Lee Carsley will continue in his role as manager of the England Under-21 team through 2027. He gained this appointment only after guiding the national side to victory in their Euro 2027 qualifying campaign. Carsley’s new-look squad marked a bright start with a 2-0 victory against Kazakhstan, showcasing the potential of the younger players under his guidance.
Their encounter played out in Kazakhstan. Carsley sent out a reshuffled side, not the XI that dubbed itself champion after a glorious triumph in the Euro 2025 finale against Germany. Only two players from that final, goalkeeper James Beadle and defender Jack Hinshelwood, played in Monday’s lineup. Among the new faces was Arsenal midfielder Ethan Nwaneri, who was instrumental in seeing the World Cup winners through to the victory.
Nwaneri struck first with a curling low effort from the edge of the area. This was preceded by Kazakhstan’s goalkeeper, Dulat Talyspayev, having already parried one of Nwaneri’s efforts from a 20-yard set-piece. Following Nwaneri’s goal, Jobe Bellingham extended the lead by heading in from a corner delivered by Tyler Dibling, demonstrating the team’s set-piece prowess.
Carsley’s squad showed some real defensive steel. On the other side, Beadle had an easy save to claim from Ayan Baidavletov. Then, almost immediately after, he proved his worth with a quick reaction save on Ramazan Bagdat.
The England U21s’ campaign continues with an upcoming trip to Moldova for October’s internationals, where they will look to build on this promising performance. In addition they will be hosting Andorra at home in Derby. This fixture provides the group another opportunity to illustrate their development to Carsley’s stewardship.
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