How important is winning U21 Euros to senior success?
England are just two games from making it back-to-back European Under-21 Championship triumphs.Lee Carsley's side, who won the tournament in 2023, face the Netherlands in the semi-final of this year's competition on Thursday (17:00 BST).Germany play France in the other semi at 20:00.But how important is winning the competition? What do the winners usually go on to do?
Do the winners go on to have senior success?
Of the 24 teams to win the European Under-21 Championship, 10 of them have gone on to win either the World Cup or the senior Euros in the next 12 years.Nine of those have featured players from that successful U21 squad.Of course there is still time for Germany, winners in 2017 and 2021, and England in 2023 to do so.Another five have reached a final in that time frame but lost.The teams to win the U21 Euros and a major tournament are:1988 France (1998 World Cup)1998 Spain (Euro 2008)1994, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Italy (2006 World Cup)2009 Germany (2014 World Cup) 2011 Spain (Euro 2012)2013, 2019 Spain (Euro 2024)Of those, Spain, in Euro 2008, were the only team not to have any members of their successful U21 squad.
What about the successful players?
As the table above shows, 29 players have won the U21 Euros and then a major senior tournament - including Laurent Blanc, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti and Manuel Neuer.Not just counting the winning team, many of the world's best players have impressed at previous European Under-21 Championships.Among the players to win the best player of the tournament award were Rudi Voller, Blanc, Davor Suker, Luis Figo, Cannavaro, Andrea Pirlo, Petr Cech, Juan Mata, Thiago and Fabian Ruiz.However, there are a few outliers. Renato Buso and the late Francesc Arnau never won a senior cap for Italy or Spain respectively, while Royston Drenthe only played once for the Netherlands. Arsenal's Fabio Vieira, 25, has yet to feature for the Portugal senior team.Sweden's Marcus Berg had a good goal-laden career, although never played for one of Europe's top clubs. The list of Golden Boot winners is more of a mixed bag.Andrea Pirlo, despite being a midfielder, Alberto Gilardino and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar were among the previous winners.But Massimo Maccarone, Maceo Rigters, Jan Kliment or Luca Waldschmidt are unlikely to have any statues made of them.Germany's Nick Woltemade is the top scorer in this tournament with five goals - two clear of three different players.
How about previous England winners?
England won the tournament in 1982, 1984 and 2023. Mark Hateley, in 1984, and Anthony Gordon, in 2023, were named player of the tournament.About half of those 1982 and 1984 squads never won a senior cap for England - and none of them went on to be Three Lions legends.Hateley, who was in both squads, went on to win the most caps, 32, with five more players reaching 10 caps or more.Of the 2023 winners, the most notable current star is Cole Palmer - and another six were in Thomas Tuchel's last England selection.Palmer, Levi Colwill, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Morgan Gibbs-White, Emile Smith Rowe, Anthony Gordon, Jarrad Branthwaite, Curtis Jones, Angel Gomes and Noni Madueke have all won senior caps.
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