Liverpool's Missy Bo Kearns and Everton's Jess Park are among the young stars who will represent England Women's Under-23s during the upcoming international break.
Former Everton Women's manager Mo Marley has named her 24-player squad as the Under-23s prepare take on two European heavyweights later this month. The first fixture will take place in Walsall, where England will welcome the Netherlands on Thursday, November 10 (7.30pm KO GMT).
The team will then travel to Stadio Tre Fontane in Rome where they will face Italy on Monday, November 14 (2.30pm KO CET). Missy Bo Kearns and Charlotte Wardlaw make up the Liverpool contingent who will make the trip to Walsall next week.
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Kearns has featured in all five of the Reds' WSL games this term, netting her first goal of the season in last week's Conti Cup clash with Leicester. Defender Wardlaw is enjoying her second season on loan at Prenton Park from Chelsea and made her Under-23s debut against Sweden last month.
Three Everton stars will also join up with Marley's squad, although Manchester City loanee Jess Park may feel disappointed not to be among the Lionesses' senior team. Park has been a standout player for the Blues so far this season, with her impressive form prompting Sarina Wiegman to offer her a senior call up for England's games against the United States and the Czech Republic last month.
Fellow loanees, striker Aggie-Beever Jones and goalkeeper Emily Ramsey, have also been given the nod for the upcoming clashes. Meanwhile, Emma Coates and Gemma Davies are taking a development squad covering two age groups to Portugal next week, with the players meeting up on Sunday, November 6. Coates will lead a WU19 selection participating in the Algarve Cup.
They begin by facing Norway on Wednesday, November 9 at Stadium Vila Real de Santo Antonio (17.00 KO CET). The team will then return to the same stadium a few days later for a fixture against the Netherlands on Monday, November 14 (14.00 KO CET).
Davies’ WU18 side will also feature at the Stadium Vila Real de Santo Antonio when Portugal host them following the U19 match on Wednesday, November 9 (20.00 KO CET). Liverpool's Hannah Silcock, who signed her first professional contract with the Reds in October, has been named in England's Professional Development Phase squad.
Head of Women’s Technical, Kay Cossington said “It is great at every level we are getting the opportunity to face strong opposition. We want our players to test themselves when they come away with the national team, whatever the age group.
“As was set out from the reintroduction of the Under-23 squad last year you can see a real pathway for younger players to showcase their talent and stake a claim for the senior squad. We are seeing more and more young players getting opportunities to progress and experiences like this are only going to continue that positive trend.”
England Women’s Under-23 squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Emily Ramsey ( Everton on loan from Manchester United ), Kayla Rendell ( Southampton ), Lucy Thomas (Birmingham City)
Defenders: Asmita Ale ( Tottenham Hotspur), Tara Bourne (Birmingham City on loan from Manchester United), Jorja Fox ( Brighton & Hove Albion on loan from Chelsea), Freya Gregory (Aston Villa), Anna Patten (Aston Villa on loan from Arsenal), Poppy Pattinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Paige Peake (Southampton), Mia Ross (Charlton Athletic), Kiera Skeels (Charlton Athletic)
Midfielders: Laura Blindkilde Brown (Aston Villa), Missy Bo Kearns ( Liverpool), Mel Filis ( West Ham United), Ruby Grant (University of North Carolina), Molly Pike ( Leicester City), Charlotte Wardlaw (Liverpool on loan from Chelsea)
Forwards: Angela Addison (Charlton Athletic), Aggie Beever-Jones (Everton on loan from Chelsea), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Jess Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), Shannon O’Brien (Leicester City), Jessica Park (Everton on loan from Manchester City)
England Women’s Professional Development Phase squad
Goalkeepers: Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Lucy Jones (Birmingham City), Natalie Negri ( Crystal Palace ), Hannah Poulter (Reading)
Defenders: Katie Dungate (Chelsea), Grace Gillard (Syracuse University), Naomi Layzell (Bristol City), Lucy Parry (Hibernian on loan from Liverpool), Evie Rabjohn (Aston Villa), Katie Ramsden (Manchester City), Hannah Silcock (Liverpool), Jessica Simpson (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Sarah Brasero (Ipswich Town), Grace Ede (Sunderland – dual contract with Manchester City), Keira Flannery (West Ham United), Shauna Guyatt (Crystal Palace), Alex Hennessy (Unattached), Halle Houssein (West Ham United), Annie Hutchings (Manchester City), Lucia Kendall (Southampton), Abi Loydon (West Bromwich Albion), Lois Marley-Paraskevas (Manchester City), Olivia Mcloughlin (Aston Villa), Grace Palmer (Lewes), Megan Shaw (Aston Villa), Mackenzie Smith (Nottingham Forest – dual contract with Leicester City)
Forwards: Ava Baker (Leicester City), Keira Barry (Manchester United – dual contract with Derby County), Aimee Claypole (Chelsea), Mia Enderby (Sheffield United), Freya Godfrey (Ipswich Town – dual contract with Arsenal), Georgia Mullet Aston Villa), Emma Thompson (Lewes on loan from Chelsea), Katy Watson (Sunderland)
Tickets for the WU23 home fixture in Walsall are still on sale and fans wanting more information should head to TheFA.com/tickets or contact the Walsall FC ticket office on 01922 651 414.
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