Which England U21 stars could make the Three Lions first team in the near future?

JOHN SMITH’S STADIUM, HUDDERSFIELD – It proved to be a hugely frustrating evening for England U21s as they missed the chance to cap off a strong European Championship qualification cycle by losing 2-1 to a gutsy Slovenia in Huddersfield. 

Lee Carsley’s side failed to recover from Djed Spence’s first-minute own goal before a towering header from Slovenia centre back Mark Zabukovnik midway through the second half sealed the deal for the visitors.

A stoppage-time strike from Cameron Archer, his fourth in four matches at this level, proved England’s only consolation on the night. 

The result against Slovenia saw England lose for just the third time in 74 previous European Championship qualifiers, while the hosts also missed the chance to go unbeaten for a fifth straight preliminary Euros campaign. 

The root cause of the loss arguably stemmed from a wide array of changes that were made to the starting lineup by Carsley despite England dominating Kosovo 5-0 at the end of last week. 

Despite the defeat on the night, a number of players still put in some solid performances as they look to push their names up the pecking order for potential full England call-ups in the near future. 

England U21s in fine form despite defeat 

While manager Lee Carsley won’t be happy with the manner in which his England side lost tonight, he’ll instead be keen to reflect on their overall efforts during qualification.

A number of players have made sizeable impacts across the past year as England shape up nicely for a push at glory at the upcoming European Championships in Romania and Georgia in the summer of 2023. 

A mix of individual talent coupled with great overall team spirit and confidence saw England U21s qualify for the showpiece event with matches to spare, even though a 2-2 draw last October means they ended up dropping four points to Slovenia.

Even before Monday’s reality check, Carsley conceded there was still plenty more to improve upon despite the routing of Kosovo.

“The bar is constantly getting raised and it’s important you keep up,” he said. “The players who played [against Kosovo] and on camp are more than capable of representing their country and improving the team.

“The guys back home need to keep improving themselves. We have got the depth, but they all want to play, it’s important their club form and form they have when they are with us is consistent.”

Carsley added: “There are a lot of positives, there are things we can improve. If we want to keep improving as a squad we need to make sure we are more difficult to play against.”

Three England U21 internationals who could be in the first team soon

Harvey Elliott 

Despite testing positive for Covid-19 at the start of the international break, Harvey Elliott again impressed off the bench in Huddersfield. 

The Liverpool youngster grabbed two assists against Kosovo and his blend of raw pace and trickery continues to keep defenders guessing whenever the ball is at his feet. 

With more and more performances under his belt at this level, it’s little wonder why Jurgen Klopp is a huge admirer of the 19-year-old. 

With Sadio Mane reportedly keen to swap Anfield for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, it’s certainly not inconceivable that Elliott could help fill the boots of the Senegal star next campaign alongside Luis Diaz. 

He’s already made 20 first-team appearances for the Reds, with six of those coming in the Premier League and one in the Champions League last season. The former Fulham academy graduate appears to be at the start of a very promising career for both club and country. 

Jacob Ramsey

A player who former England captain Steven Gerrard described as a “top talent” in February, it seems only a matter of time until midfielder Jacob Ramsay receives his first full England call-up from Gareth Southgate. 

Making his seventh England U21 appearance, Ramsay played a level above his opposition in Slovakia’s midfield — creating numerous chances for his teammates as well as nearly grabbing a goal of his own midway through the first half. 

His tally of two goals and two assists for the U21s points to a player who might quickly outgrow this level.

What makes Ramsey stand out is his sharp, quick play. Completing numerous one-twos with his teammates throughout the night, the Villa midfielder loves to power through the opposition whenever possible to push his side up the field.

But what also can’t be understated alongside his international displays, is Ramsay’s importance to Aston Villa’s midfield over the past couple of seasons.

Despite only turning 21 just last month, he has made 63 first-team appearances for the Villains, with 56 of those coming in the Premier League.

Under Gerrard’s guidance in the midlands, he could easily fulfil his huge potential with a manager who believes Ramsey “is right up there, let me tell you.”

Luke Thomas

Not only has Luke Thomas enjoyed another successful season with Leicester City in the Premier League, but the young defender continues to put in mighty displays when called up by Carsley.

Given the position he plays on the field, Thomas could very possibly become an important part of the England squad in the near future. 

Euro 2020 final goalscorer Luke Shaw struggled for form at Manchester United last season, while Ben Chilwell’s campaign at Chelsea was ruined by a serious knee injury It means Southgate isn’t exactly blessed with many options on the left-hand side of the backline at present. 

That leaves a potential opening for Thomas, who alongside Crystal Palace ever-present Tyrick Mitchell, continues to impress on all fronts. 

Thomas possesses a pleasingly combative edge to his game that was on display against Kosovo last week. Strong tackles were coupled with his great awareness as he made several important interceptions.

He may not have featured against Slovenia but his 30 first-team appearances for Leicester this season suggest he is closer to full honours than any of his current teammates with the Young Lions.

The rest

Picking just the three standout names above doesn’t mean that the path is blocked for others, however.

There are plenty of others in the current England U21 squad who wouldn’t look out of place in the senior side over the coming months and years.

Players like Everton’s Anthony Gordon, Liverpool’s Curtis Jones and Norwich City’s Max Aarons are all close, especially given the Premier League minutes they have enjoyed.

Against Slovenia, Manchester United’s James Garner put in another solid performance in midfield after his promotion-winning season on loan at Nottingham Forest. 

And to any Arsenal fans, don’t worry we didn’t forget Emile Smith-Rowe, though given that he has already played for the England first-team on three previous occasions, we decided to focus elsewhere for this article. Smith Rowe’s international future already looks incredibly bright.