How important is winning U21 Euros to senior success?

England are conscionable 2 games from making it back-to-back European Under-21 Championship triumphs.

Lee Carsley's side, who won the tourney successful 2023, look the Netherlands successful the semi-final of this year's contention connected Thursday (17:00 BST).

Germany play France successful the different semi astatine 20:00.

But however important is winning the competition? What bash the winners usually spell connected to do?

Of the 24 teams to triumph the European Under-21 Championship, 10 of them person gone connected to triumph either the World Cup oregon the elder Euros successful the adjacent 12 years.

Nine of those person featured players from that palmy U21 squad.

Of people determination is inactive clip for Germany, winners successful 2017 and 2021, and England successful 2023 to bash so.

Another 5 person reached a last successful that clip framework but lost.

The teams to triumph the U21 Euros and a large tourney are:

Of those, Spain, successful Euro 2008, were the lone squad not to person immoderate members of their palmy U21 squad.

As the array supra shows, 29 players person won the U21 Euros and past a large elder tourney - including Laurent Blanc, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti and Manuel Neuer.

Not conscionable counting the winning team, galore of the world's champion players person impressed astatine erstwhile European Under-21 Championships.

Among the players to triumph the champion subordinate of the tourney grant were Rudi Voller, Blanc, Davor Suker, Luis Figo, Cannavaro, Andrea Pirlo, Petr Cech, Juan Mata, Thiago and Fabian Ruiz.

However, determination are a fewer outliers.

Renato Buso and the precocious Francesc Arnau ne'er won a elder headdress for Italy oregon Spain respectively, portion Royston Drenthe lone played erstwhile for the Netherlands. Arsenal's Fabio Vieira, 25, has yet to diagnostic for the Portugal elder team.

Sweden's Marcus Berg had a bully goal-laden career, though ne'er played for 1 of Europe's apical clubs.

The database of Golden Boot winners is much of a mixed bag.

Andrea Pirlo, contempt being a midfielder, Alberto Gilardino and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar were among the erstwhile winners.

But Massimo Maccarone, Maceo Rigters, Jan Kliment oregon Luca Waldschmidt are improbable to person immoderate statues made of them.

Germany's Nick Woltemade is the apical scorer successful this tourney with 5 goals - 2 wide of 3 antithetic players.

England won the tourney successful 1982, 1984 and 2023.

Mark Hateley, successful 1984, and Anthony Gordon, successful 2023, were named subordinate of the tournament.

About fractional of those 1982 and 1984 squads ne'er won a elder headdress for England - and nary of them went connected to beryllium Three Lions legends.

Hateley, who was successful some squads, went connected to triumph the astir caps, 32, with 5 much players reaching 10 caps oregon more.

Of the 2023 winners, the astir notable existent prima is Cole Palmer - and different six were successful Thomas Tuchel's past 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 person each won elder caps.