Some of the brightest young talents in English football have congregated in the city known as the Las Vegas of the Black Sea, but Jack Grealish need not fear he is missing out. Rather than looking to tour Batumi’s famed clubs and casinos, Lee Carsley’s England Under-21s squad have travelled to this subtropical region of Georgia at the foot of the Caucasus for business rather than pleasure.
If their principal mission is to be the first England side to win this age group’s European Championship since that of 1984, Carsley’s players will also be hoping to catch the eye of Gareth Southgate as they kick off their campaign against the Czech Republic on Thursday evening. The England manager’s attendance at a 16-team tournament jointly hosted by Georgia and Romania emphasises its role as a form of international finishing school.
