England WU23s squad named for European finale

Newly-appointed head coach Lydia Bedford has named her first England women's under-23s squad as the Young Lionesses look to finish the season on a high.

England will travel to Spain for the finals, where they will compete against Europe’s top sides for the title.

Bedford’s team face the Netherlands on Monday 13 April (3pm BST) in the semi-final, with a place in the final at stake. Depending on the outcome of that match, England will meet either Sweden or Norway on Friday 17 April (12pm BST) in the final or third-place play-off. Supporters can watch both fixtures live via the England YouTube channel.

The Netherlands are familiar opposition for the Young Lionesses, with the two sides playing out a 1-1 draw in their most recent meeting at Shrewsbury Town in March, when Lenna Gunning-Williams was on target for England.

“These are exactly the kind of fixtures we want our young players to be testing themselves in and we’ve seen this week just how beneficial these competitive games are in developing young players and preparing them for the next stage," said Bedford.

"There’s a lot of quality within this age group, and this competition provides a great opportunity for the players to see how they fare against some of the best teams in Europe.

“It’s a real honour to be leading the team at such an exciting point of the season. On a personal note, I’m really looking forward to my first camp as head coach and getting the players and staff together for a brilliant week in Spain.”

England v Netherlands
3pm BST Monday 13 April 2026
WU23 European competition semi-final
Murcia Stadium, Spain

England v Norway or Sweden
12pm BST, Friday 17 April
WU23 European competition final or third-place play-off
Murcia Stadium or Pinatar Arena, Spain

The squad

Goalkeepers: Katie Cox (Aberdeen, on loan from Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Natalia Negri (Ipswich Town)

Defenders: Megan Collett (Southampton), Anouk Denton (Bay FC), Teyah Goldie (London City Lionesses), Neve Herron (Birmingham City), Gracie Prior (Manchester City), Chloe Sarwie (Chelsea), Hannah Silcock (Birmingham City, on loan from Liverpool), Jess Simpson (Southampton, on loan from Manchester United)

Midfielders: Sarah Brasero (West Ham), Laila Harbert (Everton, on loan from Arsenal), Eleanor Klinger (Stanford University), Ruby Mace (Everton), Olivia McLoughlin (Leicester City), Lexi Potter (Chelsea)

Forwards: Keira Barry (Bay FC), Jessie Gale (Bristol City, on loan from Arsenal), Mia Enderby (Liverpool), Isobel Goodwin (London City Lionesses), Lenna Gunning-Williams (Tottenham Hotspur), Lexi Lloyd-Smith (Bristol City)