England Under-21s' qualifiers set for Colchester and Walsall

England Under-21s will have home advantage in Colchester and Walsall when they host their next two Euro Qualifiers in September and October.

The Three Lions resume their campaign to reach next summer’s Euro Finals in Poland on Tuesday 6 September, when they face Group 9 rivals Norway at the Colchester Community Stadium.

And after their long-haul trip to play Kazakhstan in the penultimate group game in early October, Gareth Southgate’s side will be at home for their final qualifying match when Bosnia & Herzegovina are the visitors to the Banks’s Stadium in Walsall on Tuesday 11 October.

After three wins and two draws from their first five games, England go into the final few games on top of the group and know that It is in their own hands to seal an automatic qualification spot for the Finals.

So they’ll be looking for a repeat of the win they enjoyed over Norway last September, when a penalty from captain James Ward-Prowse was enough to seal the points in Drammen in what was their first game of the new campaign.

It’s also a return to the Essex venue for the U21s for the first time since 2011, when they beat Iceland by 5-0 thanks to goals from former Colchester player Marvin Sordell, Martin Kelly, Craig Dawson and Gary Gardner (2).

Colchester United’s head coach, John McGreal, said: “Given how successful it was for the club last time, it’s great to hear that we will be hosting another England U21s game at the stadium. 

“We were delighted to host the England players at our training ground ahead of the game and it was very useful for us to be able to see them in action there and in the match itself.

“We’re really looking forward to having the match at the stadium and I am sure our young players will also learn a lot from seeing their peers in action.”

England couldn’t repeat that scoreline in Sarajevo last November though, when Bosnia & Herzegovina held Southgate’s side to a 0-0 draw at the sprawling Asim Ferhatovic Hase Stadium in the Bosnian capital.

So when they arrive in the West Midlands, they will be hoping the 4-0 scoreline against Sweden from their previous U21s game at Walsall in February 2013 can be repeated, with Tom Ince (2), Jonjo Shelvey and Connor Wickham scoring on that occasion.

Walsall’s director and club secretary, Daniel Mole, said: “It’s a massive honour to have been chosen to host the England U21s in their high-profile Euro Qualifier with Bosnia & Herzegovina.

“We have been honoured to have a number of England representative squads here at Walsall Football Club over the years but it’s been a number of years since the U21s graced the Banks’s Stadium.

“We’re looking forward to playing our part in what I’m sure will be an excellent occasion topped off no doubt with a Three Lions victory.”

England will take confidence into their final few qualifiers from their success this summer at the Toulon Tournament, where five wins out of five secured a first title in the competition since 1994.

Victories over Portugal, Guinea, Paraguay and Japan in the group stage set up the final against host nation France in Avignon, where goals from Chelsea pair Lewis Baker and Ruben Loftus-Cheek secured a 2-1 victory and the title.

Tickets for both games cost £10 for adults and £5 for concessions, with a family ticket (2 adults, 2 children) for £20.

Group bookings of 15 or more supporters can qualify for a reduced ticket at £5 for adults and £2.50 for concessions. Click here for a group booking form for Norway, or click here for Bosnia-Herzegovina game.

Charter Standard Clubs can claim 15 free tickets and any additional tickets at the group booking price as outlined above. Click here to take advantage of this offer for the Norway game, or click here for the Bosnia-Herzegovina game.