Published 19 October 2022 3 min read
Men's U21
Lee Carsley ready for 'a really good challenge' at U21 EUROs
Young Lions were drawn out with some familiar teams in the 2023 UEFA U21 EURO Finals draw
MY ENGLAND FOOTBALL: JOIN HERE
England men’s under-21s head coach Lee Carsley says the preparation starts now for next summer’s UEFA U21 EURO Finals, following Tuesday’s draw.
The Young Lions were drawn out with Czech Republic, Germany and Israel in Group C of the draw in Bucharest.
With 16 nations having qualified for the tournament in Georgia and Romania next summer, the best young players in Europe will be on show when it kicks-off on 21 June.
"We always knew there was going to be some tough teams in all of the pots,” said head coach Carsley.
“To get to this point and get Germany, Czech Republic and Israel, it's going to be tough.
"We know how difficult it's been with the qualifying campaigns, but we're looking forward to it and it's a really good challenge for us.”
The Young Lions were drawn out with Czech Republic, Germany and Israel in Group C of the draw in Bucharest.
With 16 nations having qualified for the tournament in Georgia and Romania next summer, the best young players in Europe will be on show when it kicks-off on 21 June.
"We always knew there was going to be some tough teams in all of the pots,” said head coach Carsley.
“To get to this point and get Germany, Czech Republic and Israel, it's going to be tough.
"We know how difficult it's been with the qualifying campaigns, but we're looking forward to it and it's a really good challenge for us.”
19 Oct 2022
7:36
Highlights: England MU21s 3-1 Germany
The best of the action from Bramall Lane, where the Young Lions faced Germany in September 2022
There’s already a degree of familiarity in the group, with England having faced the Czechs twice in their qualifying campaign and then played a match with Germany in September.
Carsley is also more than aware of the young talent at Israel’s disposal, having seen their MU19s side take England all the way in the U19 EURO Final this summer.
But he says the learning won’t stop behind the scenes, as England prepare to head into a ninth successive U21 EURO Finals appearance.
"We had two tough games against Czech Republic, they were so good, especially at home and their home form was outstanding,” he added.
"We played Germany in the last international window and we did a lot of preparation on them, so we now need to make sure we're up to the same detail with Israel.
Carsley is also more than aware of the young talent at Israel’s disposal, having seen their MU19s side take England all the way in the U19 EURO Final this summer.
But he says the learning won’t stop behind the scenes, as England prepare to head into a ninth successive U21 EURO Finals appearance.
"We had two tough games against Czech Republic, they were so good, especially at home and their home form was outstanding,” he added.
"We played Germany in the last international window and we did a lot of preparation on them, so we now need to make sure we're up to the same detail with Israel.
"Israel did so well in the summer with their MU19s and they've obviously got a lot of good players in the pathway, so the key is making sure we have the detail on Israel that we have on Czech Republic and Germany.”
The Young Lions will also be based in the Georgian city of Batumi, a venue they have already visited when they travelled there for a game with the joint hosts in November.
"We went over there and had a friendly there last year,” he added.
“It was a great experience for the players. It was a tough game they gave us and we're looking forward to getting back out there.”
The Young Lions will also be based in the Georgian city of Batumi, a venue they have already visited when they travelled there for a game with the joint hosts in November.
"We went over there and had a friendly there last year,” he added.
“It was a great experience for the players. It was a tough game they gave us and we're looking forward to getting back out there.”