England U17: Squad Announced for Double Header Against the Netherlands

The England U17 team will kick off their 2025 campaign with two friendly matches against the Netherlands, set to take place in Portugal on February 20 and 23. These fixtures will allow Neil Ryan’s Young Lions to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the UEFA U17 EURO elite qualifying round in March, with a place at both the EURO finals and the FIFA U17 World Cup at stake.

Eng U17 Feb 2025 — Max Dowman, the only player in the squad selected a year above his age group (© X/ Will Balsam).

With a 23-man squad called up, Neil Ryan has opted for a competitive group for this training camp. Most of the players selected were either part of the previous squad at the end of 2024 or have come through the younger age groups, such as Harry Gray. Only a handful of players have never been capped at any level. Given the high stakes, England will need to be at their best to secure qualification for the U17 EURO and, ultimately, the U17 World Cup. Ryan has therefore chosen to rely on a squad he knows well to maximize the team’s chances. The first match is scheduled for Thursday, February 20, at 6 pm (GMT), followed by the second game on Sunday, February 23, at 11 am. Both matches will be played at the Vila Real de Santo António Sports Complex, a familiar venue for many national teams during training camps.