Is England's most exciting generation still to emerge?

Ethan Nwaneri is one of the latest generation of exciting young talents in the new crop of Lee Carsley's England Under 21 squad. [Getty Images]

"It is just unfair to the rest of the U21s in the world."

That was how one social media post summed up the excitement around the quality of the England Under-21 squad for their March camp.

Littered with talent from some of Europe's biggest clubs, the estimated transfer value of Lee Carsley's current Under-21 side surpasses £500m.

That calculation makes this group of Young Lions even more valuable than the side who won the European Championship in 2023.

Phrases such as "the new golden generation" and "the most exciting youngsters ever" have been thrown around a lot with young England sides.

The positive response to Friday's Under-21 squad announcement also contrasted with some of the noise and negativity around Thomas Tuchel's recall of Jordan Henderson and Marcus Rashford to the senior side.

BBC Sport takes a closer look.

'We want them to be better than the last group' - Carsley

The England Under-21 side of 2023 was a special one – but Carsley has challenged his new-look 2025 side to be even better.

"It's difficult to compare [2023 and 2025] at the minute," Carsley told BBC Sport reporter Alex Howell on Wednesday.

"We are looking at the last squad knowing what they did. To win six games and not concede any goals [in the entire tournament], I think that will be very hard to recreate. But it's a goal and it's a target.

"That's the challenge we have put down for these players – we want them to be better than the last group, so hopefully they can be."

Only four players from the Euro 2023 winners' group were in the squad selected by Carsley last week: Jarrad Branthwaite, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Charlie Cresswell and Harvey Elliott.

The Under-21 Euro-winning squad of 2023

The Under-21 squad of 2025

How they compare

The 2023 Under-21 European champions (23-man squad) stats at the start of that tournament:

Games played in all competitions - 2,378 (average per player 103)
Premier League appearances - 702 (average per player 31)
Premier League starts - 430 (average per player 19)
Aston Villa's Jacob Ramsey had the most Premier League appearances with 91

Current Under-21 team (25-man squad):

Games played in all competitions - 2,442 (average per player 98)
Premier League appearances - 573 (average per player 23 )
Premier League starts - 355 (average per player 14)
Liverpool's Harvey Elliott has the most Premier League appearances with 87

How this Under-21 crop compares to senior team

There were strong feelings on Friday after Thomas Tuchel revealed his first senior team, three hours prior to Carsley's Under-21 announcement.

Football writer Henry Winter described as "bizarre" the recall of the experienced Jordan Henderson, who didn't make the squad for Euro 2024, while Troy Deeney questioned the return of Marcus Rashford, who has made one Premier League start since his move to Aston Villa.

There were a number of "Tuchel out" texts sent in during the day's live text on the BBC Sport website and app, albeit tongue-in-cheek.

The reveal of Carsley's side, on the other hand, was met with much more positivity.

"Admin, you've accidentally posted the first team squad" and "this is genuinely better than the first team" were just two of many replies to the announcement of the U21 squad on England's X page.

But how do the two sides shape up as a whole, creatively?

U21 (25-man squad):

Goals - 91
Assists - 34
Total goal involvements - 125 (average per player: 5)

Senior team (27-man squad):

Goals - 139
Assists - 105
Total goal involvements - 244 (average per player: 9)

Midfielders in the U21 squad:

38 goal involvements
An average of 4.4 per player
Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens has the highest (14)

Midfielders in the senior squad:

115 goal involvements
An average of 14.7 per player
Jude Bellingham has the highest (22)

*Including Morgan Gibbs-White who was later added

It's a family affair at St George's Park 🤝
Jude Bellingham posted this picture with his brother Jobe who is part of the England Under-21 squad 📸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/u077118Nxa
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 17, 2025

What is the current U21 squad worth?

According to the website Football Transfers' 'Estimated Transfer Value' algorithm, the current Under-21 squad is valued at £516.9m, almost double that of the group who won Euro 2023 (£280m at the start of that tournament).

Champions League, Premier League and full international appearances, along with current contract status at club level, all contribute to the ETV rating that Football Transfers give to a player - and it is different to the market value players may be sold and bought for.

The worth of the current team is boosted by many playing prominent roles at big clubs in the Premier League and across Europe.

For example, the top three players with the highest values: Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens (£59.7m), Manchester City's Rico Lewis (£53.6m) and Liverpool's Harvey Elliott (£40.2m).

Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, 21, bucks that trend slightly, coming in as the fourth-most expensive player at £40.1m - but being part of the senior squad at Euro 2024 has significantly helped his value.

Another big hitter, Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri, is valued slightly lower at £28.2m because of his limited appearances and shorter contract status - but has a value that is expected to grow rapidly.

It's worth noting that, the overall value of the Euro 2023 team has risen hugely, going from £280m in 2023 to £626m in 2025.

Should this current 2025 squad see such a percentage increase, we will be looking at a set of young England players with a combined value of well over £1bn.

'Experience and a fresh introduction of talent'

BBC Sport's Alex Howell followed England's Euro 2023 U21 tournament in Georgia:

"Carsley went into the 2023 tournament without a recognised centre-forward and - after losing Flo Balogun to the USA - played Anthony Gordon as his main striker.

"This time there are no such issues and in Liam Delap, he has many people's pick as senior captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane's successor.

"Newcastle United's Lewis Hall and Manchester City's Rico Lewis were left out of the last tournament and are still eligible for the whole qualifying campaign this time, but Hall now looks set to be the England senior team's first-choice left-back.

"The squad that won the competition in Georgia was accepted as being the best in a generation and the fact that they lifted the trophy cemented that.

"Ethan Nwaneri is having a breakthrough season at Arsenal and has been accelerated into the Under-21s and is joined in a midfield including Jobe Bellingham and Elliot Anderson, who is starring for Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest.

"Adam Wharton, Jarrad Branthwaite, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Lewis have dropped down after a taste of football with the senior squad.

"There are still four members of the group that won the Under-21 Euros in 2023 and with that experience, a fresh introduction of talent, it looks as this squad could be just as exciting."

Have your say - poll and comments

Jarell Quansah, Morgan Rogers, James Trafford and Myles Lewis-Skelly were all included in Tuchel's initial England squad but could all move back down into Carsley's group, as senior players return from injury.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and John Stones are among the names you'd expect to be involved in Tuchel's plans.

So which squad excites you more?

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