James Maddison will make an emotional tribute during England’s bid to win the Euros.
The Leicester attacking midfielder became friends with Sophie Taylor 16 months ago while he played for Norwich and she was a mascot.
The five-year-old died from bone cancer in January and now Maddison has revealed the special boots he will play in at the tournament in Italy in her memory.
He tweeted photos of his new footwear which he said he would wear for “my best friend”.
The boots feature a picture of Sophie, and the words “there is a new angel in Heaven”.
One boot also has a picture of a shirt he revealed after scoring a free-kick goal against Burnley , which had written on it “RIP Sophie I Love You”.
Maddison is expected to be a key player for England in Italy this summer as they bid to win a first Euro U21 title since 1984 when they beat Spain over two legs to successfully defend the title they had won two years earlier.
The Young Three Lions get underway against France in Cesena on Tuesday and will be wanting to get their campaign off to the perfect start.
England then face Romania on June 21, also in Cesena, before rounding out their group campaign against Croatia at the San Marino Stadium on June 24.
Ahead of the competition, Chelsea youngster Jake Clarke-Salter was confirmed as England's captain for the competition.
The 21-year-old spent last term on loan at Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem, helping them finish fifth in the Eredivisie under the guidance of ex-Hull boss Leonid Slutskiy.
Clarke-Salter will lead a talented England U21 squad that includes the likes of Maddison, Manchester City's Phil Foden, Crystal Palace defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
