STANFORD, Calif. - Sophomore goalkeeper Kaiya Jota has been selected for England’s under-20 squad that will head to Spain this month for three games at the Pinatar Arena.
Jota had previously been selected for England’s under-19 squad at the Algarve Cup in Portugal last October before being named to the training squad ahead of the 2025 UEFA Women’s U19 EURO finals.
The 24-player squad will be meeting for the first of their preparation camps as they build towards the U20 FIFA Women’s World Cup taking place in Poland next September.
The group, which will be made up of WU20s and WU19s players, will travel to the Costa Brava where they will play three fixtures against global opposition at the Pinatar Arena in Murcia.
Head coach Lauren Smith’s side first face China PR on Wednesday 26 November (4pm GMT), before they take on the USA on Saturday 29 November (12pm GMT). The final fixture of the year will be against Mexico on Tuesday 2 December (11am GMT).
England have already booked their place at next year’s U20 Women’s World Cup, earning qualification at the 2025 UEFA Women’s U19 EUROs, also held in Poland earlier this summer. With Poland gaining automatic entry as the hosts, England claimed one of Europe’s remaining five spots, joining France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
Goalkeepers: Eve Annets (Crystal Palace, on loan from Manchester City), Sophie Jackson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kaiya Jota (Stanford University), Sophia Poor (Nottingham Forest, on loan from London City Lionesses)
Defenders: Ria Bose (Sporting CP), Sophie Harwood (Arsenal), Nelly Las (Leicester City), Rachel Maltby (Aston Villa), Lucy Newell (Birmingham City, on loan from Manchester United), Jessica Pegram (Rangers, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion), Chloe Sarwie (Chelsea), Cecily Wellesley-Smith (Leicester City, on loan from Arsenal)
Midfielders: May Cruft (Rangers), Laila Harbert (Portland Thorns, on loan from Arsenal), Eva Hendle (Chelsea), Chloe Hylton (Carolina Ascent), Vera Jones (Bristol City, on loan from Chelsea), Omotara Junaid (Florida State Seminoles)
Forwards: Princess Ademiluyi (Fort Lauderdale United, on loan from Gotham FC), Jessica Anderson (Manchester United), Ava Baker (Birmingham City), Jessie Gale (Portsmouth, on loan from Arsenal), Jane Oboavwoduo (Manchester City), Lois Shooter (Chelsea)