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Looking Back At Germany's Incredible Under-21 Side That Beat England In 2009

Looking Back At Germany's Incredible Under-21 Side That Beat England In 2009

Germany's greatest under-21 side ever?

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare

Between them, the current England U21 squad have made 206 Premier League appearances, while the Germany U21 squad have 1,137 Bundesliga appearances in total. But why?

It's a huge debate among many and for a number of years now, England have lacked experience when it comes to U21 sides. If you take a look back, English players who have appeared for the youth sides have veered off to lower leagues, while other international talent flourish in Europe's top leagues.

A prime example of the above is England's defeat to Germany in the 2009 European Championship final. Both teams were expected to reach the latter stages of the competition, but eight years on from that day in Malmo, the difference in youth development and growth is scarily clear.

Germany
Germany

Germany were triumphant on that night in Malmo, with a young Mesut Ozil grabbing the headlines with a superb individual performance. Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Sami Khedira dominated, while Manuel Neuer kept a inevitable clean sheet. It was a team that could have easily took on any international side.

Germany U21 side that beat England U21. Where are they now?

Manuel Neuer - Now at Bayern Munich
Andreas Beck - Now at Beşiktaş
Jerome Boateng - Now at Bayern Munich
Benedikt Howedes - Now at FC Schalke
Sebastian Boenisch - Now at 1860 Munich
Mats Hummels - Now at Bayern Munich
Fabian Johnson - Now at Borussia Mönchengladbach
Gonzalo Castro - Now at Borussia Dortmund
Sami Khedira - Now at Juventus
Mesut Ozil - Now at Arsenal
Marcel Schmelzer - Now at Borussia Dortmund
Sandro Wagner - Now at Hoffenheim
Dennis Aogo - Now at Schalke 04
Daniel Schwaab - Now at PSV Eindhoven

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There's no doubt that England did well to reach the European Championship final in 2009, but if you look back, the sheer amount of players who failed to reach the heights of the Premier League is evident, minus Fabrice Muamba who was forced to retire in 2012 after collapsing on the pitch.

Only three of the squad are Premier League regulars, while many have failed to live up to high expectations.

England U21 side that lost to Germany U21's. Where are they now?

Scott Loach - Now at Notts County
Martin Cranie - Now at Huddersfield Town
Craig Gardner - Now at Birmingham City
Micah Richards - Now at Aston Villa
Nedum Onuoha - Now at Queens Park Rangers
Michael Mancienne - Now at Nottingham Forest
Kieran Gibbs - Now at Arsenal
Lee Cattermole - Now at Sunderland
Fabrice Muamba - Retired
Jack Rodwell - Now at Sunderland
Mark Noble - Now at West Ham
James Milner - Now at Liverpool
Theo Walcott - Now at Arsenal
Adam Johnson - Now in Jail

Image result for england team under 21 2009
Image result for england team under 21 2009

Almost every player in that Germany squad from 2009 have gone onto play for a top European side. They constantly produce when it comes to developing young talent, while England have been very hit and miss for years.

What do England need to do in order to reach the heights of Germany and France?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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