Lee Carsley wants more from England’s Under 21 stars after sealing European Championship silverware and insists he ‘isn’t looking out the window’ for managerial opportunities
Lee Carsley wants more from England Under 21 stars after securing European Championship silverware and insists he’s ‘not looking out the window’ for managerial opportunities
- England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley wants to win more trophies with the team
- The Young Lions manager has agreed to remain in charge as head coach
- Carsley has also included Brighton midfielder Adam Lallana in his line-up
Lee Carsley admitted he still needs to make improvements even after leading England Under-21s to a first European Championship title in 39 years.
The Young Lions took the crown in Georgia two months ago, beating Spain in a dramatic final, and Carsley has retained seven of that squad for the next qualifying campaign.
That starts on Monday in Luxembourg – the likes of Harvey Elliott, Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer are all set to get started – with Carsley having agreed to stay on as head coach after talks with FA technical director John McDermott.
“I feel lucky to have this job,” Carsley said. ‘Every camp I coach the best players in England. I have the selection of the best players in England and I feel a real responsibility in that.
“It’s something I don’t take for granted. I don’t look out the window to see what’s out there.
England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley wants to win more silverware with the country
Carsley (left) guided England Under-21s to their first European Championship title in 39 years two months ago
‘I sat down with John to discuss what went well over the past two years and what I could do better. You always want to be sure that you are the best person for the job.
‘The challenge with this group is ultimately to be better than the previous group. So there is still a lot to improve, especially for myself: tactically and recognizing patterns in games more quickly.
“It’s something that we as a staff are all trying to do better. We better be out of possession. The challenge is to do it again with another group.’
The England U21 ranks boast a host of Premier League talent and Carsley admitted he feels ‘lucky’ with his job
Carsley (centre) has also brought in Brighton midfielder Adam Lallana (right) into his coaching line-up
Carsley have lost Joleon Lescott from their coaching staff but have retained Ashley Cole, with Brighton midfielder Adam Lallana part of the backroom team for the next five matches across three sides.
Lallana traveled with the team to Luxembourg yesterday and could continue after Christmas if the move proves successful.
“The mentorship with the players is very important and something that Joleon has done for us,” Carsley added. “I approached Adam. He is very interested in coaching and development.
‘Having a current Premier League player, I think it is good that he spends time informally with the players off the pitch and recognizes where they are on the journey to help them.’