Scout report: The Young Lions stars set for breakout seasons

England were European Under-21 Champions for the first time in 40 years after beating Spain 1-0 in a dramatic final. 

The Young Lions not only managed to lift the trophy but did so without conceding even once all tournament. 

We used the Twenty3 Toolbox to pick out several members of the squad who could go on to enjoy breakout seasons for their respective clubs.

James Trafford

James Trafford enjoyed an incredible tournament. 

He did not let a single goal past him in six games, preserving his record by saving Abel Ruiz’s penalty in the dying minutes of the final and then stopping the follow-up strike from the rebound.

Vincent Kompany’s Burnley have already noticed his talents and have agreed a fee with Manchester City that could rise to £19million for the 20-year-old as they look to establish themselves back in the Premier League. 

There were signs of Trafford’s obvious talent last season, where he shone on loan at League One side Bolton Wanderers.

He kept the most clean sheets in the league (22) and also made more sweeper regains (41) than any other player in the division — an important trait for a modern goalkeeper. 

Furthermore, he also made the most catches from crosses, a particularly impressive record for a young goalkeeper in a physical league. 

With a Premier League move to Burnley imminent, Trafford is due a breakout season after an eye-catching summer.

Cameron Archer

Cameron Archer scored twice for England this summer but was largely limited to substitute appearances, starting just once – in the 2-0 group-stage win over Germany in which he found the net. 

The 21-year-old is a product of Aston Villa’s academy but has yet to establish himself in the first team, going out on loan three times in search of regular minutes.

He spent last season with Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough in the Championship, helping the side reach the play-offs.

Archer’s key actions visualisation reveals his preference for the left-hand side, regularly drifting into that area from his central starting point.

From that wide position, the right-footed centre-forward has a tendency to drive inside and shoot or lay the ball off to a teammate. 

Despite his regular movement into the left channel, Archer also takes plenty of touches inside the box, ensuring he retains a significant goal threat and provides a focal point for his side.

The 21-year-old scored 11 goals in the Championship despite playing just 1,644 minutes, ranking fourth in the division for goals per 90 (0.6). 

After such a successful loan spell, Archer will be hoping his performances have done enough to convince Villa manager Unai Emery to integrate him into the first team in 2023-24 and give him sufficient chances to show what he can do at Premier League level.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

Taylor Harwood-Bellis made history this summer as the first player to captain England to European U21 Championship success since 1984. 

The City academy product has never been afforded a run in the first team but has gained valuable experience on loan. 

At 21, he now appears ready for a breakout season at the top level after impressing as a key member of Burnley’s Championship title-winning campaign last term.

Harwood-Bellis’ pass ratio by zone graphic paints a picture of a central defender that is confident in possession and comfortable in a high line, playing the majority of his passes from the middle third of the pitch.

Under Vincent Kompany, Burnley have transformed into a possession-based side and the City product was key to this change of style, ranking eighth in the Championship for passes attempted (2,594) and completed (2,212).

The Young Lions skipper possesses plenty of old-school defensive nous to pair with his modern, ball-playing qualities, making an impressive 59 interceptions.

Given the competition for places in Pep Guardiola’s star-studded squad, Harwood-Bellis is unlikely to find regular first-team football at the Etihad Stadium – but his talent is sufficient to suggest he may be best served by moving elsewhere – perhaps a return to Burnley – in search of a breakout season at Premier League level.

All visualisations in this article were produced with the Twenty3 Toolbox. For more information, please get in touch below.