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Sunday, October 4, 2026

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England Under-23 squad named for first camp

Lydia Bedford has named a 23-player squad as England begin their defence of the U23 European competition title.

The Young Lionesses will welcome Norway to the LNER Community Stadium in York on Monday 12 October (19:30 BST) for the opening match of the 2026-27 season. Tickets are priced at £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and £1 for under-16s and can be purchased directly from the stadium.

England were crowned U23 European competition champions in April following a 3-0 victory over Sweden in the final. Bedford’s side will face Norway, Belgium, Portugal and Italy in Group B this season. The Young Lionesses also met Norway on their way to lifting the trophy last year, with a goal from Izzy Goodwin sealing all three points in a 1-0 victory in November 2025.

Now entering its fourth season, the competition was introduced to help bridge the gap between the end of the pathway and senior international football. Bedford will lead England into the new campaign in her first full season as WU23s head coach, having most recently taken charge of the Young Lionesses at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

Lydia Bedford said: “We’re really looking forward to working with this group and seeing what they can achieve over the course of the season. The WU23s programme plays a key role in preparing players for senior international football and, with a World Cup coming up next summer, every opportunity they have to perform in an England environment is really valuable.

“We’re seeing more and more players transition from the pathway into the senior squad, and I was really pleased for Erica Meg Parkinson and Lexi Potter receiving their call ups. The question I’ll be asking the group is: who’s going to be next?”

“Last season was a brilliant one for the WU23s with winning the competition and we want to build on that success while continuing to give players the experiences they need to progress and develop. I’m excited to start the campaign in York and we hope to see a good crowd turn out to support the next generation.”

England Under-23 squad:

Eve Annets Manchester City, on loan to Hibernian

Kaiya Jota Stanford University

Sophia Poor London City Lionesses

Brooke Aspin Bristol City

Cerys Brown Nottingham Forest

Megan Collett Southampton

Teyah Goldie London City Lionesses, on loan to Crystal Palace

Nelly Las Chelsea

Naomi Layzell Manchester City, on loan to Everton

Gracie Prior Manchester City

Hannah Silcock Everton

Jessica Simpson Manchester United

Sarah Brasero West Ham United, on loan to Deportivo Alaves

Keira Flannery Charlton Athletic

Laila Harbert San Diego Wave

Sophie Harwood Arsenal, on loan to Sheffield United

Lexi Lloyd-Smith Crystal Palace

Keira Barry Bay FC

Mia Enderby Liverpool

Lenna Gunning-Williams Tottenham Hotspur

Georgia Mullett Aston Villa

Lily Murphy Manchester City, on loan to Aston Villa

Poppy Pritchard Leicester City