The Past

The current champions are France, beating Spain 3-2 in the final last year held in Estonia.

England finished in joint third place alongside Switzerland.

Germany currently hold the most titles with eight.

First held in 2008, the tournament was won by Germany, beating France 3-0 in the final, with England finishing in Fourth.

European Champion Lucy Bronze was called into the England under-17 squad in March 2007, aged fifteen.

She was also part of the team that came fourth in the finals of the 2008 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship. She only made a starting appearance in the semi-final, but was still included in UEFA's list of players to watch from the tournament, both for her contributions to attacking play and her speed in defence.

The Present - who to look out for

Leicester City’s Denny Draper made her WSL debut earlier this season and has gone on to make four appearances for the Foxes senior team along with scoring her first senior goal in a 5-2 victory over Bristol City. As England’s Number 9 she’s scored ten international goals including a number in qualifying that helped see England reach the finals in Sweden.

Image source, Getty Images

Format

Consisting of three phases: two qualifying rounds open to all eligible nations and the finals phase which is composed of 8 qualified teams.

In 2011, the tournament was expanded to eight teams and in 2014, the eight qualified teams play round-robin in two groups of four.

England find themselves in Group A alongside hosts Sweden, Norway and France. Group B consists of Spain, Belgium, Poland Portugal. Four teams will progress from the group stage and straight in to the semi-finals.

The BBC will have coverage of every England game in this year's UEFA Women's Under 17 Championship as well as coverage of both semi-finals and final.

Here is the upcoming coverage of England's group stage matches in the tournament:

Wednesday 8th May

Sweden v England (17:15-19:30) - Coverage available via BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

Saturday 11th May

France v England (14:15-16:30) - Coverage available via BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

Grassroots football

Beyond the affiliated clubs there'll be teams and leagues local to you, who welcome all kinds of characters to play and enjoy a game of football. Yes, there's a competitive element to it, but the common theme will be having fun.

Football clubs all over the country work with their local communities to introduce people to the game. Schemes in Wales, external and Northern Ireland, external continue to thrive.

What else?

• Five-a-side football is played on a smaller pitch, with more touches of the ball - and there are facilities all over the country.
• Futsalis similar to five-a-side, but played indoor with a smaller, heavier ball. It places greater emphasis on individual skill and ball control.
• Struggle to get the joints moving? Walking Football could be the answer. Check it out here., external
• If you're more interested in stepovers than Sunday league, then freestyle could be for you. The video above will show you what's possible at the very top, but to get started click here, external.

Disability football

Disability football is well served across Britain, with a host of different opportunities for different groups of people.

The English FA's Disability Football section, external, has plenty of ideas for playing or coaching. The Wales Football Trust, external, have a dedicated disability co-ordinator to deliver a fully inclusive programme.

Likewise, the Scottish, external and Northern Ireland Football Associations, external aim to ensure that disabled people have the chance to take part fully and fulfil their potential.