U21s named for Wembley

England v Italy
Under-21 International Friendly
12.30pm, Saturday 24 March 2007
Wembley Stadium

The England Under-21 squad for next week's opening international at Wembley Stadium has been named.

The players will be the first to experience the matchday atmosphere at Wembley in front of a sell-out crowd of 60,000 on Saturday 24 March.

The international friendly against Italy will also be a key part of England's preparations for this summer's UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Nigel Pearson, who will be Head Coach of the Under-21s for the game, said: "I’m looking forward to being part of this historic day and I’m sure it will be a great atmosphere in front of a big crowd," he told TheFA.com.

"As well as the ‘Wembley factor’, we have to keep things in perspective and not get carried away with the occasion.

"It’s a massive game for the team as we build towards the Finals this summer and a big tournament for these players so we have to strike a balance between enjoying a historic event and making the most of an important preparation game."

The 23-man squad consists mainly of the players who have enjoyed an unbeaten record this season which saw them qualify for the Championship which will be held in Holland in June.

The squad includes the goalscorers from the Under-21s' last match, against Spain in February, Preston's David Nugent and Reading's Leroy Lita.

There are also opportunities for uncapped players to push for a place in the Championship squad with Blackburn forward Matt Derbyshire selected along with Middlesbrough midfielder Lee Cattermole, Tottenham goalkeeper Ben Alnwick and Aston Villa's Gary Cahill.

The match will kick-off at 12.30pm. All available tickets for the match sold out within six hours when they went on sale on Monday.