Latest news with #Under21Euros
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
REVEALED: The one key message inside England's dressing room from Charlie Cresswell as U21's bid to down Germany in Euros final
Charlie Cresswell has issued a rallying cry to his England team-mates and urged them to squeeze every last drop out to beat Germany and win the Under-21 Euros. Germany have been the team of the tournament so far, winning Group B - which included England - and have knocked off Italy and France en route to the final. While England got 'punched in the face' against the Netherlands, Cresswell is confident the Young Lions can go back to back as Euros winners, provided they aren't outworked by old foe Germany. 'Just give your best,' he said of his message in the dressing room. 'If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose but no one's going to say anything if you give 100 per cent. 'Just give everything out there and then hold your head high.' While Cresswell doesn't wear the captain's armband he is the one that others rally behind; the vocal leader that is unrelenting in driving standards on the pitch for Lee Carsley. 'I enjoy a battle! You know me! It was good,' he said of edging past the Dutch, a game in which his error allowed Noah Ohio a chance to score a 40-yard stunner. 'You know this team's got character. We get punched in the face with a goal like that and then we came back and Harvey [Elliott] does his thing. So, yes, good mood, the feeling is great.' Many of Cresswell's formative summers were spent in the pub alongside his dad watching England's senior side suffer heartache after heartache at major tournaments. 'I was brought up with England always a massive part of my childhood,' he said. 'I'd go to the local pub and I'd be watching the first team with all my mates, my dad's mates and it would be like a big deal. 'So for me every time I pull on an England shirt it feels like an honour, a huge honour. I'm immensely proud that I get to do this. 'For me to go out there and give my everything it's the least I can do.' Given that, is there not an extra layer of pressure and responsibility he feels as a player now having suffered the heartache of a supporter in pubs up and down the country? 'Maybe you'd say unfazed,' he added. 'The seniors have done a great job. Playing for England… it's not easy, you know, and people think England are going to steamroll most countries. It's not easy. 'There's a pressure that comes with playing for England but it's how you handle that pressure. 'You're going out there and it is just a game of football. I know you're playing for your country but it's just another game of football. It's how you handle that pressure individually and collectively. Everyone's different.' Cresswell and Co now face a quick turnaround in recovery to prepare for Saturday's final where, for the first time since the 1980s, England have the chance to go back to back as winners of this competition. For those in the pubs up and down the country watching on, nobody will be able to question this group's effort, not with Cresswell leading the way.
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Man City star James McAtee insists he has no regrets about playing at U21 Euros over the Club World Cup after captaining England to final against Germany
James McAtee insists he has no regrets at choosing the Under-21 Euros over the Club World Cup after captaining England to Saturday night's final. McAtee spoke to Pep Guardiola and staff at Manchester City and made his case to go away with England, rather than form part of City's squad in the United States for the Club World Cup, where they are now into the last-16. Asked if making the final against Germany justified his decision, McAtee spoke with clarity and conviction in response. 'I don't regret my decision at all,' he said. 'I'm happy I'm here and my focus is here and not on the Club World Cup.' Part of McAtee's thinking was that England's Under-21's would give him a greater portion of game time in a summer where his club future is under scrutiny. Competition for City first team places is fierce, not helped by the midfield additions of Rayan Cherki Tijjani Reijnders this summer. McAtee's decision indicated that his future likely lies away from City this summer and he is not short of admirers. Bundesliga teams who were keen to sign him in January remain in the frame this window. Bayer Leverkusen, who continue to seek a replacement for Liverpool's £116million summer signing Florian Wirtz, Stuttgart, Eintracht Frankfurt, Red Bull Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, who signed McAtee's England team-mate Jobe Bellingham earlier this summer, have all expressed varying degrees of interest. AC Milan, having sold Reijnders, admire McAtee while in England, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves, Everton, Leeds United, Manchester United, Fulham and Spurs have at one time this summer asked to be kept informed of developments.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
European Under-21s: 10 standout players at the tournament in Slovakia
Nick Woltemade enjoyed a solid season for VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, scoring 12 times and providing two assists. He really came alive in the DFB-Pokal; Stuttgart won the cup and he finished as top scorer. Having made his senior debut for Germany against Portugal in their Nations League semi-final earlier this summer, Woltemade has been outstanding at the Under-21 Euros in Slovakia. The 23-year-old leads the way for both goals (six) and assists (three) at the competition. Already a wanted man, Woltemade's stock is on the rise this summer – and will soar if Germany win the tournament on Saturday and he collects the Golden Boot. Only Woltemade has scored more goals than Harvey Elliott (four), who hit a decisive double in England's 2-1 win over the Netherlands in the semi-finals. While he is a doubt for Saturday's final, owing to a knee knock sustained while celebrating his winning goal, Elliott's performances at the tournament have given supporters and interested clubs a timely reminder of his quality. Minutes at Anfield may prove hard to come by next season following the arrival of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, but a match-winning display against Germany this weekend would do the 22-year-old's reputation the world of good. France were well beaten by Germany in the semi-finals, losing 3-0, but Djaoui Cissé has still earned a legion of admirers at the tournament. A solid performer for Rennes last season, Cissé played a pivotal role in taking France to the last four. The midfielder scored three goals, including an important strike in the quarter-final against Denmark. The 21-year-old's ability to work his way out of tight situations in the middle of the park is impressive. Chelsea fans watching Geovany Quenda at the tournament will not have been disappointed by the 18-year-old winger. Quenda