Roy Hodgson wants young England stars to play at Under 21 European Championship

Last updated: 30th November 2012  

Roy Hodgson wants young England stars to play at Under 21 European Championship

Raheem Sterling: The Liverpool forward has made his senior England debut this season

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England youngsters Raheem Sterling, Wilfried Zaha and Steven Caulker will play in next summer's Under 21 European Championship if senior boss Roy Hodgson gets his way.

The Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur trio have all broken in to the Three Lions set up over recent months and look like they could be a key part of the future.

But Hodgson also wants Sterling, Zaha and Caulker to build tournament experience by playing with the U21s in June's European Championship in Israel and the U20 World Cup in Turkey later that month and into July.

That would mean the England boss would likely resist selecting the rising stars for the commemorative summer friendlies against Republic of Ireland and Scotland.

And Hodgson hopes clubs will also be understanding, as he said: "You can't deny the importance of tournament experience. For our players, we've got the Under 20s in Turkey and the U21s in Israel.

"I shall work very closely with the two coaches to make certain I'm not depriving someone of the chance to play in a tournament for the sake of one game.

"I really do hope the clubs appreciate the value of their players getting that experience, because it won't only help them internationally, I think it will help them with their club careers."

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