Young Lions will get better with time say Gallagher and Carsley

It was all smiles for Conor Gallagher and Lee Carsley as England U21s cruised to victory over Kosovo at Stadium MK on Tuesday night.

Head coach Carsley handed eight players debuts for the Young Lions as he blended U19s, U20s and U21s squads for the game in Milton Keynes - the first Euro 2023 qualifier.

First half goals from Rhian Brewster and Cole Palmer secured the win for England as they put their first points on the board.

Gallagher, on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, is one of the more experienced players in the squad with nine caps, and said the new-look squad Carsley has put together will only get better the more they play.

“I really enjoyed it, my first game of the season with the 21s,” he said. “It's a new team, we were excited in training for the game. We put in a good performance, there were a lot of positives to take.

“There's a lot of talent in the squad and we're still getting used to each other. I'm one of the more experienced players in the squad now, and hopefully I can pass some of that on.”

Though they were never in trouble throughout the 90 minutes against a plucky Kosovan side, Carsley admitted his side were not the finished article as yet, and likened the outing to a pre-season game.

“It was a job well done,” said the head coach. “That's the first time this group has played together so effectively, it's a pre-season game for us.

“We had a few of the U19s, U20s and U21s coming together for the first time, and I expected it to be a little scruffy and disjointed at time, but we've got to remember their ages and where they're at in their careers.

“But with eight debuts, they can be proud of the performances they put in tonight. The future is bright for them.”