England U21 boss Stuart Pearce is pleased to be able to include teenagers Jack Rodwell, the Everton midfielder, and Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck in his squad.

Pearce said yesterday: "For me to take the likes of Welbeck and Rodwell from the U19s and say they'll stay with us, they might not get as much match time, so we feel by giving them a couple of days with the U19s, for them to get a game then come and join the Under-21s, it'll be a massive benefit.

"Whilst it means one or two playing at different age groups, we feel that for them it's the best thing to do.

"The beauty of the U19s game is that it's on the Wednesday night and it gives me the opportunity to go to Walsall to see the game.

"We want to try and promote this seamless mentality to say that you might get a chance at U19s or Under-21s, but your football education comes first."