Y is for Young Lions

Young Lions is the term used to refer to England's youth and junior sides, so today Y is for Young Lions.

It is a little-known fact that England are Europe's most successful team when it comes to the European Under-19 Championship, having won the competition - formerly an Under-18 tournament - nine times since its inception in 1948.

The tournament began life as the FIFA Junior Tournament and has existed under various guises.

But one factor has always remained constant - England's success in the annual tournament.

They won the inaugural event but their most consistently successful period was the early 1970s, with victories in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1975.

The last time England won the competition was as hosts in 1993, when Turkey were defeated 1-0 in front of 24,000 at Nottingham Forest's City Ground.

That team truly marked a high point in the development of the Young Lions as a number of the victorious side made the breakthrough into the full England squad, including three men who made over 50 appearances at full international level - Sol Campbell, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes.

The undisputed star of the show, however, was Robbie Fowler, who scored five goals in as many games to take the tournament's Golden Boot.

England's Under-17 team has also regularly marked a key stage in the development of young talent, no more so than in the recent European Under-17 Championships in Belgium, where only a 1-0 defeat by Spain in the Final prevented West Ham's Jordan Spence lifting the trophy.

England were hugely impressive, convincingly defeating France and Holland to reach the Final, with potential stars like Arsenal's Henri Lansbury and Crystal Palace's Victor Moses scoring the goals that propelled John Peacock's team forward.

Expect to see these names more often in the future.