CHERRIES' new signing Lloyd Kelly has been named in the England under-21s squad for this summer's European Championship finals in Italy and San Marino.

The talented defender is joined in the 23-strong group by club-mate Dominic Solanke, who missed the final two games of the Premier League season due to a hamstring issue.

Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is on standby for the squad after a strong loan spell at AFC Wimbledon.

Aidy Boothroyd's charges next month face group clashes against France, Romania and Croatia. And he will be hoping to improve on a semi-final exit from the previous tournament in Poland two years ago, losing on penalties against Germany.

Kelly, who joined the Dorset club earlier this month for a transfer fee of around £13million from Bristol City, made his England under-21s debut last November.

The 20-year-old has never featured at the finals of a tournament for the national side.

Frontman Solanke netted at Vitality Stadium against Germany in England under-21s' final warm-up match before the European Championship.

The Basingstoke-born ace has represented his country at every age group from under-16 through to senior level.

The Young Lions on June 18 launch their campaign against France in Cesena (9pm).

Boothroyd said: “This is a really strong squad and I’m really pleased with the group of players I’ve got who will be representing us at the Euros.

"We have a big pool of talent in the England set-up and I had some tough selection decisions to make as there’s a lot of strength in depth.

“We have a real mixture in terms of age and experience.  We’ve got Tammy [Abraham], Demarai [Gray] and Angus [Gunn] who were part of the Euros squad in 2017, but also have nine players who are young enough to be eligible for the next qualifying campaign. 

"This group have also won a lot at youth level and know the work and application that it takes.

“We’ll need that experience and winning mentality for the Euros.  It’s always a really tough tournament and I think this year is as strong as it has ever been.  It’s a great opportunity for our players to showcase their talents as individuals and as a team.

“We are coming up against three really good teams.  France will be a real test, with their athleticism and guile, power and pace.  Romania and Croatia will be different again, with their strength coming from the team as a group.  They’ll be well-organised, drilled and tough to break down, while looking to counter-attack.  We’ll need different tactical solutions for each game and it’s up to us to get the right balance in our team – soldiers and artists.

“The next two weeks at St. George’s Park are really crucial to our preparation.  We’re working hard and getting right to the exciting part of going to Italy and kicking off our tournament against France.  It’s important we use every second of our preparation towards being successful at the Euros.”