This Wednesday at 3 PM, on one of the many pitches at England’s St George’s Park training centre, the England U17 squad will kick off their qualification campaign for the U17 European Championship, which, should they qualify, will take place from May 19 to June 1, 2025. Facing Israel, the Young Lions go in as favourites but must avoid any slip-ups to boost their chances of reaching the U17 Euros and set the tone before their next two matches against Slovenia (on the 22nd) and Northern Ireland (on the 25th).

England’s Starting XI vs Israel :
Neil Ryan named an exceptionally promising 21-man squad less than a week ago, featuring several players who, despite their age, have already made appearances for their club’s senior teams this season. Among them are Jack Porter (Goalkeeper – Arsenal), Rio Ngumoha (Left Winger – Liverpool), and Kaden Branthwaite (Centre-Back – Manchester City). Additionally, the squad includes a 15-year-old prodigy, Arsenal’s attacking midfielder Max Dowman, who will start this afternoon.
Starting XI:
- Jack Porter (Arsenal)
- Dante Headley (Manchester City)
- Malachy Hardy (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Junai Byfield (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Kaden Branthwaite (Manchester City)
- Harry Howell (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Seth Ridgeon (Fulham)
- Chinaza Nwosu (West Ham United)
- Jaden Heskey (Manchester City)
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
- Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez (Olympique Lyonnais)