England Under-21 squad announced for September fixtures against Northern Ireland and Austria

Ben Futcher, the interim head coach of England's men’s under-21s, has announced his squad for the upcoming UEFA U21 European Championship qualifiers in September.

The 24-man team is set to face Northern Ireland and Austria as they begin their campaign for the 2024-25 season.

The squad includes several first-time call-ups: Brighton defender Jack Hinshelwood, Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, and Ipswich Town forward Omari Hutchinson.

Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, who gained experience with the senior squad during EURO 2024, is also included in the team.

England's journey starts with an away match against Northern Ireland in Ballymena on Friday, 6 September.

This will be followed by a home game against Austria at Luton Town on Tuesday, 10 September.

Their final two qualifiers in October are against Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

The Young Lions currently sit second in their qualification group, tied on points with Ukraine but having played one additional match.

Reflecting on his new role, Futcher expressed his excitement, saying, "Personally, it will obviously be a huge honour to lead out the MU21s for the first time."

He added, "It's great to see Lee [Carsley] making the step-up to the senior side after being so successful with the MU21s."

"For me, it has been a great experience to work with the Elite League Squad over the past year, and now it's brilliant to have the opportunity to bring together a very talented group of players who can see a very direct link between all the pathway teams."

Futcher emphasised continuity in his approach, stating, "We're not going to try and reinvent things and it will be very much a case of trying to continue the work that Lee and his staff have done with this age group. Our main job is to get the best out of a really talented group."

Squad In Full:

Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Sheffield Wednesday, loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Sam Tickle (Wigan Athletic), James Trafford (Burnley)

Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse), Callum Doyle (Norwich City, loan from Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle United), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Nathan Wood (Southampton)

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), James McAtee (Manchester City), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)

Forwards: Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund), Liam Delap (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling-Junior (Bologna FC, loan from Aston Villa), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Jaden Philogene (Aston Villa), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)