Lydia Bedford has announced the Young Lionesses squad to represent England at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup this September.
England have spent the summer building towards the World Cup with a series of preparation camps and fixtures against international opposition. So far, they have recorded victories over Canada, Colombia and Portugal, drawn with the USA and narrowly lost to Japan. The squad will come together for a final preparation camp at St. George’s Park next week, finishing with a warm-up fixture against New Caledonia on Saturday 29 August.
England will then get their World Cup campaign underway against Canada on Saturday 5 September in Bielsko-Biała, before facing Tanzania on Tuesday 8 September. They will conclude Group B against Brazil on Friday 11 September, with the top two sides automatically progressing to the Round of 16, while the best four third-placed sides will also make it through. The final will be hosted in Łódź on Sunday 27 September.
England v Canada: Saturday 5 September, 17:00 BST at Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała
England v Tanzania: Tuesday 8 September, 17:00 BST at Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała
England v Brazil: Friday 11 September, 14:00 BST at Stadion Miejski Bielsko-Biała
The Young Lionesses last appearance at the tournament produced a bronze medal in 2018. That squad featured a number of players who have since gone on to become senior Lionesses, including Niamh Charles, Grace Fisk, Lauren Hemp, Taylor Hinds, Chloe Kelly, Esme Morgan, Ellie Roebuck, Alessia Russo and Georgia Stanway.
Lydia Bedford said: “It’s an incredibly exciting moment to name the squad and a huge achievement for every player selected. We’ve had a really valuable summer together, testing ourselves against some of the best teams in the world, and I’ve been so impressed by the way the group has connected and developed both on and off the pitch. We know the level of competition in Poland will be extremely high, but we’re excited by the prospect of the challenge.
“There were some very difficult decisions to make when naming the final squad, which reflects the strength and depth we have across the pathway. For the 21 players selected, the focus now is on making the most of this opportunity, representing England with pride, and seeing how far we can go together.”
England WU20 Squad:
Goalkeepers: Eve Annets (Manchester City), Katie Cox (Chelsea, on loan to Nottingham Forest), Kaiya Jota (Stanford University)
Defenders: Ria Bose (West Ham), Sacha Lewis (Manchester City), Rachel Maltby (Aston Villa), Lucy Newell (Manchester United), Chloe Sarwie (Chelsea), Zara Shaw (Liverpool), Cecily Wellesley-Smith (Arsenal, on loan to FC Rosengård)
Midfielders: Lola Brown (Chelsea), May Cruft (Rangers), Chloe B. Hylton (Carolina Ascent), Vera Jones (Chelsea, on loan to Watford), Erica Meg Parkinson (North Carolina Courage)
Forwards: Princess Ademiluyi (Gotham FC, on loan to Ipswich Town), Lily Dent (Brighton & Hove Albion, on loan to Sunderland), Jessie Gale (Arsenal, on loan to Newcastle), Eva Hendle (Chelsea, on loan to Rangers), Eleanor Klinger (Stanford University), Lauryn Thompson (North Carolina Courage)
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