ENGLAND HAVE NAMED a 27-man preliminary squad for next month’s Uefa U21s European Championships.
Manager Gareth Southgate has called up Harry Kane, who scored 20 Premier League goals this season, in an impressive-looking forward line which also features West Brom’s Saido Berahino, Danny Ings of Burnley and Chelsea’s Patrick Bamford.
Former Ireland U18 international Bamford won Championship Player of the Year while on loan at Middlesbrough this term and recently refused to rule out declaring for Ireland at senior level.
However, a switch looks increasingly unlikely after his latest inclusion
Elsewhere, Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek makes the list after his debut appearance for the newly-crowned champions last week, while Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has been left out.
England face Italy, Portugal and Sweden at the finals, which take place in the Czech Republic between 17-30 June.
Goalkeepers
Marcus Bettinelli (Fulham). Jonathan Bond (Watford), Jack Butland (Stoke City).
Defenders
Calum Chambers (Arsenal), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Luke Garbutt (Everton), Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough), Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal, loan to West Ham United), Michael Keane (Burnley), Liam Moore (Leicester City), John Stones (Everton), Matt Targett (Southampton).
Midfielders
Tom Carroll (Tottenham Hotspur, loan to Swansea City), Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea)
Will Hughes (Derby County), Jake Forster-Caskey (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea), Alex Pritchard (Tottenham Hotspur), Nathan Redmond (Norwich City), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton).
Forwards
Benik Afobe (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Patrick Bamford (Chelsea, loan to Middlesbrough), Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Ings (Burnley), Cauley Woodrow (Fulham).
