Homecoming hero Jack Stephens scores late winner as Young Lions seal dramatic victory

England Under-21s’ Euro preparations began in dramatic fashion in Southampton on Thursday, when a late goal from Jack Stephens on his home turf secured a 3-2 victory over Italy.

After sealing their place at next summer’s Euro finals last month, Aidy Boothroyd’s side wanted a challenge and they were certainly put to the test by the Azzurri, who will also be heading to Poland in July.

Ironically, the Young Lions’ last defeat came at the hands of Luigi di Biagio’s team in the Euro finals of 2015 in Czech Republic and it looked as though England might suffer a similar fate on the South Coast at one stage after Demarai Gray’s early opener was cancelled out by two quickfire goals from the visitors.

But a second-half equaliser from Lewis Baker and a winner with almost the last kick of the game from Saints defender Stephens meant the U21s extended their unbeaten run to 15 games as they head across the Channel for their next test against France on Monday.

After finishing their qualifying campaign with a confident 5-0 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina, England picked up where they left off in Walsall with a pacy start to the game.

And after coming close through a Calum Chambers header and a Nathan Redmond shot off target, they took the lead in the sixth minute.

Redmond was the creator on the right, and when his cross-shot wasn’t fully cleared, Gray was on the spot to side-foot home at the second time of asking.

The Leicester City man could have had a second minutes later, when he took on a pass and burst through two defenders before hitting a swerving shot just wide.

But the Azzurri drew level against the flow, when right-back Andrea Conti stole possession just over the half-way line before attacking Brendan Galloway. Conti’s eventual cross took a loop off the West Brom defender and spun over the head of Angus Gunn to nestle in the far corner.

That brought the visitors to life and they edged ahead just before the half-hour mark, when a corner from the right was flicked on by Andrea Petagna at the near post, to leave the unmarked Federico Di Francesco with the simple task of tapping home from close range at the far post.

England U21s' Nathaniel Chalobah in a midfield tussle with Italy's Marco Benassi

It was Gray who came closest to bringing England back level ten minutes into the second half, when he saw a curling effort from the edge of the area clip the bar and bounce over after being set up by Baker.

England were denied by the post again just shy of the hour mark when Isaac Hayden’s cross from the right picked out Will Hughes, but the sub’s deflected shot bounced back off the post with Pierluigi Gollini beaten.

The equaliser arrived bang on the hour though, as England’s pressure paid off when Baker’s low left-footer from 25-yards fizzed off the surface and into the bottom corner.

And England sensed a winner, with second-half substitutes Tammy Abraham and Duncan Watmore linking up nicely in the box with the former’s back-heel setting the Sunderland man up only for a last-ditch block from Gollini to deny him.

The magic moment came deep into stoppage time though and it was fitting that two of the Southampton players played a part with captain James Ward-Prowse’s corner into the area met by Chambers and when Gollini could only spill it, Stephens was on hand to gleefully smash home from close range.

England Under-21s line-up to face Italy in Southampton

England Under-21s: 1 Angus Gunn (Manchester City); 2 Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United), 5 Calum Chambers (Middlesbrough, loan from Arsenal), 6 Jack Stephens (Southampton), 3 Brendan Galloway (West Bromwich Albion, loan from Everton); 8 James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) (c), 4 Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea), 7 Lewis Baker (Vitesse Arnhem, loan from Chelsea); 11 Nathan Redmond (Southampton), 10 John Swift (Reading), 9 Demarai Gray (Leicester City)

Substitutes: 14 Will Hughes (Derby County) for Swift 30, 17 Duncan Watmore (Sunderland) for Gray 73, 19 Tammy Abraham (Bristol City, loan from Chelsea) for Baker 77

Substitutes not used: 12 Dominic Iorfa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), 13 Jonathan Mitchell (Derby County), 15 Kortney Hause (Wolverhampton Wanderers), 16 Rob Holding (Arsenal), , 22 Alfie Mawson (Swansea City), 23 Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur)

Head coach: Aidy Boothroyd

Goals: Demarai Gray 6, Lewis Baker 60, Jack Stephens 90+3

Italy Under-21s: 1 Pierluigi Gollini, 2 Andrea Conti, 3 Antonio Barreca, 4 Luca Mazzitelli, 5 Davide Biraschi, 6 Mattia Caldara, 7 Lorenzo Pellegrini, 8 Marco Benassi (c), 9 Andrea Petagna, 10 Federico Ricci, 11 Federico Di Francesco.

Substitutes: 18 Vittorio Parigini for Di Francesco 43, 13 Alex Ferrari for Conti 46, 15 Michele Somma for Petagna 62, 20 Alberto Cerri for Caldara 62, 14 Alberto Grassi for Mazzitelli 62, 19 Luca Garritano for Ricci 75, Bryan Cristante for Benassi 76, 24 Leonardo Capezzi for Pellegrini 90

Substitutes not used: 12 Alessio Cragno, 17 Adam Masina, 21 Lorenzo Rosseti, 23 Davide Vitturini,

Head coach: Luigi di Biagio

Goals: Andrea Conti 13, Federico Di Francesco 28

Cautions: Davide Biraschi 38

Referee: Sandro Scharer

Attendance: 11550