Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Jack Wilshere could help England win U21 Euros, says Stuart Pearce

Stuart Pearce says England can challenge for the 2015 European U21 Championship title – if boss Gareth Southgate is able to select the best players.

Former England U21 manager Pearce has named a star-studded list of players he would take to the Czech Republic this summer, including Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, Jack Wilshere, Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

However, Pearce knows from his own experience that injuries and club restrictions can prevent a manager taking their strongest squad of 23 to an U21 tournament. Southgate is due to name his squad on Wednesday. 

“I rate their chances as very good,” Pearce told Sky Sports. “They’re one of the form sides of Europe at this moment in time and Gareth Southgate has done a fantastic job with them. They seem to have a good spirit and a good feel about the camp.

“But it’s like everything, we’ve qualified extremely well this time around and previous years as well but you’re dictated by injuries and people missing from the squad.

“Will he get this full squad? No chance. You never do, you never will. Should he? Yes, he should.

“The key players are Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sterling, Kane and Jack Butland. All of them are match-winners, but whether any of them will go, who knows.”

Here’s what Pearce’s 23-man squad for the 2015 European U21 Championships would look like. Do you think they could win the tournament?

Stuart Pearce's U21 squad

Goalkeepers

Jack Butland

Jonathan Bond

Marcus Bettinelli

Defenders

Calum Chambers

Eric Dier

Phil Jones

John Stones

Michael Keane

Carl Jenkinson

Luke Shaw

Midfielders

Nathaniel Chalobah

James Ward-Prowse

Nathan Redmond

Will Hughes

Raheem Sterling

Ross Barkley

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Jack Wilshere

Forwards

Danny Ings

Saido Berahino

Harry Kane

Patrick Bamford

Wilfried Zaha

Stand by

Tom Carroll

Alex Pritchard