signed for Chelsea earlier this year and will join the club next summer after another year developing with Sporting CP in Lisbon. Portugal exited the tournament at the quarter-final stage, losing to the Netherlands, but Quenda shone throughout. Only Woltemade (nine) has been directly involved in more goals then Quenda (five) at the tournament; and the German (five) is the only player to have created more big chances than the Portuguese winger (three). William Osula struggled for regular minutes at Newcastle last season – he was behind Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson in the pecking order after all – but he has made his opportunities count at the Under-21 Euros. The 21-year-old scored three goals and provided two assists in four games for Denmark before they were beaten by France in the quarter-finals. Osula must be hoping his performances in Slovakia have gone some way to convincing Eddie Howe that he warrants a more prominent role in the Newcastle setup next season. Lucien Agoumé is one of football's better-travelled young players. He was born in Cameroon, grew up in France, played for Inter in Italy and is now at Sevilla in Spain. Having impressed for Sevilla last season, even while they struggled in La Liga, his showings for France will have caught the eye of clubs looking to sign a central midfielder this summer. The 23-year-old showcased his ability to both win and recycle possession. He has a bright future. Samuel Soares proved an excellent last line of defence for Portugal, though it wasn't enough to take his country beyond the quarter-finals. The Benfica goalkeeper did not concede a single goal in the group stage. In fact, he only conceded once in the tournament, in Portugal's 1-0 defeat to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. The 23-year-old kept more clean sheets (three) than any other goalkeeper, and ranked 10th for saves per game (2.8) as he excelled for Rui Jorge's team. While Harvey Elliott has been receiving most of the plaudits, Elliot Anderson's performances at the base of the England midfield should not go unnoticed. The 22-year-old's form for Nottingham Forest earned him a place in Lee Carsley's team and he hasn't let the England manager down. The former Newcastle man ranks 20th for passes per game (54.6), with a respectable pass success rate of 91%. Anderson also has one goal and one assist to his name, with his tally of three big chances created also a fine haul. Woltemade may be the one hogging the limelight for Germany, but Rocco Reitz's outings in the middle of the park also warrant praise. The midfielder has become a key man for Borussia Mönchengladbach in recent seasons and he has maintained that solid form for Germany. The 23-year-old has registered two assists – and his tallies of three big chances created and two key passes per game rank highly. Portugal's tempo setter, Diogo Nascimento, made 92.3 passes per game – the highest at the tournament – and did so with a fine pass success rate of 94%. The 22-year-old also averaged 3.3 accurate long balls per game, showing off his ability to pick out teammates from range. Having left Benfica for Vizela in 2023, Nascimento was influential as the club finished third in the second tier last season. His standout displays for Portugal should propel the diminutive midfielder into the spotlight. This is an article by WhoScored.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Arne Slot reaction to Harvey Elliott in training hints at Liverpool transfer exit
Harvey Elliott is enjoying his summer away from Liverpool, that's for sure. The 22-year-old has played a pivotal role for England Under-21s in Slovenia, scoring four goals in five starts for the Three Lions. That's just one start fewer than he managed in the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign at club level. Advertisement But Elliott's successes this summer have acted as a reminder of the player's immense talent. His two-goal haul in the semifinals set up Saturday's decider against Germany, where Elliott could win consecutive Under-21 Euros. He was the standout player in the 2-1 victory over the Netherlands, a performance he hopes can convince one particular Dutchman of his worth. READ MORE: Liverpool in line for $54M transfer sale but Arne Slot will lose 'top player' READ MORE: Liverpool's next transfer priority after Milos Kerkez takes summer spend past $250M Yet Arne Slot clearly isn't sure, as two Premier League starts - which came after the title was wrapped up - underline. Advertisement Slot has even admitted that after Elliott returned in December from a broken foot, an issue which derailed his first half of the campaign, that he felt the ex-Fulham man wasn't up to the required standards. "Harvey is one of the players that hasn't had as much playing time as he maybe deserves,' Slot said ahead of last month's trip to Chelsea. 'But like some others he's in competition with so many good players, so mainly I've chosen other players. Elliott did eventually convince Slot of his value -Credit:Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images 'Also partly because he was injured for a long time. I've been honest with him: the first part after he came back from his injury, he wasn't the same as he was before his injury.' Advertisement Yet strong cameos off the bench - including against Lille, Paris Saint-Germain, Southampton, and Fulham helped change Slot's mind. 'The last few months, he's back to his old level again,' the Liverpool head coach continued. 'There was no need for me to start with different players, but I think if you look at the amount of minutes he had in the last one or two months and the time before, you can see it goes up already. "So that tells you we like, I like him more now than I did when he came back from his injury in the first months." Elliott has enjoyed a superb summer for England -Credit:2025 UEFA Whether Slot likes Elliott enough for the midfielder to have a serious role to play at Liverpool next season is uncertain. The Reds' No. 19 has admitted he may need to move on for the benefit of his career, and has been linked with moves to several clubs in recent weeks. Advertisement understands Brighton & Hove Albion holds strong interest in Elliott, while West Ham United, Aston Villa and RB Leipzig have been mentioned as possible moves. Explaining earlier this season why Elliott has struggled to hold down a place in the team, Slot said: 'I always say to the players it's not only about you, it's also about the competition you are in. 'And in his situation he's in competition with five very good midfielders that you know and there are a few youngsters coming through that are very talented as well but they are not close to playing time yet. But he's in competition with Wata, with Ryan, with Curtis, with Macca and himself, so these are the midfielders we have at the moment. He has to bring performances like he does and then playing time will probably increase.'
