Lee Carsley reveals why England U21 celebrations were low key - 'A couple of shandies'

Lee Carsley paid tribute to his Young Lions as England retained their Euro Under-21 crown on a dramatic night in Bratislava. Marseille striker Jonathan Rowe came off the bench to head home an extra-time winner with his first touch as Carsley’s boys became men against the old enemy.

England led 2-0 after 24 minutes thanks to goals from player of the tournament Harvey Elliott and Omari Hutchinson, but were then forced to fight to the bitter end as Germany hit back through Nelson Weiper and Paul Nebel. Carsley sank to his knees at the final whistle after emulating Dave Sexton, the coach who won back-to-back European titles in the early 1980s.

READ MORE: England U21s survive Germany scare to retain Euros crown after throwing away two-goal lead

READ MORE: Harvey Elliott's X-rated reaction to Germany star after England U21s Euros win

Carsley said: “All the credit goes to the players. I'm really proud of them and the commitment they have shown. They have so much belief. This squad believes that they can win.

“To be European champions for the second time is a great achievement, and the challenge is to do it again in two years. Any setback that we have had, the players have got together.

“I didn't think we played great tonight. We sat too deep and didn't have as much control as I wanted. But we won't remember that!” There have already been calls for Carsley to be knighted for the role he has played in helping to develop the country’s top talent.

Asked if there is a chance that he may return to the senior fold to assist Thomas Tuchel, he added: “I’m not sure. I'm going to try to enjoy tonight.

“I love the job I do and I love working with the players. I've had a chance with the senior team as well and loved that and the best thing I can do is to try and help the pathway to the senior team.

“We go back to the hotel for a couple of hours and then we fly back to Birmingham at 3.30, so it’s a quick turnaround. The players will be on holiday tomorrow, their time off is very important too. But it is important that they maybe have a shandy or two tonight."

Match-winning hero Rowe had to be censored by TV bosses after swearing in a post-match interview as his excitement boiled over.

Rowe said: “I didn’t start but I knew that at some point I would have to come on to help push the team over the line. So let’s celebrate!”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.