England can break a 39-year hoodoo on July 8 as they take on Spain in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final in Georgia.
Lee Carsley's team have stormed to the final with five wins from five games and no goals conceded, including victories over Germany, Portugal and Israel.
The challenge of six-time winners Spain will be a huge test for Carsley and his players, but they have a squad with plenty of Premier League experience within it.
The prospect of ending England's long wait for a title at European U21 level will be a major motivation for the Young Lions with the majority of the squad looking for a springboard into the 2023/24 domestic season.
MORE: UEFA Euro 2023 U21 championship fixtures, tables, schedule, and results
Who is England U21 manager?
The man in charge of the England Under-21 side and bidding to lead them to glory is Lee Carsley.
Carsley's playing career included over 200 Premier League appearances, primarily at the heart of Everton's midfield from 2002 to 2008 either side of spells at Derby County, Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City and Birmingham City in the top flight. He also won 40 senior caps for the Republic of Ireland.
After retirement, Carsley turned his focus to coaching, with two caretaker spells in charge at Coventry before taking up a role in Brentford's youth set-up in 2014.
He accepted another caretaker spot at the Bees alongside a combined position as an England U19 coach, as his status in youth football continued to rise.
His impressive role at domestic and international level persuaded Manchester City to bring him on board for a period in 2016/17 before he left for the England U20 job in 2020.
That led to a promotion to U21 boss in July 2021 and his first tournament has seen a run to the final for the Young Lions.
Carsley's contract is over at the end of the tournament, and he has been linked with Championship roles and potentially the Republic of Ireland senior team, with his reputation for developing young talent a key feature on his CV.
England stars at 2023 Euro U21 finals
Defensive resilience has been a key part of England's push to the final, with Carsley's insistence on maintaining shape out of possession a noticeable feature.
Five clean sheets have been achieved by a largely unchanged back line with Carsley only making alterations due to suspensions and for the group-stage dead rubber against Germany.
Goalkeeper James Trafford has seen his stock rise during the tournament as an ever-present between the posts, with his Manchester City youth teammate Taylor Harwood-Bellis captaining the team alongside centre-back partner Levi Colwill.
Colwill has carried his impressive form from a loan at Brighton & Hove Albion into the competition and he is tipped for a key role in Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea plans.
HT: Israel 0-1 England
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) July 5, 2023
Levi Colwill spent the final five minutes of the first half standing still in the centre-circle with his studs on the ball, waiting for Israel to press.
They did not. 🙃#U21EURO
Jacob Ramsey's injury left a hole in midfield, with the Aston Villa star ruled out after the playoff win over Portugal, forcing a reshuffle from Carsley.
He has tweaked his engine room, with Curtis Jones and Angel Gomes providing balance in the centre, with Emile Smith Rowe, Morgan Gibbs-White and Harvey Elliott adding spark and attacking threat out wide.
The goals have been evenly spread across the team, with Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon operating in a more central role than he does for the Magpies.
England squad at 2023 Euro U21 finals
Carsley selected 23 players for the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. The full list is below.
| Position | Name | Age | Club |
| GK | James Trafford | 20 | Man City |
| GK | Josh Griffiths | 21 | West Brom |
| GK | Carl Rushworth | 22 | Brighton |
| DEF | Max Aarons | 23 | Norwich City |
| DEF | Luke Thomas | 22 | Leicester City |
| DEF | Levi Colwill | 20 | Chelsea |
| DEF | Taylor Harwood-Bellis | 21 | Man City |
| DEF | Jarrad Branthwaite | 21 | Everton |
| DEF | Charlie Cresswell | 20 | Leeds United |
| DEF | Ben Johnson | 23 | West Ham |
| MID | Oliver Skipp | 22 | Tottenham |
| MID | Jacob Ramsey | 22 | Aston Villa |
| MID | James Garner | 22 | Everton |
| MID | Curtis Jones | 22 | Liverpool |
| MID | Tommy Doyle | 21 | Man City |
| MID | Harvey Elliott | 20 | Liverpool |
| MID | Angel Gomes | 22 | Lille |
| FWD | Morgan Gibbs-White | 23 | Notts Forest |
| FWD | Cameron Archer | 21 | Aston Villa |
| FWD | Emile Smith Rowe | 22 | Arsenal |
| FWD | Anthony Gordon | 22 | Newcastle |
| FWD | Cole Palmer | 21 | Man City |
| FWD | Noni Madueke | 21 | Chelsea |
England's route to the final
England have not missed a step on their way to the final with an unbroken run of five matches and five clean sheets kept by Trafford and company.
| Date | Stage | Match | |
| Thu, Jun 22 | Group | Czech Rep 0-2 England | Highlights |
| Sun, Jun 25 | Group | England 2-0 Israel | Highlights |
| Wed, Jun 28 | Group | England 2-0 Germany | Highlights |
| Sat, Jul 2 | Quarterfinal | England 1-0 Portugal | Highlights |
| Wed, Jul 5 | Semifinal | Israel 0-3 England | Highlights |
England vs Spain UEFA Euro U21 Championship final live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | CBS Sports Network | Paramount+, Fubo, ViX |
| UK | Channel 4 | UEFA TV, Channel 4 online |
| Australia | — | UEFA TV |
| Canada | — | UEFA TV |
| Hong Kong | — | UEFA TV |
| India | — | UEFA TV |
| Malaysia | — | UEFA TV |
| New Zealand | — | UEFA TV |
| Singapore | — | UEFA TV |
USA: The 2023 UEFA European Championship is available to watch via the CBS Sports Network with streaming options on Fubo, Paramount+ and ViX.
Canada/Australia: With no national broadcaster in these nations carrying the tournament, fans can access each match via UEFA TV.
UK: A late agreement means Channel 4 will broadcast the match on free-to-air TV and stream via their online service.