England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley is set to be named as the Three Lions’ interim boss following the departure of Gareth Southgate, according to reports.
Southgate announced his decision to resign as England manager just days after losing the Euro 2024 final to Spain. His time in charge received mixed reviews, but he managed to lead England to back-to-back European Championship finals, as well as a run to the final four of the 2018 World Cup.
While Southgate’s permanent replacement has not yet been found, it’s believed that Carsley will step up to the senior role. As per the Telegraph, the former Everton midfielder is expected to lead England when they take on the Republic of Ireland and Finland in UEFA Nations League matches next month.
Carsley is currently in line to be named as interim boss, but he also could be given the role permanently if the FA deem him the right man for the job. If he is to succeed Southgate, he will follow in the same footsteps as his predecessor, who was initially an interim in September 2016.
Howard Wilkinson and Stuart Pearce also took a similar path in the past, making it not uncommon.
In the junior lions role since 2021, Carsley has proven himself successful, delivering England’s first European Under-21 Championship for the first time in nearly 40 years last summer.
Now 50 years of age, Carsley was born in Birmingham and started his own playing career at Derby County. But he actually represented Ireland as an international, making 40 appearances for the country between 1997 and 2008, including going to the World Cup in 2002.
Further playing spells came at Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City and hometown club Birmingham City, while his first job at the FA within an England setup came in 2015 as an Under-19 assistant. Carsley has also briefly managed Brentford, taken caretaker roles at both Coventry and Birmingham, as well as spending time as an academy coach at Manchester City.