Next cub to roar with the Lions says Boothroyd

Albania for tonight’s Euro U21 qualifier, is backing Spurs prospect Sessegnon, 19, to join that group in the near future.

“The fact he is 19 and pushing hard to get into the Under-21s starting team shows how much I think about him and how much we value him in the system,” said Boothroyd. “He had a tough year in the Premier League, playing in different positions under different managers. That makes a difference.”

Boothroyd insists he has had a successful year, based on the ultimate aim of producing players for the full squad, rather than the failure at the Euro U21s tournament this summer.

“I think we’ve got over 10 players into Gareth’s senior squad, which is what we’re here to do. If we’ve got an England senior team that’s getting beat every week, and an Under-21 team that wins every tournament it goes into, we’re in the wrong business and doing the wrong things.

“From Under-15s right the way through to the senior team, we all know what we’re doing and know where we’re at.We all know the only team that counts in terms of winners, is the seniors.”

Boothroyd was criticised for the Young Lions’ returning with their tails between their legs in the summer.

But he says nothing takes away from the main objective of developing players.

“I don’t dwell on the past,” Boothroyd said.

“One of the things that also jumped out at me was that the Under-21s mirror the seniors in that everyone expects them to win.

“Actually, our jobs – and all the development teams’ jobs – are to get players into the first team.”

ENGLAND U21s (Probable): Ramsdale; Aarons, James, Godfrey, Sessegnon; Davies, Willock, Foden; Eze, Greenwood, Diangana.

TALENT SPOTTER: U21 manager Boothroyd