Conor Gallagher made his England U21 debut on Friday, coming off the bench in the 63rd minute as the Young Lions were held to a 2-2 draw in a friendly against Slovenia in Maribor.
Aidy Boothroyd’s took a 2-0 lead but failed to see the game out. They then went on to thrash Austria 5-1 in a UEFA U21 Championship Qualifier at Stadium MK on Tuesday night, with Gallagher again making an appearance off the bench in the closing stages.
Meanwhile, England U20s drew 2-2 with Italy on Thursday as Jonathan Leko appeared for the final 14 minutes of the match. Leko and company then slipped to a 3-0 defeat to the Czech Republic at Peterborough United on Monday evening.
Elsewhere Wales duo Tom Lockyer and Johnny Williams both played prominent roles in their country’s European Championship Qualifiers as Ryan Giggs’ side claimed a pair of draws against Slovakia and Croatia on Thursday and Sunday.
Lockyer played the full 90 minutes of both matches at the heart of the Welsh defence, while Williams managed 66 minutes in the 1-1 draw at Slovakia and 68 minutes in the 1-1 draw at home to Croatia. The two points keep Wales in the hunt for Euro 2020 qualification, but they now require Slovakia to drop points.
Josh Cullen did not feature for the Republic of Ireland in his country’s 0-0 draw away at Georgia on Saturday. The Irish side then travelled to Switzerland on Tuesday night, knowing that a win would secure qualification for Euro 2020 but slipped to a 2-0 defeat with Cullen, again, remaining on the bench for the duration. They now have to beat Denmark in November to confirm qualification.
Finally, on the coaching front, Academy Goalkeeper Coach Deren Ibrahim was part of the Wales U17s setup that has qualified for the Elite Round of the UEFA U17 European Championships following a 4-1 victory over Kosovo, while Jason Euell continued his coaching role with England U20s.
Photo credit: Kyle Andrews
