Under-21s head coach Southgate has named an initial 27-man squad for the Euros

Under-21s head coach Southgate has named an initial 27-man squad for the Euros

The Three Lions head to Czech Republic for the competition next month, for which Southgate is allowed to name a 23-man squad.

UEFA Euro U21 Championship The Finals

17-30 June 2015

Group A: Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Serbia

Group B: England, Italy, Portugal, Sweden

But with domestic fixtures still remaining for most of the players involved this month, Southgate has selected an initial longer squad which will be reduced before the group meet up to begin their preparations on Monday 2 June.

The majority of those who played a part in securing qualification for the Finals are included, with the competition's top scorer Saido Berahino and fellow striker Harry Kane named in the list.

There is a first call-up for young Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a regular in the England U19s squad this season and recently made his Premier League debut for the Stamford Bridge club.

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Benik Afobe is also named in the squad, after an impressive campaign at Molineux in which he scored 32 goals in total, including his strikes from an earlier loan spell with MK Dons.

An England regular throughout the development teams over the years, the former Arsenal player has not featured for his country since February 2013 when he played in a 4-0 win for the U21s over Sweden in Walsall.

The U21s line-up to face Czech Republic in March

Prior to that, he had scored on his U21s debut in a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland at Blackpool’s Bloomfield Road in November 2012.

Southgate’s final 23-man squad will join up at St. George’s Park to begin their preparations on 2 June before returning for a second week on Monday 8 June.