Quartet In Young Lions Squad

Barkley, Dier, Lundstram and Garbutt in England Under-19s group.

Four Everton youngsters have been named in the England Under-19s squad to take part in the European Championship Elite Qualifying Round.

Ross Barkley, Luke Garbutt and John Lundstram all feature, as does defender Eric Dier, on loan at the Blues from Sporting Lisbon.

Under-19s head coach Noel Blake was at Finch Farm on Monday for the reserve team's game against Blackburn and watched on closely as Barkley, Dier and Lundstram helped the second string seal a 2-0 victory.

The squad announcement marks a first call-up for Dier and Lundstram, who both figured for the Three Lions’ Under-18s side earlier this season.

Blake said: “They’ve both done very well, not only in the international games that they’ve taken part in for me, but they’ve been monitored for their clubs and they’ve both done very well in recent times."

Meanwhile, Garbutt has impressed on loan at Cheltenham Town. The left-back has made over 30 appearances since joining The Robins in September, helping the Whaddon Road outfit maintain a League Two play-off push.

The Young Lions will play Slovenia at Preston's Deepdale ground on Friday 25 May, before heading to Spotland - home of Rochdale - to face Montenegro on two days later.

The final match takes place at Deepdale on Wednesday 30 May against Switzerland. The group winners will progress to July's finals in Estonia.