England Under-23s: Five future Lionesses to look out for

England's under-23s against Portugal in November 2023Getty Images

The England Under-23s were unbeaten last year while playing in a new European competition format

By Emma Sanders
BBC Sport

The future looks bright for the Lionesses with a host of youngsters breaking through the international set-up - but who could soon become a first-team regular?

Grace Clinton stole the show on Friday night as the former under-23s international scored on her debut in Sarina Wiegman's side's 7-2 thrashing of Austria.

She is one of several players to have made the step up in recent years, and with the under-23s joining the European champions on a warm-weather training camp in Spain this month, there is even more desire for others to follow suit.

Here are five players to look out for.

Laura Blindkilde Brown (Manchester City)

Manchester City paid £200,000 to sign Laura Blindkilde Brown from Aston Villa on deadline day last month.

The 20-year-old midfielder was a standout for Villa in the first half of the season, starting eight of their 12 Women's Super League (WSL) matches and clocking up more than 50 appearances for the club before moving to City.

Her composure on the ball, experience in the WSL and ability to play in various positions suggests she would be a big asset to the Lionesses.

Blindkilde Brown's recent move to City means she will need to battle for regular game time at club level, but she is training with several Lionesses on a daily basis including Chloe Kelly, Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood.

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Laura Blindkilde Brown (left) and Naomi Layzell (right) are with England's under-23s squad in Spain this week

Naomi Layzell (Bristol City)

Bristol City centre-back Naomi Layzell, 19, has been called up to senior training by Wiegman twice and started in Thursday's 3-1 defeat by Spain for the under-23s.

"I first started working with Naomi in the under-18s, so I've worked with her over the last three seasons or so and her development has just been so good," said Under-23s head coach Emma Coates.

"This season, everyone has been impressed with her defensive displays. She's a proper defender and it's rare you find young players who just love to defend.

"She thrives in that side of the game and has improved significantly in some of her in-possession stuff. The fact she had that opportunity [to train with the first team] will do her confidence the world of good."

Southampton's Ella Morris, 21, has also impressed at full-back - a position which England's first team lacks depth in - while Liverpool centre-back Hannah Silcock, 19, is highly rated, so keep an eye on them too.

Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea)

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Aggie Beever-Jones was an unused substitute for England in their 7-2 win over Austria after receiving a late call-up to the squad for the first time

Chelsea striker Aggie Beever-Jones, 20, is a serious contender for the Euro 2025 squad.

She spearheads the under-23s' attack and has had a breakout campaign with Chelsea this season with five goals in 10 WSL games - a better minutes-per-goal ratio (46) than any other player who has netted at least four times.

There is stiff competition for forward places in the Lionesses, with Manchester United's Nikita Parris missing out on selection this month, while under-23s regulars Ebony Salmon and Katie Robinson have both played for England's first team. Tottenham's Jess Naz has also impressed in the WSL.

But Beever-Jones could be the pick of the bunch. She had a late call-up to the senior squad for Friday's victory over Austria, replacing the injured Kelly on the bench, just a day after scoring in the under-23s' defeat by Spain.

Missy Bo Kearns (Liverpool)

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There are few England youngsters with more WSL experience than midfielder Missy Bo Kearns, 22, who has 16 appearances for Liverpool this season.

She became the youngest player to captain the Reds at the age of 20 and has since been given the armband for the England Under-23s.

"We're all aiming to be in that senior squad and having a bit of experience and exposure around them. [This week] is going to give all of us extra hunger," said Kearns.

"But there's no need to put pressure on yourself. I trust in my own football ability and hope that it comes through."

On captaining the under-23s, she added: "It's been a massive step up for me but a good challenge. If I can learn different things about leadership, how to deal with certain situations and become mature, it's only going to help me in the future."

Ruby Mace (Manchester City)

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Ruby Mace joined Manchester City on a three-year deal in 2021 from WSL rivals Arsenal

Manchester City's Ruby Mace, 20, joined from Arsenal in 2021 and while she has struggled for regular game time with the club, she has proven her worth in loan spells with Birmingham City and Leicester City in the WSL.

Used as a holding midfielder with the England Under-23s, she can also play centre-back and is one of England's most highly-rated youngsters.

"Ever since I was young, all I wanted to do was take the steps on the ladder to get [to England's first team]," Mace told BBC Sport. "I just want to keep working hard and hopefully I can reach it one day."

But will a lack of game time at City hold her back?

Under-23s boss Coates said: "Do we want players playing every week at the highest level? Absolutely - as that will accelerate them. But there's also a point where they have to be really brave and step into those environments in the WSL.

"That might have a trade-off of minutes. That's where our jobs comes in. We think Ruby has terrific potential. With the right opportunities - hopefully they will come thick and fast - we think Ruby will get there."

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