Stoke City’s Youngsters Competing with England U20

During this FIFA break, the youth national teams are also competing at the highest level. On this occasion, three Stoke City players represented England U20 in a friendly match against Turkey U20.

The match ended in a draw, with plenty of excitement in both halves. The three Stoke City players saw significant minutes, gaining fantastic experience while proudly representing their country.

READ MORE: Stoke City Continues International Representation with Their Players in England U18

The Three Players Who Competed with England U20

In this match, two Stoke City players started as part of the starting lineup. Ashley Phillips and Tommy Simkin were trusted by the coach to begin this exciting encounter.

These young players are preparing well to stand out and, perhaps one day, reach the senior England national team. Ashley Phillips, playing as a central defender, and Tommy Simkin, as the goalkeeper, were the two starters chosen by the coach.

Unfortunately, in the first half, a penalty was awarded to Turkey in the 20th minute, which Tommy Simkin was unable to save, putting Turkey ahead 1-0. In the second half, the game became more intense, with England pushing for opportunities to turn the game around.

Though they struggled to find the breakthrough, in the 76th minute, Emre Tezgel came on for Will Alves to help search for a comeback or at least an equalizer. This effort paid off in the 89th minute when Emre Tezgel provided an assist to Dominic Ballard, allowing England to level the match at 1-1.

In this important match, these young players didn’t want to leave with a loss, even though it was just a friendly. They fought for the draw, showing that they are a team capable of delivering great performances. Especially players like Emre Tezgel, who has tremendous potential, both for Stoke City and England’s youth national teams.