth level with England.
Millie Turner is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Manchester United and the England national team. A product of the United academy, she previously played for Everton and Bristol City, and represented England at under-19 and under-23 youth level before making her senior debut in 2024.
Bukayo Ayoyinka Temidayo Saka is an English professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Premier League club Arsenal and the England national team. He is regarded as one of the best wingers and young players in the world.
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.
Emily Jo Ramsey is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Everton in the Women's Super League and the England under-23 team.
The 2019–20 FA WSL season was the ninth edition of the FA Women's Super League (WSL) since it was formed in 2010. It was the second season after the rebranding of the four highest levels in English women's football and the twelve teams contesting the season was the greatest number in the league's history to date, following a steady increase from the original eight. It is the first under the new Barclays title sponsorship following a landmark multi-million pound investment.
Angela Addison is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ipswich Town playing in England's FA Women's National League South.
Samuel Lloyd Tickle is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL League One club Wigan Athletic.
Amario Oswald Gerardo Cozier-Duberry is an English professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers on loan from Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
Ella Beth Morris is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the England under-23 team. She has previously represented England at every youth level from under-15 to under-19 level.
