The English Football Association has named Lee Carsley as the temporary head coach of the national team for the upcoming Nations League matches in September.
This comes after Gareth Southgate’s resignation following England’s loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
Carsley, 50, has been promoted from his position as manager of the England Under-21 team to take on the interim role.
He explained that his existing knowledge of the players and international football schedule makes him a logical choice to lead the team temporarily.
“It’s an honour to step up and lead this England squad on an interim basis,” said Carsley.
“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.” He added.
Interestingly, Carsley had previously rejected an offer to manage the Republic of Ireland team in March.
Now, his first match as England’s interim manager will be against the same team, in an away game in September.
Carsley has a strong playing background, earning 40 caps for the Republic of Ireland and scoring 33 goals in 478 games for clubs like Derby County, Blackburn Rovers, and Everton.
After retiring in 2011, he transitioned into coaching, holding various roles at Coventry City, Brentford, Birmingham City, and England’s youth teams.
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham praised Carsley’s appointment, saying: “Lee is a fantastic coach who is well known to the majority of our current senior squad…
He offers us a very strong interim solution and we are confident he will perform well in the Uefa Nations League games ahead.”
England’s national team will resume competition in September, kicking off their 2024-25 UEFA Nations League campaign with a match against the Republic of Ireland on September 7 at the Aviva Stadium.
Carsley’s first home match will take place on September 10 at Wembley Stadium, where England will face Finland.
