STANFORD, Calif. - Lydia Bedford has named a 23-player squad, including Stanford goalkeeper Kaiya Jota, as England begin the defense of the U23 European competition title.
Jota recently returned to Stanford after a stint with the England U20 World Cup squad where she played alongside Cardinal teammate Eleanor Klinger.
The Young Lionesses will welcome Norway to the LNER Community Stadium in York on Monday 12 October (19:30 BST) for the opening match of the 2026-27 season. Tickets are priced at £5 for adults, £3 for concessions and £1 for under-16s and can be purchased directly from the stadium.
England were crowned U23 European competition champions in April following a 3-0 victory over Sweden in the final. Bedford’s side will face Norway, Belgium, Portugal and Italy in Group B this season. The Young Lionesses also met Norway on their way to lifting the trophy last year, with a goal from Izzy Goodwin sealing all three points in a 1-0 victory in November 2025.
Now entering its fourth season, the competition was introduced to help bridge the gap between the end of the pathway and senior international football. Bedford will lead England into the new campaign in her first full season as WU23s head coach, having most recently taken charge of the Young Lionesses at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
England v Norway
U23 European competition fixture
Monday 12 October, 7.30pm BST
LNER Community Stadium, York
The Squad
Goalkeepers: Eve Annets (Manchester City, on loan to Hibernian), Kaiya Jota (Stanford University), Sophia Poor (London City Lionesses)
Defenders: Brooke Aspin (Bristol City), Cerys Brown (Nottingham Forest), Megan Collett (Southampton), Teyah Goldie (London City Lionesses, on loan to Crystal Palace), Nelly Las (Chelsea), Naomi Layzell (Manchester City, on loan to Everton), Gracie Prior (Manchester City), Hannah Silcock (Everton), Jessica Simpson (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Sarah Brasero (West Ham United, on loan to Deportivo Alaves), Keira Flannery (Charlton), Laila Harbert (San Diego Wave), Sophie Harwood (Arsenal, on loan to Sheffield United), Lexi Lloyd-Smith (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Keira Barry (Bay FC), Mia Enderby (Liverpool), Lenna Gunning-Williams (Tottenham Hotspur), Georgia Mullett (Aston Villa), Lily Murphy (Manchester City, on loan to Aston Villa), Poppy Pritchard (Leicester City)