The England Under-17s squad for the upcoming European Championships has been announced, and Arsenal and Manchester United starlets headline Neil Ryan‘s selection.
The Three Lions surged through the qualifying rounds to progress to the final tournament in Albania, winning all six of their preliminary matches in two separate groups.
England firstly defeated all of Sweden, Latvia and Malta to move onto the second stage, where they came up trumps against Slovenia, Israel and Northern Ireland.
Ryan’s men will compete in Group B of the final tournament alongside Belgium, the Czech Republic and defending champions Italy, who knocked England out of last year’s quarter-finals on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri was on target in that loss to the Azzurri, but with the 18-year-old now on the cusp of the senior team, another Hale End product is the standout name in Ryan’s 21-player squad.
Indeed, 15-year-old Max Dowman – who is already training with Arsenal’s first team – is among the players selected for the Championships, having excelled in the Three Lions’ qualification period.
Max Dowman, Bendito Mantato selected for Under-17 Euros
© Imago
The 2009-born phenom either scored or assisted in five of England’s six preliminary matches, and his form for the Arsenal Under-18 side in recent weeks has been nothing short of sensational.
Dowman scored twice in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa in the Under-18 Premier League, moving onto an astonishing 14 goals from his last seven league appearances in the 2024-25 campaign.
The playmaker – who has been likened to Kaka – also became the youngest player to score in a UEFA Youth League match in September, and all eyes will no doubt be on him in Albania.
Another noteworthy selection is Manchester United’s 2008-born winger Bendito Mantato, who made the bench for Ruben Amorim‘s side in both legs of their Europa League semi-final win over Athletic Bilbao.
Mantato has also registered two goals and three assists in five Premier League 2 appearances for the Red Devils’ Under-21s this season, form that has earned him comparisons to Bukayo Saka and a new contract at Old Trafford.
Son of former Liverpool striker makes England squad
© Imago
Mantato is interestingly down as a defender in England’s 21-man squad, but Manchester City‘s Reigan Heskey – the son of Emile Heskey – has been selected for Ryan’s attacking ranks.
Heskey could be joined in the final third by Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha, who will also compete at the Euros after making his senior Liverpool debut in January’s FA Cup third-round win over Accrington Stanley.
England’s first game of the Under-17 Euros takes place against Belgium on May 20, before subsequent meetings with Italy and the Czech Republic on May 23 and 26 respectively.
The semi-finals then take place on May 29, before the Under-17 Euros final at the Arena Kombetare in Tirana on June 1, where England could face one of Albania, France, Germany or Portugal should they progress that far.
England Under-17 Euros squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Landre Awesu (West Ham United), Freddy Bernal (Chelsea), Jack Porter (Arsenal)
Defenders: Kaden Braithwaite (Manchester City), Brad Burrowes (Aston Villa), Jun’ai Byfield (Tottenham Hotspur), Malachi Hardy (Tottenham Hotspur), Bendito Mantato (Manchester United), Freddie Simmonds (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Midfielders: Max Dowman (Arsenal), Landon Emenalo (Chelsea), Finlay Gorman (Manchester City), Louis Page (Leicester City), Seth Ridgeon (Fulham), Luca Williams-Barnett (Tottenham Hotspur)
Forwards: Harry Gray (Leeds United), Reigan Heskey (Manchester City), Harry Howell (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ryan McAidoo (Manchester City), Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool), Alejandro Rodriguez (Olympique Lyonnais)
