England Women U23 players will travel to Spain for two matches in Murcia during the April international window. Head coach Emma Coates has named a 23-player squad for the final phase of the 2024-25 season. England will take part in the WU23 European competition finals, joining the nine other nations that have competed in the tournament this season. After finishing outside the top two in Group B, Coates’ team will play two classification matches to achieve the highest possible final ranking.
England will first face Spain on Thursday, April 3 (6:00 PM BST). Depending on the outcome, they will then face either Sweden or Belgium on Sunday, April 6, with the kick-off time yet to be confirmed. The WU23 European competition format was revamped at the start of the 2024-25 season, introducing a group stage followed by a finals stage, with the goal of offering more competitive playing opportunities to young talents and bridging the gap between youth and senior international football.
“We’re really looking forward to taking part in the European ‘friendly’ Finals and joining the other nine nations for an exciting and competitive week of football,” said Emma Coates. “The WU23s programme has grown a lot over the last few years, and these types of occasions are fantastic opportunities for our players. While it’s disappointing not to compete for the title, it’s been another positive season, with four WU23 players earning senior call-ups. We face tough opponents, but we want to finish the season with two strong performances to achieve the highest possible ranking.”
Match schedule:
England vs Spain
Murcia Stadium, Spain
Thursday, April 3 – 6:00 PM (BST)
England vs Sweden or Belgium
TBC
Sunday, April 6 – Time TBC
Squad list :
Goalkeepers :
- Eleanor Heeps (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Emily Orman (London City Lionesses)
- Kayla Rendell (Manchester United)
Defenders :
- Tara Bourne (Southampton)
- Anouk Denton (West Ham)
- Teyah Goldie (London City Lionesses, on loan from Arsenal)
- Naomi Layzell (Manchester City)
- Ella Morris (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Gracie Prior (Manchester City)
- Jessica Simpson (Bristol City, on loan from Manchester United)
Midfielders :
- Sarah Brasero (G.D. Estoril Praia)
- Ruby Grant (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Missy Bo Kearns (Aston Villa)
- Lexi Lloyd Smith (Bristol City)
- Olivia McLoughlin (Rangers)
- Malaika Meena (Bristol City)
Forwards :
- Mia Enderby (Liverpool)
- Freya Godfrey (London City Lionesses, on loan from Arsenal)
- Missy Goodwin (Leicester City)
- Isobel Goodwin (London City Lionesses)
- Lenna Gunning-Williams (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Georgia Mullett (Southampton, on loan from Aston Villa)
- Katie Robinson (Aston Villa)
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