Lee Carsley’s England U21 side won the Euros for the second year running, beating Germany in the final 3-2 thanks to a Jonathan Rowe goal early in extra-time. The team is filled with stars from big and small teams, both in the Premier League, the English Football League, and even the continent. Here are five players who could be called up to the senior team in coming years.
Five England U21 Stars Who Thomas Tuchel Could Call Up to the Senior Team
1. Harvey Elliott
Harvey Elliott was the one to watch in this competition, deservedly winning the Player of the Tournament trophy. He netted an impressive five goals, with three coming in the last two games, proving his ability to be a clutch player. At 22-years-old it’s unsurprising that he stood out, having been part of the last squad that won the U21 Euros, however his maturity sets him apart from the rest as a candidate to join the seniors.
Liverpool’s “ace” has been in their first-team set-up for the past four years, and with injuries to other key players he has played a big role at times. In the 2023/24 season he played 34/38 Premier League games, tallying 11 assists across all competitions. His talent is undeniable, and his ability to play in various positions (attacking-midfield, central-midfield, right-wing) could make him a valuable asset to Thomas Tuchel in years to come.
2. Elliot Anderson
In terms of their 2024/25 season, Elliot Anderson arguably warrants a senior call-up the most out of anybody, so it was not a surprise to see him controlling games with ease in Slovakia. The midfielder was a key cog in Nottingham Forest’s European push, looking like a seasoned Premier League veteran, despite his age.
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The competition for England’s second deep-lying midfielder (behind Declan Rice) is tight, with Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo, Adam Wharton, Jordan Henderson, and Curtis Jones all vying for that spot. However, the lack of a clear-cut, world-class favourite (assuming Jude Bellingham plays more advanced) arguably opens up an opportunity for the former Scottish U21 international to be picked.
3. Tino Livramento
Tino Livramento has quietly been putting in a very solid shift for Newcastle United, despite the hype from his first seasons at Southampton and Newcastle dying down. With three full seasons of top-flight football under his belt, alongside Champions League experience including a he may be ready for the step up.
For England there was once a very strong cohort of right-backs in Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Kyle Walker, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, proven by the latter failing to make an appearance. However, Alexander-Arnold has often moved into midfield, James has been ravaged by injuries, Walker is no longer anywhere near the top of his game, and the plaudits surrounding Wan-Bissaka have diminished (despite a redemption arc at West Ham). Livramento could soon receive his second call-up.
4. Jarell Quansah
The second Liverpool player on this list, though not for long, Jarell Quansah has had an England call-up before, but no debut. He looks set to move to Bayer Leverkusen this summer for £35 million.
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England have four strong centre-back options in John Stones, Marc Guehi, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Levi Colwill. It is unclear whether Tuchel will play with three centre-backs, but if he does he will need more squad depth. At 22-years-old, he could be primed for this in the next few years, or even at World Cup 2026 if he has a strong coming campaign.
5. Jay Stansfield
Certainly one more for the future, Jay Stansfield could one day be England’s back-up striker. Tuchel currently has a lot of talent at his disposal, in Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, and Dominic Solanke. However, three of these are at least 29-years-old, whilst Solanke turns 28 in September.
Liam Delap looks like Kane’s heir, though Stansfield could be his back-up. Although he didn’t score in this tournament, he has just come off the back of a 23-goal season for Birmingham City, who paid £15 million for their man.