Lee Carsley to become England manager on an interim basis

Lee Carsley is to step up as England under-21 manager to coach the Three Lions' senior side.

Gareth Southgate last month resigned as the England boss after eight years in the role, having lost his second successive European Championship final. The Football Association announced their intention to find a successor but added that they would select an interim manager if needed.

Now, under-21 manager Carsley has been selected as that choice. This follows the FA doing the same thing when they gave Southgate the reins in 2016 after Sam Allardyce's dismissal.

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.”

Mark Bullingham, The FA’s CEO, said: “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. 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.”

Carsley won Under-21 Euro 2023 last summer with England. Replacing Carsley, Ben Futcher will take charge of the under-21s for the forthcoming 2025 U21 Euros qualifiers.

England are in UEFA Nations League B Group 2 alongside Finland, Greece and Republic of Ireland.

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