New England Women U-23s Head Coach Lydia Bedford Selects First Squad

England Women U-23s head coach Lydia Bedford has selected her squad for the European Competition finals in Spain.

Bedford’s team face the Netherlands on Monday 13 April (15:00 BST) in the semi-final, with a place in the final at stake. Depending on the outcome of that match, England will meet either Sweden or Norway on Friday 17 April (12:00 BST) in the final or third-place play-off.

Supporters can watch both fixtures live via the England YouTube channel.

The Netherlands are familiar opposition for the Young Lionesses, with the two sides playing out a 1-1 draw in their most recent meeting at Shrewsbury Town in March, when Lenna Gunning-Williams was on target for England.

England v Netherlands

Monday 13 April, 15:00 BST

WU23 European competition semi-final

Murcia Stadium, Spain

England v Norway or Sweden

Friday 17 April, 12:00 BST

WU23 European competition final or third-place play-off

Murcia Stadium or Pinatar Arena, Spain

Lydia Bedford said: “These are exactly the kind of fixtures we want our young players to be testing themselves in and we’ve seen this week just how beneficial these competitive games are in developing young players and preparing them for the next stage. There’s a lot of quality within this age group, and this competition provides a great opportunity for the players to see how they fare against some of the best teams in Europe.

“It’s a real honour to be leading the team at such an exciting point of the season. On a personal note, I’m really looking forward to my first camp as head coach and getting the players and staff together for a brilliant week in Spain.”

England squad:

Goalkeepers: Katie Cox (Aberdeen, on loan from Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Natalia Negri (Ipswich Town)

Defenders: Megan Collett (Southampton), Anouk Denton (Bay FC), Teyah Goldie (London City Lionesses), Neve Herron (Birmingham City), Gracie Prior (Manchester City), Chloe Sarwie (Chelsea), Hannah Silcock (Birmingham City, on loan from Liverpool), Jess Simpson (Southampton, on loan from Manchester United)

Midfielders: Sarah Brasero (West Ham), Laila Harbert (Everton, on loan from Arsenal), Eleanor Klinger (Stanford University), Ruby Mace (Everton), Olivia McLoughlin (Leicester City), Lexi Potter (Chelsea)

Forwards: Keira Barry (Bay FC), Jessie Gale (Bristol City, on loan from Arsenal), Mia Enderby (Liverpool), Isobel Goodwin (London City Lionesses), Lenna Gunning-Williams (Tottenham Hotspur), Lexi Lloyd-Smith (Bristol City)