Lee Carsley and Ashley Cole have been announced as the new managerial team for the England men’s under-21s.
New head coach Carsley moves to the under-21 set-up from his current role with the under-20s. He has previously been the under-21 assistant coach, and has also worked at club level for Manchester City and Birmingham City
Meanwhile, assistant Cole will combine his new job with his responsibilities at the Chelsea academy.
“I see it as a massive honour and achievement to coach the men’s under-21s,” Carsley said in a press release. “It is a really prestigious position with a lot of responsibility as has been proven by the calibre of predecessors in this role.
“Gareth [Southgate] and [his assistant] Steve Holland have always been very supportive and I’m looking forward to working more closely with them.
We have a great opportunity to help the senior side by developing the best young talent in this country while combining that with the aim of being successful at under-21 level.”
He added: “We want to win matches. I don’t think you can have one without the other, these lads want to compete at the highest level and test themselves against the best. We have to acknowledge the work being done by the academies and I know how important it will be to have good relationships with the clubs.
“I will have a great team around me. Ashley is a brilliant addition to the staff and we will also have Tim Dittmer as goalkeeping coach, with all of his experience of the game.
“I’ve been on courses with Ashley during lockdown and been impressed. He is committed to coaching and player development so a lot of our thoughts are aligned.”
Cole said: “I loved playing for the national team and to now get the chance to work as an England coach is a special feeling. St. George’s Park is an amazing place and I can’t wait to get started. I want to do my best to help young players to develop, and also learn from some brilliant people at the same time.”
