The Under-21 squad is the breeding ground for England's stars of the future - that's why U is for Under-21s.

At this summer's UEFA Under-21 Championships, a Young Lions side - missing key players - reached the Semi-Finals before losing to hosts Holland in a marathon 13-12 penalty shoot-out.

It signalled the end of Under-21 careers for many of the squad, including captain Nigel Reo-Coker, Ashley Young, Leighton Baines, Justin Hoyte, Scott Carson and Kieran Richardson.

Now it is down to the likes of Theo Walcott, Mark Noble, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Tom Huddlestone and Matt Derbyshire to help England go one better in the next tournament.

England have a good record at Under-21 level, winning the championship twice in the 1980s and reaching the Semi-Finals on a further five occasions.

Goalkeeper Scott Carson has made the record number of Under-21 appearances with 29 caps, though midfielder James Milner is likely to overhaul that figure.

Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers are the joint top scorers for the Under-21s with 13 each. Aaron Lennon, Micah Richards and Stewart Downing are among those who have graduated from Under-21 level to Steve McClaren's senior squad.

Wayne Rooney never played in an Under-21 match, jumping straight into the senior set-up and making an immediate impact.

The Under-21 side do not have a permanent home and travel around the country, but in March they faced Italy in the first match at the new Wembley, attracting a crowd of 60,000 - a world record at Under-21 level.