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
England's three standout players at the Under-21 Euros so far
England have reached their second consecutive Under-21 European Championship final, and will face Germany on Saturday's showpiece in an attempt to defend the title they won in 2023. England's path to the final in Slovakia hasn't been as smooth as it was two years ago in Romania, where they went through the entire tournament without conceding a single goal. Nevertheless, Lee Carsley's side now have the opportunity to emulate the achievements of 1982 and 1984 by winning back-to-back Under-21 Euros titles — and to secure a fourth overall. Advertisement On the latest episode of 'The Totally Football Show', Daniel Storey identified the three standout players for England during the tournament and what victory would mean for Carsley. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on 'The Totally Football Show' feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. James Richardson: This Saturday is the Under-21 Euros final between England and Germany. England beat the Netherlands 2-1 on Wednesday, where Harvey Elliott starred with both of England's goals. It was punctuated by a singular strike from the Netherlands featuring the remarkably named Noah Ohio, who himself is a former England junior international. He spotted England goalkeeper James Beadle off his line and caught him out from about 40 yards. What did you make of it, Daniel? Daniel Storey: It's an amazing finish. It's one of those finishes that looks good in real time, and then when you see the replay from behind the goal to an extent it's hit and hope, but the arc of the ball to get beyond Beadle's glove and inside the post is unfathomably good. I also really liked his celebration, it's funny when an excellent footballer looks surprised at how good the thing they've just done is, that was very much one of these. We should say it was also completely against the run of the play for most of the game. Lee Carsley said after the group stage that England would grow into the tournament, because they were patchy and found things a bit difficult early on, which was probably because they'd lost some fairly significant players. Not least Liam Delap, who would have been the first-choice striker in the team. But they are growing into this tournament. They were dominant against the Netherlands and they deserved to win by more goals. The first of the three standout players was Harvey Elliott. He took both goals with monumental composure, and he's going to have to get a move this summer. Advertisement James: Better than he took the knee slide after the first goal? Daniel: Yeah he spoke after the game about a slight injury to his knee after it, but I think he was doing it in a more jokey, 'Oh my God, I can't believe I did that,' sort of way. Rather than 'I'm going to miss the final,' because that would be a nightmare scenario for England. But Elliott looked a cut above. He's one of two players with Charlie Cresswell who have been to an Under-21 Euros before, and you can tell that by the way he's carrying himself about the place and leading the team. He needs a move this summer, and he needs to go to another Premier League club — probably for quite a lot of money. The second player that stood out was Omari Hutchinson, who has been outstanding on the wing for the Under-21s. He could also do with a move this summer because he shouldn't be playing Championship football next season. Then Elliot Anderson is the other one. He was the kind of player who everybody who was at the game was saying, 'Harvey Elliott scored the goals, but Elliot Anderson was making the team tick and he was leading it.' He will be, and he has to be in an England squad at some point because Jordan Henderson might have the experience, but he doesn't have the ability anymore to dictate play, to break up play, to be where the team needs him to be, and to be that deepest line midfielder — even though he's not a holding midfielder. And Anderson has been one of the players of the tournament so far. Tyler Morton's also back for the final after his suspension, so there's a really difficult conundrum for Carsley because Alex Scott, who was playing next to Anderson, was great too. So there's a real competition for places. But Germany are the favourites for the tournament. They beat England in the group in the third game having changed pretty much all of their team, and England had their full-strength team out there. So there was a huge psychological marker laid down there. But Carsley has just got something with this squad. It's the second tournament in a row that England have got to the final, and the last time they did that was back in the mid-1980s. It also completely vindicates Carsley's decision to go back to the Under-21s, and if they win in the final on Saturday then he will be immediately installed as the favourite to replace Thomas Tuchel after 2026, because everything he touches seems to be working. You can listen to full episodes of The Totally Football Show for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. (Top Photo:)
