Following England's dramatic 3-2 victory over Germany in Bratislava, securing their second consecutive Under-21 European Championship title, manager Lee Carsley has challenged his squad to achieve a historic hat-trick at the next tournament. Carsley expressed immense pride in his players' commitment and belief throughout the competition.
England's journey to the title was far from easy. In the final against Germany, they initially took a 2-0 lead in the first half with goals from Harvey Elliott and Omari Hutchinson. However, Germany fought back, leveling the score with goals from Nelson Weiper and Paul Nebel. The game went into extra time, where substitute Jonathan Rowe made an immediate impact, scoring a header that ultimately secured the win for England. Even in the dying moments, Germany nearly equalized, but Merlin Rohl's shot was denied by the crossbar.
Carsley acknowledged that the final was not England's best performance, admitting they "sat a little bit too deep and didn't have as much control as I would've wanted". However, he emphasized the team's resilience and ability to overcome setbacks. He further stated that any issues the team faced, the players were able to come together to solve it. Carsley also lauded the team's belief in their ability to win, which he identified as a crucial characteristic of the squad.
Looking ahead, Carsley has already set his sights on the 2027 European Championship, challenging his team to win a third consecutive title. Carsley said that he is not thinking of moving on too quickly. He also mentioned Dave Sexton's two wins in 1982 and 1984 and that the most important thing is for the Under-21s to keep winning and producing stars for the senior team. He recognizes the difficulty of the task but is motivated by the opportunity to achieve something unprecedented. Carsley said that going for the hat-trick is a brilliant thing and he is definitely looking forward to it.
Carsley also praised Jonathan Rowe for his performance and enthusiasm. Rowe himself credited the team's strong mindset and shared desire to win for their success. Carsley's tactical decision to play without a traditional forward for the final 28 minutes of the game proved decisive, as Rowe, playing as a number nine, scored the winning goal. Carsley said that he always tries to keep as many attacking players on the pitch because he wanted to win and score.
