England’s under-19 team commenced their UEFA U19 EURO 2025 qualifying campaign with a solid 1-0 win against Lithuania thanks to a solitary strike from Ethan Nwaneri.
Ethan Nwaneri was born on 21 March 2007 in Enfield, London.
He attended St John’s Senior School in Enfield. He is of Igbo-Nigerian descent.
The England under-19 squad is set to compete against Bulgaria and Belgium in their upcoming matches this week, aiming to secure a spot in the elite round scheduled for spring.
From the outset, the Young Lions dominated the match, taking the lead within the first six minutes.
Utilizing the flanks effectively, Ethan Nwaneri, who is eligible to represent Nigeria, made a well-timed run and scored with a glancing header from Tyrique George’s cross.
George is also a potential candidate for Nigeria in the future.
The 18-year-old prodigious George, born on February 4th 2006 to Nigerian Parents in London, has been turning heads with his skill and potential since joining Chelsea at U8 level.
As England maintained control throughout the match, crosses from both sides posed significant threats, with Kadan Young and Josh King particularly effective as Lithuania struggled to respond.
The Young Lions continued their strategy in the second half, focusing on exploiting the wide areas.
The best opportunity of the half fell to Joe Johnson, whose header was thwarted on the line by a group of Lithuanian defenders.
Nwaneri nearly extended the lead ten minutes before the end, coming close to connecting with a deflected shot from substitute Jesse Derry.
