England U18s began their new campaign in style at the Costa De La Luz International Tournament, held in Spain at the start of September. Three fixtures were on the schedule for the Young Lions, against Uzbekistan, Morocco and finally Canada. Under head coach Neil Ryan, England won all three matches, lifting the tournament trophy while also fine-tuning preparations for the U17 World Cup in Qatar this November. The camp allowed Ryan to test an extended 24-man squad, with several standout individual displays across the week.
A talented squad gearing up for the World Cup
Neil Ryan opted for a balanced squad, mixing players from leading English academies with a few from abroad, including Alejandro Rodriguez, the prolific striker at Olympique Lyonnais. Three goalkeepers shared the minutes: Lanre Awesu (West Ham United), Freddy Bernal (Chelsea FC) and Southampton’s Dylan Moody, each starting one of the matches. In defence, there were solid profiles such as Jun’ai Byfield (Tottenham Hotspur), Freddie Simmonds (Brighton and Hove labion) and Kaden Braithwaite, who made an FA Cup appearance for Manchester City last season. They were supported by a technically gifted midfield unit including Finlay Gorman, Seth Ridgeon and the impressive Luca Williams-Barnett.
The attack was particularly sharp, featuring Ryan McAidoo (Manchester City), Chizaram Ezenwata (Chelsea FC), Igor Tyjon (Blackburn Rovers) and Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez (Olympique Lyonnais) – four players who all found the net despite limited game time. England faced three matches in six days: a 3–1 victory over Uzbekistan, a 4–1 win against Morocco and a hard-fought 3–2 success over Canada to complete a perfect record. The tournament allowed Ryan to rotate his squad, build chemistry and assess individuals ahead of the World Cup.
Three wins, multiple scorers and new names emerging
England opened with a convincing 3–1 win over Uzbekistan. After an early defensive lapse put them behind, the Young Lions responded with a superb Luca Williams-Barnett free-kick. Alejandro Rodriguez then gave England the lead before substitute Ryan McAidoo sealed the result late on with a thunderous strike into the top corner. It was a strong start that highlighted both England’s technical quality in midfield and their resilience after falling behind.
Against Morocco, England underlined their attacking strength with a dominant display. Chizaram Ezenwata struck in the 11th minute after linking well with McAidoo, before Morocco equalised early in the second half. Substitute Igor Tyjon then stole the show, scoring twice late on to make the most of his opportunity. Alejandro Gomes Rodriguez rounded off the scoring, finishing coolly from a precise Finlay Gorman pass.
The final match against Canada capped a perfect week. Williams-Barnett once again made an early impact, firing home inside five minutes from a Tynan Thompson assist. Defender Jun’ai Byfield doubled the advantage before half-time, showing his ability to push forward. Although Canada pulled one back, Ezenwata added a third late on to continue his fine form. Canada struck again in stoppage time, but England ran out 4–2 winners to preserve their 100% record. Ezenwata might even have had a brace, but he missed a penalty in the dying seconds.
Overall, the Spanish camp was a resounding success for Neil Ryan and his squad. With nine goals across three matches and a variety of scorers, England U18s showed they have a deep pool of talent ready to perform on the international stage. Players such as Williams-Barnett, Rodriguez, Tyjon and Ezenwata all staked strong claims ahead of the U17 World Cup, where England will face Venezuela once more in the group stage, alongside Haiti and Egypt, before hopefully going into the knockout stage.
