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 nan tourney successful 2023, look nan Netherlands successful nan semi-final of this year's title connected Wednesday (17:00 BST).

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

But really important is winning nan competition? What do nan winners usually spell connected to do?

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

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

Of people location is still clip for Germany, winners successful 2017 and 2021, and England successful 2023 to do so.

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

The teams to triumph nan U21 Euros and a awesome tourney are:

Of those, Spain, successful Euro 2008, were nan only squad not to person immoderate members of their successful U21 squad.

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

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

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

However, location are a fewer outliers.

Renato Buso and nan precocious Francesc Arnau ne'er won a elder headdress for Italy aliases Spain respectively, while Royston Drenthe only played erstwhile for nan Netherlands. Arsenal's Fabio Vieira, 25, has yet to characteristic for nan 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 nan erstwhile winners.

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

Germany's Nick Woltemade is nan apical scorer successful this tourney pinch 5 goals - 2 clear of 3 different players.

England won nan tourney successful 1982, 1984 and 2023.

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

About half 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 nan astir caps, 32, pinch 5 much players reaching 10 caps aliases more.

Of nan 2023 winners, nan 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.