England WU17s set to take on Europe's best

Kerri Welsh has named a 21-player squad to represent England at the upcoming UEFA Women’s Under-17 European Championship in Northern Ireland.

The Young Lionesses head into the finals in strong form, having won all six of their qualifying matches – the only team in the competition to have done so. England are one of eight teams bidding to win the prestigious age group tournament and have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Northern Ireland, Germany and Norway. All three of England’s group stage matches, as well as the semi-finals and final, will be broadcast live on UEFA TV.

Monday 4 May
England v Northern Ireland
Inver Park, Larne, 3pm BST KO

Thursday 7 May
England v Germany
Inver Park, Larne, 3pm BST KO

Sunday 10 May
England v Norway
The Showground, Coleraine, 3pm BST KO

The top two teams from Group A and Group B will progress to the semi-finals, with the competition concluding at Belfast’s Windsor Park on Sunday 17 May, where the 2026 champions will be crowned.

Qualification for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Morocco in October, is also at stake at the tournament. UEFA has five qualification spots available; all four semi-finalists will automatically secure their place, while a third-place play-off will determine the fifth qualifier.

Kerri Welsh said: “We are all really excited to get out to Northern Ireland and for the competition to get underway. It’s a huge honour to represent England at a tournament, and for this group it’ll be their first. We want to ensure it’s a memory that they’ll always hold onto and an experience that will be pivotal in their development as both players and people.

“Only the best teams in Europe have qualified for the EURO finals, and we’re really proud of that achievement. We also know that means every game will be a challenge, but we take a lot of confidence from our performances in the two qualifying rounds, and it’s a test we’re all looking forward to.”

The Squad

Goalkeepers: Evie Mitchell (Manchester United), Billie Price* (Brighton & Hove Albion), Victoria Rudz (Chelsea)

Defenders: Maisie Brickell (Chelsea), Zoe Ciccardini (Cheslea), Isabella Cowley (Arsenal), Lottie Day (Sheffield United), Amarachukwu Nwankwo (Manchester City), Lucy Robinson (Manchester United), Katie Scott (Aston Villa), Gabriella Storey (Chelsea)

Midfielders: Bryony Brodie (Arsenal), Sophia Burton (Manchester City), Phoebe De Bohan (Arsenal), Romia Gagliano (FC Basel), Kyri Teer-Hutchins (Arsenal)

Forwards: Cairo Antoine (Arsenal), Mia Dixon (Arsenal), Freya Hirons (Manchester City), Abbie Jones (Sheffield United), Chelsea N’Drin (Liverpool)

*Training player