Walsall's Banks's Stadium to host England youngsters
Walsall’s Banks’s Stadium will stage England’s clash with Italy as the country prepares to host the UEFA European Under-17 Championship for the first time from May 4-20.
Steve Cooper’s Young Lions will face the Italians in their second Group A game on Bank Holiday Monday May 7 (ko 3pm).
Walsall, one of six host venues across the Midlands and South Yorkshire, will also stage Slovenia’s Group B clash with Sweden on Friday, May 4 (ko 1300), Germany’s Group D date with Holland on Saturday, May 5 (ko 3pm) and Holland’s clash with Serbia on Friday, May 11 (ko 7pm), plus one of the quarter-finals on Monday, May 14 (ko 1pm).
Tickets, which start at £4 Adults and £2 Under-16s, are on sale at www.TheFA.com/U17Euro
England, runners-up last year, kick off the U17 Euros against Israel at Chesterfield on Friday, May 4 (ko 7pm) and complete their group fixtures versus Switzerland at Rotherham United on Thursday, May 10 (ko 7pm).
The draw was conducted by the tournament’s honorary ambassador Wayne Rooney, who burst on the international stage at the 2002 edition of the U17 Euros, and John Delaney, Chairman of the UEFA Youth & Amateur Football Committee, at St. George’s Park on Thursday evening.
Other stellar names to have appeared at the U17 Euros include Cristiano Ronaldo, David Silva, Paul Pogba, Mario Gotze and Eden Hazard.
Wolves duo Benik Afobe and Conor Coady, Villa’s Sam Johnstone and ex-Baggies pair Saido Berahino and George Thorne were part of the England squad that lifted the title in 2010.
Four members of Wolves’ promotion-chasing squad have also appeared at the tournament, with Alfred N’Diaye and Willy Boly part of the France squad in 2007 and 2008 respectively, while Ivan Cavaleiro and Ruben Neves were selected by Portugal in 2010 and 2014 respectively.
