England have won another youth tournament as their under-19s defeated Israel 3-1 in the European Championship final. Extra-time was needed after the Young Lions went 1-0 down before Manchester City’s Tommy Doyle bagged an equaliser, but in the extra 30 minutes it was the Aston Villa academy boys that stole the show.
18-year-old star Carney Chukwuemeka beat the keeper from close range to put England within touching distance of the trophy, before Aaron Ramsey - younger brother of Villa first-teamer Jacob - added the cherry on top of the cake with the third.
England last won this competition in 2017 as a side featuring the likes of Mason Mount, Lukas Nmecha and Ryan Sessegnon stormed to glory with a win over Portugal in the final. But now, it is time for more success for England’s youngsters as another youth side tastes success in an international tournament.
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The Young Lions won all three of their group games, including a 1-0 success over Israel, before beating Italy 2-1 in the semi-final. Israel themselves were the surprise package of the tournament, beating a talented French side in the semi-finals before succumbing to this abundance of English talent.
Having been promoted from U18 boss to the U19s in 2020, this marks manager Ian Fosters first international trophy but he is a coach with a growing reputation. He’s played a part in Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Emile Smith Rowe's rise into Gareth Southgate’s plans and given the success former England coach Steve Cooper has enjoyed, could attract the attention of several EFL clubs.
But this is all about the here and now, and England’s U19s are European Champions. The continued success of the youth teams means the future is looking bright for the national team.
*18+, terms and conditions apply, odds subject to change.