Arsenal's Tafari Moore joins up with England U19s squad

Tafari Moore has been called into the England Under-19 squad currently competing in the 2016 UEFA European U19 Championship Finals in Germany.

The Arsenal defender replaces Everton’s Callum Connolly who withdrew earlier in the week because of injury.

And having been part of the group training camps earlier this summer but not being named in the initial 18-man squad for the Finals, head coach Aidy Boothroyd is glad to welcome him back into the fold.

"You can imagine, just like with a senior player, it’s not very nice to tell a player that’s been with you all season that he hasn’t made the final squad," explained Boothroyd.

"But that just shows the quality and high standard of the group and Tafari being Tafari, as soon as he picked the phone up he was straight on a plane and out here and is now integrated back into the group like he’d never been away.

"He has experience of Euro Finals before as part of that [U17s] team which won it two years ago and he’s a good lad so we’re really pleased to have him with us despite being disappointed that Callum has had to go back.

"Unfortunately he [Callum] missed the victory in 2014 because he had GCSEs at the time, so for him to go home injured this time is a real blow, but hopefully we can get him back next year fit and healthy and ready for the World Cup."

Moore joins the Three Lions as head coach Aidy Boothroyd prepares his squad for Thursday’s semi-final against Italy, kick-off 11am [BST] .