Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott Shine in U21 Euros Opener
The U21 Euros kicked off on Thursday with three Liverpool players in action, two of whom made the starting XI for their respective teams. Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott both put in impressive performances for England and the Czech Republic respectively, while Vitezslav Jaros was named in goal for the Czechs.
England 2-0 Czech Republic
England started their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Czech Republic, with goals from Jacob Ramsey and Emile Smith Rowe. Jones started for Lee Carsley’s side and played the full 90 minutes in a double-pivot midfield role alongside Angel Gomes. Elliott was introduced in the 89th minute for a brief cameo.
Jaros, meanwhile, played the full 90 minutes in goal for Czech Republic. It was the first competitive game for the Reds goalkeeper since October having found himself out of favour during his loan at Stockport following a two-month injury. He is unsure of what is in store for his future but has admitted he is “open to everything.”
Curtis Jones Impressed
Jones was heavily involved in England’s win and was pleased with his performance. “It’s the perfect way to start,” he said after the victory. “It’s always good to win your first game. We’ve got a team that ability-wise and talent-wise is one of the best I’ve seen. It’s hard to put us all in the team. I just get on the ball, I turn and there’s lads there that I can trust on the ball. It’s easy.”
Harvey Elliott Makes Late Appearance
Elliott was introduced in the 89th minute for a brief cameo. The youngster has been impressive since his move to Liverpool last summer and will be looking to make an impact when England take on Israel next (Sunday).
Conclusion
Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott started their U21 Euros campaign on the perfect note with England’s 2-0 victory over Czech Republic. Jones was heavily involved in the win and was pleased with his performance, while Elliott made a brief cameo late on. Vitezslav Jaros played the full 90 minutes for Czech Republic and will be looking to get a victory when they take on Germany next.