The England Women U23 squad has been announced for their first game of the new season.
They play Norway in the WU23 International Competition on Monday, 12 October 2026, with a 7:30 pm kick-off at the GNER Stadium in York.
Tickets are priced at £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and £1 for under-16s and can be purchased directly from the stadium.
England were crowned U23 European competition champions in April following a 3-0 victory over Sweden in the final. Lydia Bedford’s side will face Norway, Belgium, Portugal and Italy in Group B this season. The Young Lionesses also met Norway on their way to lifting the trophy last year, with a goal from Izzy Goodwin sealing all three points in a 1-0 victory in November 2025.
Now entering its fourth season, the competition was introduced to help bridge the gap between the end of the pathway and senior international football. Bedford will lead England into the new campaign in her first full season as WU23s head coach, having most recently taken charge of the Young Lionesses at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
Lydia Bedford said: “We’re really looking forward to working with this group and seeing what they can achieve over the course of the season. The WU23s programme plays a key role in preparing players for senior international football and, with a World Cup coming up next summer, every opportunity they have to perform in an England environment is really valuable.
“We’re seeing more and more players transition from the pathway into the senior squad, and I was really pleased for Erica Meg Parkinson and Lexi Potter receiving their call ups. The question I’ll be asking the group is: who’s going to be next?”
“Last season was a brilliant one for the WU23s with winning the competition and we want to build on that success while continuing to give players the experiences they need to progress and develop. I’m excited to start the campaign in York and we hope to see a good crowd turn out to support the next generation.”
England WU23 squad:
Goalkeepers: Eve Annets (Manchester City, on loan to Hibernian), Kaiya Jota (Stanford University), Sophia Poor (London City Lionesses)
Defenders: Brooke Aspin (Bristol City), Cerys Brown (Nottingham Forest), Megan Collett (Southampton), Teyah Goldie (London City Lionesses, on loan to Crystal Palace), Nelly Las (Chelsea), Naomi Layzell (Manchester City, on loan to Everton), Gracie Prior (Manchester City), Hannah Silcock (Everton), Jessica Simpson (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Sarah Brasero (West Ham United, on loan to Deportivo Alaves), Keira Flannery (Charlton), Laila Harbert (San Diego Wave), Sophie Harwood (Arsenal, on loan to Sheffield United), Lexi Lloyd-Smith (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Keira Barry (Bay FC), Mia Enderby (Liverpool), Lenna Gunning-Williams (Tottenham Hotspur), Georgia Mullett (Aston Villa), Lily Murphy (Manchester City, on loan to Aston Villa), Poppy Pritchard (Leicester City)
More from the world of women’s football
Discover the latest issue of Her Goal Magazine, analysing Alexia Putellas' headline move to London City Lionesses and including a voucher to claim your FREE Women's Football Pyramid Poster 2026/27. Also featuring LCL's Isobel Goodwin, England’s Keira Barry in California, West Ham’s Nadine Riesen, Watford’s Anna Filbey and loads more from across the women's game.
Packed with exclusive interviews, player features, posters, quizzes and in-depth stories from across women’s football..
Also available from WHSmith, Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose, TG Jones and independent newsagents.