Blake names squad for Slovakia

  • Thursday, 12 August, 2010
  • Noel Blake

New faces in the squad for match in Crewe next month.

England v Slovakia
U19 International Match
7.30pm, Thursday 2 September 2010
Gresty Road, Crewe Alexandra FC
Ticket hotline 01270 252 610
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By Nicholas Veevers

England U19s Head Coach Noel Blake has selected his first squad for the 2010-11 campaign, as the Young Lions prepare to face Slovakia in early September.

Blake took last season's squad to the semi-finals of the European U19 Championships in France just last month and the start of the new term is already back upon him with the First Qualifying Round for the 2011 Championship taking place in early October, so this game will give Blake a chance to look at some of his options for the coming months.

He won't have a shortage of international experience in the squad either, as all bar four players have represented England previously at U16 or U17 level.

There is one player from last season's group still involved in the shape of Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Lee Nicholls, who didn't manage to win a cap last season but provided a useful back-up for Declan Rudd and will now be hoping to use that experience in the coming months.

Also included are seven members of last season's U17 squad which became European Champions themselves in May, so Benik Afobe, Ross Barkley, Will Keane, Josh McEachran, Bruno Pilatos, Luke Williams and Andre Wisdom will all be looking to take the success they enjoyed in Liechtenstein into the new season.

The players looking forward to their first involvement with England are Coventry striker Shaun Jeffers, Liverpool forward Michael Ngoo and Nottingham Forest defender Karlton Watson.

After this match, Blake's attentions will turn to the qualifying games in October when his side will face hosts Belgium, Cyprus and Albania as they battle for a place in the Elite Qualifying Round.

Squad in full:

Name

Club

Benik Afobe

Arsenal

Ross Barkley

Everton

Aziz Deen Conteh

Chelsea

Emmanuel Frimpong^

Arsenal

Ezekiel Fryers

Manchester United

Shaun Jeffers

Coventry City

Will Keane

Manchester United

Josh McEachran

Chelsea

Jack Mills

Reading

Michael Ngoo

Liverpool

Lee Nicholls**

Wigan Athletic

Bruno Pilatos

Middlesbrough

Jonjo Shelvey

Liverpool

Jed Steer***

Norwich City

Karlton Watson*

Nottingham Forest

Luke Williams

Middlesbrough

Andre Wisdom

Liverpool

Nicholas Yennaris

Arsenal


* Withdrawn injured and replaced by Angus MacDonald of Reading.
** Withdrawn injured and replaced by Jack Butland of Birmingham City.
*** Withdrawn injured and replaced by Sam Johnstone of Manchester United.
^ Withdrawn injured and replaced by Louis Laing of Sunderland.


What Do You Think?

  • Odd squad. No Freeman? Aneke? Morrison? Thorpe? Tunnicliffe?By Barryfrom (32 months ago)