England U17 Squad named for the 2027 U17 EURO Qualifiers

England U17, managed by Barry Lewtas, will begin their qualifying campaign for the 2027 UEFA European Under-17 Championship during the November international break. The Young Lions will have home advantage in this opening round, with all three group fixtures taking place at St. George’s Park, the home of English football in Burton-upon-Trent. England will face Montenegro, Poland and Ukraine, beginning their campaign against Montenegro on Wednesday, 11 November at 2pm GMT. They will then take on Poland on Saturday, 14 November at 2pm before rounding off the first phase against Ukraine on Tuesday, 17 November at 6.30pm. The objective will be to finish in the top two of the group and secure a place in the second qualifying round, scheduled for spring 2027.

Young Lions full of confidence after four friendly fixtures

Barry Lewtas’ side head into their first competitive fixtures of the season following an October camp dedicated entirely to friendly matches. England played four games against opponents from different continents, recording three wins and one defeat. The Young Lions made a perfect start to the camp with a convincing 5-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland. Grimwade, Xavier Parker, Josh Henry, Darren Motsi and Joshua Blake were all on the scoresheet in a comprehensive win. England then followed that up with a 2-1 victory over Israel, with the opening goal coming via an opposition own goal before Grimwade sealed the win for the Young Lions.

The young English side continued their impressive run with a 1-0 victory over Venezuela, courtesy of a goal from Jai Nwosu. Their final fixture proved more challenging, however, as England suffered a 3-2 defeat to Germany despite goals from Reggie Watson and Mylo Bernard.

The camp nevertheless gave Barry Lewtas the opportunity to run the rule over several players ahead of the start of the European qualifiers. England must now quickly switch their focus to competitive action, with three important home fixtures standing between them and a place in the next round.

A crucial first round before the final qualifying phase

As with the U19s, the 2027 edition of the U17 EURO sees the introduction of a new qualifying format. The competition consists of two qualifying rounds, with a league system used to determine how nations are divided between the two divisions for the following season.

A total of 54 nations are taking part in the qualifying competition, with Russia still excluded. The teams are divided into 14 groups of three or four nations for the first round. The top two teams in each group will progress to League A for the second round, while the remaining sides will move into League B.

For England, the objective during this international break is straightforward: finish in the top two of their group, alongside Montenegro, Poland and Ukraine, to secure a place in League A in spring 2027.

The second phase will then bring together the 28 highest-ranked nations, split into seven groups of four. Only the group winners will qualify directly for the finals, which will be hosted by Latvia. Should the hosts win one of the groups, the best-ranked runner-up will also qualify for the tournament.

Two new faces in Barry Lewtas’ squad

For the opening qualifying round, Barry Lewtas has selected a 21-man squad. The group includes several players who featured in previous camps, while also welcoming two new faces. The first is Joshua Abe. The Liverpool forward was previously called up to the England U16s last season but had yet to represent the U17s. He therefore takes the next step in his international career and will make his debut at this level during the European qualifiers.

The other new addition is Noah Smith. The Manchester City defender had never previously been called up by England at any age group. He will therefore experience the international setup for the first time with the Young Lions U17s during this camp.

Elsewhere, Barry Lewtas has retained a relatively settled group, with several players returning from the recent friendly fixtures. Josh Henry, Heze Grimwade, Reggie Watson, Josh Blake, Darren Motsi and Mylo Bernard are among those included once again.