The England women's national under-21 football team, also known as England women Under-21s or England women U21, is a youth association football team operated under the auspices of The Football Association. Its primary role is the development of players in preparation for the senior England women's national football team. It was reinstated as an age group in 2018. Under the new system the team will help develop players after each U-20 World Cup. They will take part in the Nordic Cup previously contested by the now defunct U23s, and in non-World Cup years will provide a World Cup-type programme to keep the flow and consistency of preparation for England seniors.
In summer 2004, The Football Association decided to reconstitute the U-21 team in order to give women a higher level of play to better prepare them for the full national team. Senior team manager Hope Powell held a four-day camp in Shropshire and announced: "This is a major step forward for our international teams and will bridge the gap between Under-19 and Senior levels. We have been observing players in this age bracket for the last six months and with the clubs' assistance I believe we can make this a real success." Powell installed her full-time assistant with the senior team, Brent Hills, as coach of the team, which remained an U-21 selection from 2004 through 2008.
Competing as an U-23 team
2008 saw the change of England's youth national women's team moved to the U-23 level. The move was made by the FA in response to age-level changes FIFA had made to its oldest women's youth competition, now named FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The age limit was raised from being a U-19 tournament to a U-20 tournament. This adjustment, coupled with a newly introduced U-23 age limit to the Nordic Cup, prompted the FA to rethink and eventually change the youth development team.
Return of U-21 team
Following a review in September 2018, the FA announced the amalgamation of the U23s and U20s squads to reform an Under-21s age group, which would become the top tier of the nation's new professional development phase. The move would align England's structure to that used in other European countries to allow for more age-appropriate games and better manage individual player development post-U20 World Cup for those who have genuine senior team potential. The FA's head of women's development Kay Cossington and senior team manager Phil Neville stressed the move as an important part of the wider, long-term plan prior to the following summer's World Cup. The then U20s manager Mo Marley was announced as the team's first head coach.
Eligibility
Although most national football teams represent a sovereign state, as a member of the United Kingdom's Home Nations, England is permitted by FIFA statutes to maintain its own national side that competes in all major tournaments. Every player must meet FIFA eligibility rules. However, as long as they are eligible, players can play for England at any level, making it possible to play for the U21s, the senior side, and then again for the U21s provided they also meet the age restrictions. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and another at senior level.
Current players
The following 19 players were named to the squad for a double-header of friendlies against in March 2020. Head coach: Rehanne Skinner
Recent callups
The following players have also been called up to the England under-21 squad within the last twelve months. This list may be incomplete.
