Former U19 captain to collect UEFA Fair Play award and make Elite Round draw

By Nicholas Veevers

England's U19s will learn their Elite Round fate on Wednesday as the draw takes place for the next qualifying stage of the European Championships.

And Head Coach Noel Blake will be hoping a familiar face can do his side a favour, as last season's U19s captain Tom Thorpe will be making the draw.

Manchester United defender Thorpe will be alongside Blake at UEFA's Switzerland HQ to collect the Fair Play Award, which England won at the European U19 Championship Finals in Estonia last summer.

Blake's Young Lions reached the semi-final in Tallinn last July, when they were beaten in extra-time by Greece.

Now England are targeting a place in the 2013 Finals in Lithuania, but they will have to overcome the Elite Qualifying Round before taking their place in the last eight.

England are in Pot 2 of the seedings following their performance in the First Qualifying Round games in October, alongside Germany, Croatia, Ukraine, France, Portugal and Ireland, so know they won't be facing any of those nations next spring.

However, they could be drawn alongside the likes of Spain, Netherlands, Russia, Italy, Belgium or Switzerland amongst others, who are all in different pots.

Alongside Thorpe will be UEFA's Youth & Amateur Committee Chairman Jim Boyce to make the draw, which consists of 28 nations.

Seven groups of four will be drawn and the games will take place in April and May next year, but only the top nation from each group will progress to the finals in July.

The draw will be streamed live from Nyon on UEFA.com from 12.45pm on Wednesday.

Elite Round draw seedings

Pot A: Spain (holders), Serbia, Turkey, Austria, Netherlands, Scotland, Denmark.

Pot B: Germany, England, Croatia, Ukraine, France, Portugal, Republic of Ireland.

Pot C: Czech Republic, Russia, Norway, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Belgium.

Pot D: Bulgaria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Sweden, Georgia, Cyprus.