England Under-21: Three players to watch at the Euros
Will Jackson 
Lee Carsley's England Under-21 side head to Slovakia this week looking to defend their European Championship title, having won the tournament two years ago.
England are one of the favourites with betting sites heading into the tournament, but having seen a number of players graduate to the first team in recent years arguably don't have as strong a squad as they did in previous editions.
They do however, boast several high profile players with Premier League experience that will attract plenty of attention this summer, so we've had a look at the potential stars of the future playing for England Under-21s.
Ethan Nwaneri
Despite being the youngest player in this England squad at 18, Ethan Nwaneri is arguably the most exciting player of the lot having forced his way into the reckoning at Arsenal this season.
A wide forward who plays on the right but cuts in onto his left foot - in a style not too dissimilar to teammate Bakayo Saka - Nwaneri has obvious quality on the ball as evidenced by the nine goals he scored in all competitions for Mikel Arteta's side last season.
It is only a year ago that he was appearing for the under-17s side at a European Championships, but Nwaneri has rightly been fast tracked and such is his talent that it would be a genuine surprise not to see him force his way into Thomas Tuchel's side for the World Cup this time next year.
Although there are obvious comparisons to be made with Saka, he looks more natural on the ball than his fellow winger in tight spaces in the middle of the park, so don't be surprised if Carsley gives him a bit of a free role this summer and Nwaneri earns rave reviews.
Arteta has been careful in his management of the teenager so far but the time will come before long when he has no choice but to make him a regular fixture in the side, so expect a bit of flair and quality - though it will be interesting to see how he is managed after racking up 37 appearances in a first full year.
Jobe Bellingham
There are other midfielders in the England squad that have experience at a higher level than Jobe Bellingham, with the likes of Archie Gray, Alex Scott and Elliot Anderson all regulars in the Premier League, but this summer could mark a significant chapter in a promising career.
A starring role in Sunderland's promotion from the Championship and Play-Off Final win at Wembley was followed with a move to Borussia Dortmund, and we know the track record they have for developing some of the best talents in Europe.
Jobe naturally will have to live with comparisons to his older brother, Jude, throughout his career but he is doing a pretty good job of living up to the name so far, having been named as Young Player of the Year in the Championship this season.
Similarly to his brother, he has developed a reputation as a driving, energetic, all-round midfielder and has shown that he can score goals, so there is a lot of excitement around where his game can go with a move to Dortmund, where he will get plenty of game time and Champions League exposure.
Given the competition in the England midfield it will be interesting to see how Bellingham is used, and at 19 and having only made his debut at the level late in 2024, he may have to settle for a bench role at the start but he will certainly be a player to keep an eye on and it would be no surprise to see him force his way in by the end of the tournament.
Harvey Elliott
It already feels like Harvey Elliott has been around for a long time, but having only recently turned 22 he is still eligible for this tournament and will be one of England's main men this summer.
Having suffered from a broken foot at the start of the season, it proved to be another frustrating one for Elliott who made just two league starts under Arne Slot but he did score three goals in the Champions League including one at PSG in the quarter-finals.
It feels like a big summer for Elliott, who must surely leave Anfield in pursuit of regular first-team football if he is to fulfil the potential he has shown ever since he was made the youngest Premier League player in history in 2019 - a record that was broken by Nwaneri nearly three years ago.
Originally an attacking midfielder or a wide forward adept at cutting in onto his left foot, Elliott has been used a lot in a midfield three in the past couple of seasons, while Carsley has also used him on the left of a very fluid attacking line.
At his age and with his experience, Elliott is one of the leaders in this squad and players will look to him to make a difference in the big moments. He was a squad player in the 2023 triumph but should be the main man this time round, and it feels like he needs a big summer - both on and off the pitch - if he is to take his game to the next level.
He has plenty of quality, is capable of scoring spectacular goals and creating goals, and has big-game experience, so will be one of the men Carsley leans on most in the coming weeks.
Under-21 European Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
| Spain | 4/1 |
| Germany | 4/1 |
| England | 9/2 |
| France | 9/2 |
| Netherlands | 7/1 |
