The England U16 squad has been named for the upcoming international break, with interim head coach Barry Lewtas at the helm. The Young Lions will travel to Sedi, Türkiye, where they’ll face Wales, Türkiye and Portugal in a series of friendlies at the Emirhan Sports Centre.
England open their campaign against Wales on Thursday 30 October, before taking on the hosts on Saturday 1 November and rounding off the trip against Portugal on Tuesday 4 November. These matches follow on from their August double-header against Italy in Rome, where Lewtas’ side showed real promise — narrowly losing the first game 2-1 before bouncing back with a 2-1 win.
A well-balanced group with very exciting prospects
Barry Lewtas has selected a 22-man squad drawn from some of the country’s most prestigious academies. Among the standout names is Liverpool forward Vincent Joseph, who is eligible to represent both England and Germany but has opted to continue his development with the Young Lions for this camp. Another eye-catching talent is JJ Gabriel of Manchester United — just 15 years old, yet already making waves at U18 level with seven goals and one assist in eight Premier League U18 appearances, placing him among the division’s top scorers.
In midfield, Darren Motsi (Leicester City) represents the next exciting prospect to emerge from the Foxes’ renowned academy, following in the footsteps of Jeremy Monga, Jake Evans and, more indirectly, Trey Nyoni, who now plays for Liverpool.
With a strong blend of individual flair and collective cohesion, this England U16 group looks full of potential ahead of their tests in Türkiye.
Full squad list:
Goalkeepers:
Lucca Benetton (Crystal Palace)
Mikel Jack (Tottenham Hotspur)
Alfie Smith (Birmingham City)
Defenders:
Jacob Dean-Ford (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Emmanuel Fejokwu (West Ham United)
Josh Henry (Chelsea)
George Jobling (Chelsea)
Chase Kapotwe (Fulham)
Heaven Kilwa (Aston Villa)
Bobby Martin (Southampton)
Les Yeutembip (Newcastle United)
Midfielders:
David Eze (Manchester City)
Hezekiah Grimwade (Chelsea)
Darren Motsi (Leicester City)
Xavier Parker (Manchester City)
Kwasi Senyah (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Reggie Watson (Chelsea)
Forwards:
Joshua Abe (Liverpool)
Joshua Blake (Aston Villa)
Joseph Gabriel (Manchester United)
Oscar Johnson (Aston Villa)
Vincent Joseph (Liverpool)
Jonathan Nsangou (Everton)
