Leeds United man receives England tournament call-up as Three Lions look to end 40-year wait

Under-21s head coach Lee Carsley named his squad on Wednesday morning, confirming Cresswell’s inclusion after the young defender missed the end of the 2022/23 campaign with an orbital fracture whilst on loan at Millwall.

Cresswell appears to have completely recovered from the injury and could be expected to play a key role for the Young Lions in Romania and Georgia this summer.

England have been drawn against the Czech Republic, Germany and Israel in the group stage and will hope to give a better account of themselves than two years ago when the team finished bottom of Group D.

Whilst qualifying for each of the last three tournaments, England have failed to make it out of the group stage since 2017, despite a star-studded squad.

Joining Cresswell in Carsley’s group this year are Chelsea defender Levi Colwill who spent last season on loan at Brighton and Hove Albion, Liverpool duo Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones, Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, Chelsea winger Noni Madueke and Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe.

Cresswell faces a battle on his hands to be selected in the starting XI with Colwill and Burnley defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis stern competitors at centre-back. Nevertheless, the Leeds man is expected to see some action in Georgia, where each of England’s three group stage matches take place.

The Three Lions have never won the Under-21 Euros in its current format but were back-to-back winners in 1982 and 1984. The team were also runners-up in 2009 and losing semi-finalists in 2017.