Blues trio in England U21 squad

Monday, 27 May, 2019 18comments  |  Jump to most recent

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jonjoe Kenny and Kieran Dowell have all been selected to be part of the England Under-21 squad for this summer's European Championships.

However, Ademola Lookman and Tom Davies have been omitted from the squad for Italy. Neither player got much playing time for Everton this past season but Davies has a shoulder injury that will preclude his participation in the tournament.

This year's tournament, which will feature VAR (Video Assistant Referee) for the first time, is being hosted by Italy and San Marino and kicks off on 16 June.

Davies expressed his disappointment at not being picked with a message on Instagram when he wrote: "Gutted I won't be fit for the Euros but gives me a chance to get ready for the start of the season. All the best to the lads going bring it home!"  



Reader Comments (18)

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Andrew Keatley
1 Posted 27/05/2019 at 15:58:09
I imagine this is only going to add fuel to the fire in terms of Lookman's desire to leave. While England's Under-21 squad is strong in respect of players in his position - Demarai Gray and Reiss Nelson in particular - the selection of Harvey Barnes (quick but limited in my opinion) and Dominic Solanke (most over-rated player in recent memory) over him is surely going to be hard for Lookman to swallow.

Alan J Thompson
2 Posted 27/05/2019 at 16:42:02
Rather devalues selection if you don't take those considered your best players. Everton look for good young players in the market and their own miss out as they don't get picked at club level.
Michael Kenrick
3 Posted 27/05/2019 at 16:46:20
Seems Davies has some sort of injury... not listed at the Physioroom.com.
Andy Meighan
4 Posted 27/05/2019 at 20:46:37
I've got to be honest here, I don't think Kenny deserves a place. He has hardly featured for the 1st team and, when he has been called on, hasn't covered himself in glory.

Yes, he got a very late call-up into the team at Newcastle but didn't take his chance at all and had a shocker. I don't actually think he's featured since.

That said, his attitude is spot on.

Dowell... fits and starts for Sheffield Utd. Calvert-Lewin? Yes Lack of goals but the ability to drag defenders all over the place. I love this kid's workrate and never-say-die attitude but always feel he'll never be a finisher. I'm desperate for him to prove me wrong, though...

James Stewart
5 Posted 27/05/2019 at 22:15:44
Dowell over Lookman... very strange.
Justin Doone
6 Posted 27/05/2019 at 23:19:21
Very pleased for them and I hope they all play a major part in winning it.

It's a shame for Davies and I think Lookman will be sold although I hope I'm wrong and he's loaned out.

He's the kind of player that could get fast tracked to a senior call up but players his age need game time and not playing him or loaning him out will have annoyed him as well as slowed his excellent progress from a season earlier.

He needs to tunnel that frustration in the right way. Get fitter, stronger and improve work ethic and team mentality.

Chuffed for Dowell: loaned out and dropped down a division, he wasn't playing every week because Sheffield Utd rotate but proved he has got talent and had a good season.

Dave Abrahams
7 Posted 27/05/2019 at 23:52:49
Jonjoe Kenny should consider himself very unfortunate not to have played more for Everton in the last couple of months of the season, not even picked for the squad until the last game of the season, and not used in the Spurs game although on the bench.

Jonjoe has never been given a good run of games by any of the three Everton managers, Koeman, Allardyce and Silva. I don't know why, he's got the talent, just needs the chance to prove it. He needs a manager who believes in the lad's ability. It must be hard for Jonjoe to thrive the way he's been treated by the managers who have had him under their charge in the last two years at Goodison. Shirkers get a go; whole-hearted players who love the club are swerved... stinks to my way of thinking.

Kevin Prytherch
8 Posted 28/05/2019 at 00:52:53
Regarding Kenny...

He's been pretty much a regular at every age group in England so must do something right when he's with them.

I feel that he is rated by Silva, it's just unfortunate he's behind Coleman at the moment. Silva said recently that he needs to speak to Kenny to discuss whether going out on loan next season will be better for him so he can come back a stronger player. I reckon Holgate will be used as Coleman's cover next season, being deployed as a replacement centre-back and right-back, while Kenny goes on loan with a view to challenging Coleman the season after.

Honestly, and I know many will scoff at this, I wouldn't be surprised to see Kenny in an England squad in 3 or 4 years time.

