Lee Carsley announced as interim England manager

Lee Carsley has been announced as interim manager of the England men’s football team.

It comes after Gareth Southgate left the role following England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.

In a statement, Carsley said: “It’s an honour to step up and lead this England squad on an interim basis. As I am very familiar with the players and the cycle of international football, it makes sense for me to guide the team while The FA continues the process to recruit a new manager.

“My main priority is to ensure continuity and our goal is to secure promotion in the UEFA Nations League.”

The 50-year-old will now lead England in Nations League matches next month against Republic of Ireland and Finland, the FA said, with the view that he remains in the position “while the recruitment process for a new permanent head coach continues”.

He will name his first England squad in just under three weeks on 29 August.

Mark Bullingham, FA chief executive, said of Carsley: “Lee is a fantastic coach who is well known to the majority of our current senior squad having worked with most at international or club level.

Birmingham-born Carsley won 40 caps with Republic of Ireland as a player.

Since his retirement, he has forged a respective coaching career and guided England’s Under-21s – the Young Lions – to victory in the 2023 U21 European Championship.

The 1-0 win over Spain marked the first time in 39 years that the under-21s were crowned European champions.

The former Derby and Everton midfielder has been an English FA employee for the past four years, working with both the U20s and U21s.

He has already coached the likes of Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon.

“He offers us a very strong interim solution and we are confident he will perform well in the UEFA Nations League games ahead. We are grateful to Lee for stepping up to manage the team while we continue with our recruitment process.”

Sky News sports correspondent Rob Harris said Carsley’s appointment mirrors how Southgate landed the job in 2016 after Sam Allardyce’s sudden departure.

“Southgate himself was a U21 manager himself at the time,” Harris said, adding: “Something that the FA is highlighting today is that he [Carsley] has not just been part of the England’s U21 set up, but the wider technical team around the last two Euros and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“He has been around that environment which allowed him to work closely with Gareth Southgate.”

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Harris said Carsley’s appointment now gives the FA time to think about the longer term and look forward to the start of qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Former Lincoln centre-back Ben Futcher will lead England Under-21s for their September fixtures.

Read Entire Article