England WU23s squad for France and Spain

Monday 4 December: *The England women’s under 23s match against Spain at Burton Albion has been moved to be played behind closed doors due to a waterlogged pitch.

The decision was made for the match to relocate following several pitch inspections and concerns over player safety.

All fans who purchased a ticket for the fixture will be refunded and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. More information on the refund process will follow.

The Young Lionesses were looking forward to playing their last match of the year in front of a home crowd, but safety must come first.

England women’s under-23s head coach Emma Coates has selected 23 players for fixtures against France and Spain*.

The Young Lionesses are back in action for the final two matches of 2023 and will look to close out the year with their unbeaten status intact.

Coates’ side will first travel away to Paris to face France on Thursday 30 November (3pm GMT) before welcoming Spain on Monday 4 December.

The Young Lionesses go into the final international window of the year in fine form as they remain undefeated in 2023, most recently drawing 1-1 away to Italy and defeating Portugal 2-0 at home.

The final away fixture of the year presents a new test for the WU23s who are yet to face France, while the home fixture marks familiar opposition with the age group last facing Spain in a 0-0 draw back in February. 

Emma Coates said: “It’s been a really successful year for our WU23 age group. On the pitch we’ve put in some positive team performances and this season we’ve seen two players move across to the senior squad.

“Our ultimate objective is to maintain a flow of players ready-made for our senior team. We have an exciting group of players coming through our system; we’re focused on developing them technically and tactically but also helping them grow as people.  

“We’re looking forward to our final two fixtures of the year and will be looking to close out the year with two more strong performances. I’d encourage all Lionesses fans to get their tickets for the match in Burton to come and cheer us on and see the next generation of Lionesses.” 

The Squad

Goalkeepers: Emily Ramsey (Everton), Kayla Rendell (Southampton), Lucy Thomas (Birmingham City)

Defenders: Brooke Aspin (Bristol City, on loan from Chelsea), Anouk Denton (West Ham), Naomi Layzell (Bristol City), Ella Morris (Southampton), Poppy Pattinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Mia Ross (Charlton Athletic), Kiera Skeels (Charlton Athletic)

Midfielders: Laura Blindkilde Brown (Aston Villa), Ruby Grant (BK Hacken), Missy Bo Kearns (Liverpool), Lucia Kendall (Southampton), Ruby Mace (Manchester City), Jessica Park (Manchester City), Molly Pike (Southampton), Maisie Symonds (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Forwards: Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), Freya Gregory (Reading, on loan from Aston Villa), Jessica Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), Katie Robinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ebony Salmon (Aston Villa)