UEFA Friendlies : England U17 starting XI to face Venezuela

At 2pm this Wednesday, at the Leichtathletikstadion in Basel, England U17s kick off their return to action with the first of three friendlies, opening against Venezuela. These matches carry extra weight, coming just before the Young Lions begin their U17 European Championship qualifiers and then head into the U17 World Cup. The clash with Venezuela is particularly significant – the two sides are due to meet again in their opening World Cup fixture.

eng u17 vs vene u17 friendly — *Metz striker Brian Madjo has been called up to the England U17s despite already making three senior appearances for Luxembourg in friendlies (© X/ English Players Abroad).*

England line-up against Venezuela :

Neil Ryan has named a 22-man squad brimming with talent, almost entirely made up of players born in 2009. There are just two exceptions: goalkeeper Ben Vickery (2007), who recently joined Manchester City from Hibernian and will make his first appearance for England after previously being capped by Scotland U16s, and Chelsea attacking midfielder Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli (2010).

Another standout name is FC Metz forward Brian Madjo. The powerful centre-forward, a regular starter in Ligue 1 this season, was born in London but raised in Luxembourg, whom he represented at youth level before stepping up to their senior side for three friendlies. Having turned down his latest call-up from Luxembourg, Madjo is keeping his options open – FIFA rules mean players are tied once they’ve featured in more than three friendlies or a competitive senior international.