Saints trio lift Toulon crown with England U21

A dominant display from Gareth Southgate’s team saw them beat hosts France 2-1 to lift the Toulon title for the first time since 1994 and it hopefully won’t be the last time we see a Three Lions side taste glory across the Channel this summer.

Goals from Lewis Baker and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the first half did the damage against a physically strong French side, who just couldn’t find a way to really threaten England.

Ward-Prowse's St Mary's colleague Matt Targett also started the final, while a third Saint, Jack Stephens, came on as a sub.

Two more Hampshire-born players were also part of the winning team - former Tyro League player John Swift (Chelsea) and ex-Saint Calum Chambers (Arsenal).

And the victory caps a good season for Southgate’s men, who have won nine of their 11 games this term and will renew their Euro Qualifying campaign in good spirits next September.

England set out their intentions from the off, controlling possession and troubling Les Bleus with some sharp attacking play and movement in midfield.

The lively start paid off too, as they took a deserved lead after just eight minutes, when captain Ward-Prowse lifted a ball over the top for Baker.

The Chelsea man sprang the offside trap before nodding over Florian Escales and into the goal to register his fourth goal of the tournament and seal the top scorer accolade in the process.

France started to work their way back into the game and it took a timely clearance from Calum Chambers in the box to clear the danger after 22 minutes, when a nice move saw Olivier Kemen’s centre cause a few anxieties.

Jordan Pickford was then tested by a powerful drive from France winger Roli Peirera Da Sa, who cut in from the right and fired a left-footer at goal which the stung the hands of the Sunderland stopper but not enough to beat him.

But it was the Three Lions who doubled their advantage two minutes before the break, when Loftus-Cheek, named as player of the tournament after the game, nipped onto a pass into the box from Baker and lifted the ball over Escales to put his side in control.

The hosts made two early changes in the second half in a bid to claw themselves back into the game and one of those replacements Maximi D’Arpino tested Pickford again ten minutes after the re-start with a snap-shot from the edge of the box. Again, the Three Lions keeper was equal to it though.

If anything, England looked the more likely to add to their tally, with Nathan Redmond, Baker and Loftus-Cheek causing problems with their incisive play in the final third.

France made it interesting for the last three minutes though, after Abdou Diallo turned home from close range following a corner from the right to give them hope of salvaging a draw.

They couldn’t find a way through, as England bravely held on for the title to pass the baton to Roy Hodgson’s senior squad next month.

The last time England won the Toulon Tournament in 1994, ex-Saints Chris Makin and Jamie Redknapp were part of the winning side.

England Under-21s: 1 Jordan Pickford (Sunderland); 2 Dominic Iorfa (Wolverhampton Waderers), 5 Calum Chambers (Arsenal), 6 Kortney Hause (Wolverhampton Wanderers), 3 Matt Targett (Southampton); 4 Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea); 8 James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) ( C), 12 Lewis Baker (Chelsea); 10 Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea); 11 Nathan Redmond (Norwich City), 7 Duncan Watmore (Sunderland).

Substitutes: 17 John Swift (Chelsea) for Watmore 65, 15 Jack Stephens (Southampton) for Targett 80 Substitutes not used: 13 Angus Gunn (Manchester City), 9 Cauley Woodrow (Fulham), 14 Jack Grelish (Aston Villa), 16 Matt Grimes (Swansea City), 18 Rob Holding (Bolton Wanderers), 19 Kasey Palmer (Chelsea)