Curtis Jones is to represent England in the group stage of the Under-21s Euro finals this month after being named in Aidy Boothroyd’s 23-man squad.
It means there will be no senior call up for Jones in March after his remarkable rise with Liverpool which has seen him become a reliable figure for Jurgen Klopp.
The 20-year-old will instead travel to Slovenia this month as England’s U21s aim to progress out of the group stage for the fourth time in their last nine attempts.
The competition has been split this year due to the pandemic, with the group stage held separately this month ahead of the knockout rounds in the summer.
The four group winners and runners-up will all secure a ticket on the plane to the main event, but the Young Lions will have to overcome Switzerland, Portugal and Croatia to do so.
With three games in six days, Boothroyd is set to need his entire 23-man squad but Jones will be competing for a spot against the likes of Everton‘s Tom Davies, Norwich‘s Oliver Skipp and Crystal Palace‘s Ebere Eze.
And there will also be a familiar face in the form of Rhian Brewster, who will be seeking another youth international triumph after his success at the U17 World Cup in 2017.
This is the second U21s call up for Jones after featuring in the qualifying rounds for the U21s Euros back in October following a steady progression up the ranks, where he featured in three of the four games.
And should the Young Lions seal their place in the final stages and Jones remain crucial to their hopes, he would be one of a number of Reds with tournament action in the summer.
The knockout stages are to be jointly hosted by Hungary and Slovenia from May 31 to June 6, where the Young Lions would be aiming to be the first England side to win it in 37 years.
Jones follows the likes of Mohamed Salah, Gini Wijnaldum and Thiago in being called up for March international duty so far.
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