Lee Carsley has been appointed as the interim manager of the England national football team for the upcoming Nations League matches in September, as the Football Association (FA) continues its search for a permanent successor to Gareth Southgate.
The 50-year-old Carsley transitions from his role as the England Under-21 head coach to fill the position left vacant by Southgate, who resigned following England’s defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final last month.
“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,” Carsley stated.
His primary goal will be to maintain continuity and aim for promotion in the UEFA Nations League.
Carsley is a former Premier League midfielder, having played for clubs such as Derby County and Everton during his 17-year playing career. After retiring, he moved into management, taking caretaker roles at Coventry, Brentford, and Birmingham. In 2020, he became the England Under-20 coach and later led the Under-21 team to victory in the European Championship in 2023, marking the first title win for England in that competition in 39 years.
England is set to play the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, September 7, before hosting Finland three days later. Notably, Carsley earned 40 caps for the Republic of Ireland during his playing career.
The FA has confirmed that Carsley will manage the team for these fixtures “with a view to remaining in the position throughout autumn while the FA’s recruitment process for a new permanent head coach continues.”
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham praised Carsley, saying, “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. We are grateful to Lee for stepping up to manage the team while we continue with our recruitment process.”
Historically, Howard Wilkinson, Stuart Pearce, and Southgate have taken similar interim roles after managing the Young Lions. Southgate secured the position permanently and led the team for eight years, reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, the quarter-finals in 2022, and the finals of the Euros in 2021 and 2024.
The FA is actively searching for a replacement, having published a job advertisement on its website. Ben Futcher will take over Carsley’s role as England Under-21 head coach, with further details regarding the backroom staff for both teams to be confirmed in due course.
