Arsenal winger Ethan Nwaneri has been called up to the England Under-21 squad for the first time, just 24 hours after Thomas Tuchel named his senior squad for the World Cup. Nwaneri, who left Arsenal in January to join Marseille on loan in search of more playing time, is one of four young talents added to the pre-World Cup training camp in Florida.
The 18-year-old was part of the Under-21 side that won the European Championship last summer. He is joined in the squad by Fulham's Josh King, Liverpool's Rio Ngumoha, and Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, who was on the long list of 55 players for the senior World Cup squad but did not make the final cut.
England manager Thomas Tuchel said: 'We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need, and we have the two friendly matches to take care of the minutes and the load on the players. I’m happy to have these players, especially Alex who was on the [long] list of 55 and obviously he didn’t make the first cut but the reaction of him was outstanding.'
The Three Lions will face New Zealand on June 6 and Costa Rica on June 10 before their World Cup campaign begins against Croatia on June 17. England are expected to top their group, which also includes Ghana and Panama, as they aim to end their wait for tournament glory after losing in two finals since 2021.
Tuchel's senior squad has divided opinion, with notable omissions including Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The German has defended his selections, stating: 'I think from day one we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect the 26 most talented players. Teams win championships, it is as simple as that.'
