YOUNG GET TAYLOR’S VOTE NOW

ENGLAND’S Under-21s are being tipped to continue the summer of success at the European Championships. Aidy Boothroyd (above) and his Young Lions kick off their Euro 2017 bid against holders Sweden tomorrow. After failing to get out of their group in the last three tournaments, confidence is high that England can go far in Poland. This summer England’s Under-17s have reached their Euros final, the Three Lions retained the Toulon tournament and the Under-20s won the World Cup on Sunday. And former Under-21 boss Peter Taylor said: “It wouldn’t surprise me if we win the Under-21s now. Without a doubt they will be inspired by what the other teams have done.” Taylor (left), who had two spells as England Under-21 boss, believes a much-needed change of attitude has been key to the country’s youth tournament displays. He said: “In 2013, when I was taking the Under-20s to the World Cup in Turkey, the squad I took was absolutely good enough and we should have done much better. But at that time a lot of the clubs were getting a lot of stick because players weren’t turning up for England. “That has done everybody a world of good if I’m being honest. “We have always said we have got the talent, but we never used to go to tournaments with the best team. “It was frustrating that we would get beaten, but then we would say, ‘But hold on a minute, he’s not here, he’s not here and he’s not here’. “Now players, agents, managers and probably chairmen all see it is right for their players to go to these tournaments and that it’s good for them. If we go to tournaments with a stronger squad you have a good chance of winning it.” Taylor, currently combining his role as Gillingham director of football with the New Zealand No.2 job, added: “We still need more cooperation and to care about the national team. Because if the Premier League is good, it will be even better if England are good as well.”