Manager AidyBoothroydhas challenged his EnglandUnder21 players to put up a performance when they take on Germany in the semi-final of the European Championships on Tuesday.

The Young Lions will be hoping to emulate the achievementsof the England Under-20 side which lifted the World Cup earlier this month by virtue of a 1-0 victory over Venezuela – the first taste of silverware for the nation in 51 years.

The Chief football writer for The Times Henry Winter shared his insights on the problems of the national football team of England.

Winter said ahead of last year’s tournament the Euro 2016, he knew the Three Lionswould fail.

Winter claimed the team selection was off as the players were not “good enough.” The added that the manager was not good enough as well and that the schedule of the players ensure they go to tournaments “fairly exhausted.”

England national team coach Gareth Southgate has warned star player Wayne Rooney over rumoured links to the Chinese Super League or the Major League Soccer (MLS).

The skipper missed two rounds of international commitments due to lack of regular playing time at his club Manchester United.

Jermain Defoe has been a surprise package in the 2016-17 Premier league campaign, as he has been the only real goal scorer for Sunderland this season.

Despite playing in a team that has been stuck to the bottom of the table for much of the campaign, the 34-year-old has been able to plunder 14 goals in the league. This good form has seen him make a step back into the international team. Since making his debut for England back in 2004, Defoe has been in and out of the team. As a result, he has made only 56 appearances for the national team.

Jurgen Klopp has one again refused to blame England manager Gareth Southgate for the injury suffered by Adam Lallana, despite the player’s huge significance to Liverpool in the remainder of the campaign. The midfielder will is only just returning to fitness, and was not available for the derby game with Everton, as well as the dreadful Crystal Palace game that sess Liverpool needing to win all of their remaining matches to be sure of Champions League footblla next season.

Lallana injured his thigh while playing for England in the World Cup 2018 qualifier against Lithuania. Whilst the game finished as a 2-0 victory for the national team, this injury to Lallana was a major blow for Liverpool.

England will definitely be without midfielder Jordan Henderson for the upcoming games against Germany and Lithuania, as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that the player is still struggling with an injury.

Henderson has not played for Liverpool for well over a month. His last appearance for the Reds was in the 2-0 win over Tottenham at the start of February. Even though Liverpool have managed to get wins over Arsenal and Burnley in recent weeks, they have solely as to the presence of the former Sunderland midfielder. He has truly been an unsung hero in the Liverpool first-team.

Slaven Bilic says that he would consider naming West Ham captain Mark Noble in the England squad if he was in place of Gareth Southgate.

The interim manager was recently appointed as the permanent successor for Sam Allardyce. He is not expected to ring much changes to the England squad for the upcoming games against Germany and Lithuania. Southgate is largely expected to name the same squad that featured in his four trial games. Mark Noble has been one of the best players in the Premier league who has been unable to feature much for the national team.

Liverpool playmaker Adam Lallana has been awarded the 2016 England Player of the Year, following a vote by the England Supporters Club.

The Three Lions star picked up the award ahead of Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy and Red Devils skipper Wayne Rooney.

England boss Gareth Southgate has confirmed that Steve Holland will be joining in with the national team as the new assistant boss.

Holland will be taking over this role after quitting Chelsea at the end of the season. He has been the assistant boss at the Premier League outfit for the last five years after being appointed in 2011. During this period, he has been part of the squad that won the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, and Premier League titles. He has also worked with some of the best managers in the world like GuusHiddink, Jose Mourinho, and, recently, Antonio Conte.

A few English attackers have come on leaps and bounds this season with their clubs, and it bodes well for Gareth Southgate and the England national side. Here’s a look at three of the standout performers and an analysis of their achievements so far this season.

Raheem Sterling