ENGLAND Under-21s boss Aidy Boothroyd believes it is the perfect time for Mason Greenwood to end his international exile.

The Manchester United forward, who is from Wibsey, has returned to the England set-up after being named in Boothroyd's squad for the Euro 2021 group phase.

It marks his comeback after Greenwood was sent home from the seniors, after breaching coronavirus regulations, following his debut in a 1-0 win in Iceland last September.

Boothroyd said: "We treat every player as an individual and think very carefully when and where we pick them. In his situation, it was right that he wasn't right to play for his country and to stay where he was at United.

"That period of time has done Mason the world of good, he's getting more minutes there. That's a positive thing. We hope he can continue that with us.

"He's got a lot of support around him from his club and from us. Gareth (Southgate) is speaking regularly to Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer) in this case and we think he's a top player.

"Every time he gets on the pitch there is an expectation of him because he's a very good young player. But he is young, he needs guidance and help. Gareth will speak to him before we meet up. I'll speak to him to see how he is and see how we can get the most out of him.

"We're talking about a player here who is nowhere near his potential. But he's growing up, he's learning about himself as a footballer and a person. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do on the big stage."

The Bradfordian is joined by Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi, while uncapped Josh Griffiths, Emile Smith Rowe, Japhet Tanganga and Noni Madueke have earned their first call-ups.

Eddie Nketiah, the England Under-21s' record goalscorer, is selected in the squad too, along with Everton duo Ben Godfrey and Tom Davies, while Aaron Ramsdale is expected to be Boothroyd's number one.

The Young Lions face Switzerland, Portugal and Croatia in Group D in Slovenia, with the group stage being held this month due to the coronavirus pandemic. The knockout stages will be in May and June.