Stars from Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City were part of England under-21’s winning squad in 2023 – but where are they all today?
Back in 2023, Curtis Jones scored the only goal of the game via a deflected Cole Palmer free kick as England won the tournament, marking their first success in the competition since 1984.
Two years on, here’s what the starting XI of the team that beat Spain 1-0 in the final are up to these days.
GK: James Trafford
One of many talents from the Manchester City academy to find form elsewhere, Trafford left the Etihad to move to Burnley in 2023.
The keeper enjoyed a breakthrough year last season, registering an English joint-record of 29 clean sheets and conceding just 16 times, to help Burnley return to the top flight.
That level of performance has him on the radar of several clubs and he is being strongly linked with a move to Newcastle.
CB: Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Like Trafford, Harwood-Bellis came through the City academy and went on loan to five different clubs as he learnt his trade.
The fifth and final of those loans was to Southampton, who he joined permanently in 2024.
The Saints may have been relegated with a paltry 12 points last season, but Harwood-Bellis acquitted himself admirably and scored on his England debut against the Republic of Ireland last November.
CB: James Garner
Garner came through Manchester United’s academy before joining Everton in 2022, his performances on loan at Nottingham Forest enticing United to sign him to raise funds.
Filling in at centre-back in this final, Garner is a midfielder by trade and played 21 times for the Toffees in the Premier League in 2024-25.
Tidy on the ball, a call-up for the senior squad isn’t an impossibility in the future.
CB: Levi Colwill
At the time of the final, Colwill was on loan at Brighton, but he returned to Chelsea after impressing on the South Coast and was quickly integrated into the first team to fend off Liverpool’s interest.
Composed in possession and becoming an increasingly tough opponent, Colwill is an integral part of Chelsea’s backline and has won four senior England caps.
RM: Max Aarons
After winning the tournament in Georgia and Romania, Aarons left Championship outfit Norwich City to join Bournemouth.
Having played 20 times in his first season, that figure dropped to three in 2024-25 as he went on loan to Valencia.
The 25-year-old has now joined Rangers on loan ahead of the 2025-26 season. His career at the top level hangs in the balance.
CM: Curtis Jones
There was a time when it looked like Jones may have to move away from Liverpool, but he has become a leading player since 2023.
It was in the 2024-25 season that he looked at his best, playing 33 times as the Reds won the title and the Liverpool-born midfielder appears to be highly rated by Arne Slot.
LM: Anthony Gordon (Harvey Elliott ’82)
After back-to-back standout seasons, Gordon will be aiming for a starting spot at next summer’s World Cup.
The Newcastle winger has flourished down the left-hand side, forging a dynamic partnership with Alexander Isak that has tied opposition defences up in knots.
Their link-up play has been instrumental in securing Champions League football for the Magpies next season.
Alongside defender Charlie Cresswell, Elliott is the only player remaining in the under-21 squad for the 2025 tournament.
The Liverpool man, heavily linked with a move away from Anfield this summer, was imperious during the knockout wins over Spain and the Netherlands. He’s too good to rot on the Liverpool bench.
Elliott has a host of suitors this summer.
READ: 5 potential destinations for Liverpool & England U21 star Harvey Elliott this summer
RW: Morgan Gibbs-White (Oliver Skipp ’73)
Gibbs-White may have been sent off in this final, but his career has been on the up and up since then.
The arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo to Nottingham Forest saw him emerge as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
Despite the club falling short of the Champions League, Gibbs-White was hailed as one of the driving forces behind an unexpected season.
Skipp is playing his football across the East Midlands these days, having signed for Leicester from Tottenham in the summer of 2024.
The midfielder is an old head on young shoulders, which perhaps comes from playing for England under-21s on 24 separate occasions. That’s a lot for an age group team.
AM: Emile Smith Rowe (Noni Madueke ’66)
Having struggled for game time at Arsenal, Smith Rowe moved south of the river and to Fulham in 2024.
A promising start to life at Craven Cottage was followed by an underwhelming festive period and nine games without a goal or assist.
By the end of the campaign, Smith Rowe had played 34 times in the league and finished with nine goal contributions. Not bad, but we reckon he can still do better.
Madueke has arguably promised more than he’s delivered in his career to date, with Chelsea open to offers for the winger this summer and his place in the England senior squad up for debate.
LW: Angel Gomes (Cameron Archer ’73)
Gomes played over 100 times for Lille during his five years at the club, having moved from Manchester United in 2020.
The midfielder earned an England call-up under Lee Carsley, making his debut against Ireland, but has struggled to kick on.
Five years after leaving United on a free, Gomes recently ran down his contract with Lille to join Marseille this summer.
Archer joined Sheffield United in the summer of 2023-24 for £18million, but Aston Villa inserted a fairly complicated-sounding buy-back clause in the contract.
When the Blades were relegated, Villa bought their former striker back for a cut price and flogged him to Southampton where Archer went down again.
It’s not thought that Villa will re-sign the striker for a third time.
ST: Cole Palmer (Tommy Doyle ’82)
Palmer was named PFA Young Player of the Year in 2024 after a sensational debut season at Chelsea.
The 2024-25 campaign proved a little more difficult with Palmer suffering a particularly poor second half of the year.
But he remains one of the best players in the Premier League and vital to any hopes of a Chelsea title push.
Doyle was sold by Manchester City in 2024 as Wolves secured a permanent deal for the player who’d impressed on loan at Molineux.
The midfielder made 26 appearances last season at the Black Country outfit avoided relegation from the Premier League.
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