Mike Gaynes
9 Posted 28/05/2019 at 04:18:13
Justin #6, yep, good for Dowell making the England U-21s, but he had anything but a good season. He didn't spend so much time on the bench at Sheffield United because of squad rotation. It was because he couldn't beat out those two renowned legends, Enda Stevens and John Fleck (who?) for minutes.

Down the final stretch of 11 games when the Blades were driving for Premier League promotion, Dowell started only three times and was pulled off at half-time in two of them. In the last four most critical games, he subbed on once for 4 minutes. Never got off the bench in the clinching wins over Hull and Ipswich.

Sam Hoare
10 Posted 28/05/2019 at 08:15:52
I hope Calvert-Lewin gets the starting striker spot. It would be good for his confidence if he can bag a few goals.

Kenny will be behind Wan-Bissaka and Dowell might get to pull the strings in the middle with Foden as Boothroyd really rated him. As Mike Gaynes said, he was very marginal at the end for Sheffield and really needs to have a good next season.

Tony Abrahams
11 Posted 28/05/2019 at 08:43:39
I also thought Kenny had a poor game at Newcastle, Andy, especially with the ball at his feet, but Rondon also started bullying Michael Keane, and that's how Newcastle got back into the game that day.

Lookman being overlooked is becoming a common thing and I hope the kid has a good hard look at himself this summer because, if it was on talent alone, I'm sure he'd be one of the first names in the squad.

Si Smith
12 Posted 28/05/2019 at 13:04:29
We seem to have dwindling numbers in and around the England U21 squad of late. We need to find ways to develop our lads during the important years of 19 to 22. We had 5 (not including Davies) in the World Cup winning U20 squad, we should have developed them better imo.

Lookman would get more game time in Champions League placed English clubs, imo, his development has suffered big time.

Kenny and Davies should both have been allowed to leave on loan from January to get what Holgate got at West Brom, a good run of games.

Dowell and Connolly need to keep being loaned out until they command first-team spots at lesser clubs than the blues, I genuinely believe they're both good players in their own right, they may just need a bit of time to fulfil their potential.

Dowell may actually do what Ross Barkley did, he might be better being given a chance in our team. The Championship may not be the place for him to shine, but that's up to Brands and Silva to work it out.

My point is only Clavert-Lewin has improved at any decent rate this season, that's not good enough for the young lads we have. They have proven to be winners at their age group (U23 league as well as U20 World Cup); they should be kicking on in their careers.

Clive Rogers
13 Posted 28/05/2019 at 22:22:04
Kenny is far from the finished article. His defensive play is erratic at times, whilst when attacking he never takes on an opposition defender in a dribble as Coleman does. He prefers to cross or pass when confronted by a defender. A season on loan would be good for him.
Darren Hind
14 Posted 29/05/2019 at 08:54:48
Dave A,

I couldn't agree more.

Simon Smith
15 Posted 29/05/2019 at 10:07:02
I really don't get the Lookman love in. Can anyone pinpoint where he has shown that he's worth a place in the team?

Yes, he has a nice touch, but his all-round game is nothing special. And four Everton managers haven't really fancied him; now it seems his England manager doesn't fancy him either.

I would sell him this summer whilst he still has value!

Kieran Kinsella
16 Posted 29/05/2019 at 13:52:38
Reports that Kenny is going on loan to Burnley once we line up a replacement. If we plan to replace him, why don't we sell him? Is he going to come back in a year as third choice? Or usurp his replacement as second choice? End up back at square one?
Si Smith
17 Posted 29/05/2019 at 22:47:08
Kenny out on loan, Holgate as cover for both centre back and right back would see him play a fair amount of games, also Kenny would massively benefit.
Derek Taylor
18 Posted 31/05/2019 at 19:16:28
In my view, none of the young players mentioned in this thread will ever make it at Everton - principally because they are young players at Everton !

DCL has played more Premier games than all the rest put together bar Davies but can't hit the proverbial cow's arse and will soon lose his place to a foreign goalscorer.

We hear much from the hierarchy about 'promise' and investment in youth but Silva is no less pragmatic about results than was his predecessors.

Not one of our own but Delboy has proved far more effective than any of the younger players in our squad, primarily because Watford has given him more opportunities than he was ever afforded here.

No, the list above will soon be gone and replaced by the next generation of not quite good enough youngsters. After all, this is Everton we are talking about.


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