Ex-Luton starlet named in England U21s Euro Finals squad

Former Luton Town youngster Cauley Woodrow has been named in the England U21 squad for this summer's UEFA European U21 Championships in Poland.

The 22-year-old, who made his debut for the Hatters as a 15-year-old in the FA Trophy against Welling United in 2010, going on to play three times for the club before joining Fulham, is part of the 23-man squad for the competition which starts next Thursday when the Young Lions face Sweden in Kielce.

Woodrow spent the latter part of this season on loan at Burton Albion, where he scored five times in 14 matches and joins two former Luton loanees in the squad, goalkeeper Jonathan Mitchell (Derby County) and defender Alfie Mawson (Swansea City).

Mitchell made five appearances for the Hatters when on loan from the Rams during the 2015-16 campaign, while Mawson, who has impressed for the Swans this season, was restricted to just 45 minutes in a Town shirt, that coming in a 5-0 win at Alfreon in December 2013.

Former Hatters academy player and Luton-born Lewis Baker, who spent this season on loan at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem from Chelsea is also in the squad, selected by manager Aidy Boothroyd, although there was no place for ex-Town keeper Christian Walton.

The Young Lions chief said: “We have some good players and like for any international team, bringing them all together and getting them all to work as a single unit, that is always the challenging part.

“But we’ve got players with big game experience now, lads who have played in cup finals, play-off finals, big games and a couple of senior internationals.

“In this particular age group we have a very capable, mature squad with a nice balance between the soldiers and the artists, so I’m really looking forward to it.

“I think we’re well equipped on paper and it’s now about putting some hard work in on the grass, which we’ve been doing over the last three weeks to be ready for the tournament.”

Following their opener against reigning U21 Euro champions Sweden, England will face Slovakia on Monday, June 19 before they round off the group stage against hosts Poland on Thursday, June 22.

Squad: Angus Gunn (Manchester City), Jonathan Mitchell (Derby County), Jordan Pickford (Sunderland); Calum Chambers (Arsenal), Ben Chilwell (Leicester City), Kortney Hause (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rob Holding (Arsenal), Mason Holgate (Everton), Dominic Iorfa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Alfie Mawson (Swansea City), Jack Stephens (Southampton), Matt Targett (Southampton); Lewis Baker (Chelsea), Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Will Hughes (Derby County), John Swift (Reading), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton); Tammy Abraham (Chelsea), Demarai Gray (Leicester City), Jacob Murphy (Norwich City), Nathan Redmond (Southampton), Cauley Woodrow (Fulham).