Charlie Cresswell clinches England milestone as decision over Leeds United future looms

Involvement with England Under-21s is not always a guarantee of senior caps and national acclaim, but it is an indicator of which young players are primed for senior football at the highest level.

Over the past five years, Marc Guehi, Trevoh Chalobah, James Justin, Ben Godfrey, Ezri Konsa, Fikayo Tomori, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers and Joe Gomez have all featured in central defence for the Young Lions.

Some have gone on to make senior appearances for Gareth Southgate's side, fleeting and sporadic as they may be, but to a man each player has been a Premier League regular for their respective club sides.

Leeds United's Charlie Cresswell started back-to-back England Under-21 fixtures for the first time on Tuesday night, turning out for Lee Carsley's junior side against Albania in UEFA Under-21 European Championships qualifying.

His performance was everything it has been at Under-23 level for Leeds: strong, aggressive and proactive, catching Albanian attackers flat-footed as he leapt high into the air throughout the first half to clear danger. Cresswell didn't lose a single header during the opening 45 minutes.

Albania's ploy to double up on the centre-back in aerial duels backfired as the visitors conceded a free-kick on halfway, sandwiching the Leeds man illegally. Thirty seconds or so later, England were in front after a defensive mix-up.

Cresswell's back post header was nodded across the face of goal midway through the second half, for Balogun to guide over the line from two yards as England opened up a two-goal cushion.

The Young Lions dominated the ball from start to finish, occasionally forfeiting possession only to win it back two or three passes later, eventually running out 3-0 winners. It was far from Cresswell's sternest defensive test, but crucially there were no slip-ups.

While the list of former England Under-21 centre-backs reads like a who's who of Premier League defenders, there are a handful of cautionary tales, made all the more relevant by Cresswell's current situation at Elland Road.

Middlesbrough's Dael Fry and serial Chelsea loanee Jake Clarke-Salter have also presided over prolonged stints at the back for England Under-21. However, they have played a cumulative 16 top flight minutes in English football.

While Fry has fashioned a solid second tier career, soon-to-be free agent Clarke-Salter has fallen through the cracks at Stamford Bridge, representing no fewer than five loan clubs by the age of 24.

With Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente, Robin Koch and Pascal Struijk ahead of the 19-year-old in the pecking order at Elland Road, gametime will theoretically be limited for Cresswell as it was during his fledgling Premier League campaign.

Cresswell featured six times across all competitions, although three of those appearances amounted to a total of five minutes on the pitch.

More often than not, Cresswell was an insurance policy, only playing if absolutely necessary, which cannot be the case next season.

Cresswell's central defensive partner with England is Manchester City's Taylor Harwood-Bellis. The defender has not broken into the first-team setup at the Etihad Stadium but has featured on loan at Blackburn Rovers, RSC Anderlecht and Stoke City, playing 42 times last season. Comparatively, Cresswell has made seven senior appearances in club football to date, while the pair's birthdays are separated by just seven months.

Cresswell turns 20 in August - senior action is needed to continue his development; involvement with England's Under-21 side only reinforces this.

The teenager plans to discuss his short-term future with head coach Jesse Marsch later this month and is open to first-team exposure on loan.

He remains contracted to Leeds until the summer of 2025 when he will be just 22 years old, but progression with England is forcing a decision at club level.