England confirm 23-man squad for Under-20 World Cup

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 11 May 2023

England Under-20s manager Ian Foster confirms a 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup in Argentina, including the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka and Sam Edozie.

England Under-20s manager Ian Foster has announced his 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup in Argentina.

The 23rd edition of the Under-20s World Cup, which was initially due to be held in Indonesia before being moved due to COVID-19 concerns, will take place between May 20 and June 11.

England, who qualified courtesy of their Under-19s Euros triumph last year, will do battle with Uruguay, Iraq and Tunisia in the group stage, kicking off against the latter on May 22.

The Young Lions will subsequently meet Uruguay on May 25 and Iraq on May 28 as they endeavour to add to their 2017 world title, and Foster has named a squad packed with Premier League and EFL experience.

Chelsea's Carney Chukwuemeka and Southampton's Sam Edozie headline the selection, while the former's Blues teammate Harvey Vale is also called up for the trip to South America.

Tottenham Hotspur duo Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett have also been selected, as has Bristol City starlet Alex Scott, who was recently named the Championship's Young Player of the Season for 2022-23.

Dane Scarlett warms up for Tottenham Hotspur in September 2021 © Reuters

Arsenal right-back Brooke Norton-Cuffy will form a part of Foster's 23-man squad too, but the Coventry City loanee is one of four players set to turn out for their club teams in the EFL playoffs later this month.

Fellow Coventry man Callum Doyle - on loan from Manchester City - is in the same boat, as is Aston Villa's Aaron Ramsey, who is vying for Premier League promotion with Middlesbrough.

Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards represents the final playoff representative in the England squad, and as such all four players will only be available for the World Cup once their playoff campaigns are over.

The Championship playoff final takes place on May 27 before the League One playoff final on May 29, meaning that Peterborough's Edwards may not be available for the entirety of the group stage.

However, with Coventry and Middlesbrough facing off in the Championship playoff semis, at least one of Ramsey, Norton-Cuffy or Doyle will have finished their club commitments by the time the group stage begins.

Ukraine were the last winners of the Under-20 World Cup in 2019, but the holders are not present at this year's edition, having missed the 2022 Under-19 Euros following the Russian invasion.

ENGLAND UNDER-20 WORLD CUP SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton & Hove Albion), Matthew Cox (Brentford), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea)

Defenders: Callum Doyle (Coventry City, loan from Manchester City)*, Ronnie Edwards (Peterborough United)*, Bashir Humphreys (Paderborn, loan from Chelsea), Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Coventry City, loan from Arsenal)*, Daniel Oyegoke (Brentford), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Imari Samuels (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Midfielders: Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea), Alfie Devine (Tottenham Hotspur), Sam Edozie (Southampton), Darko Gyabi (Leeds United), Aaron Ramsey (Middlesbrough, loan from Aston Villa)*, Alex Scott (Bristol City), Harvey Vale (Chelsea)

Forwards: Liam Delap (Manchester City), Daniel Jebbison (Sheffield United), Mateo Joseph (Leeds United), Dane Scarlett (Tottenham Hotspur)