Lee Carsley, interim England manager, wants to continue his ‘other’ job coaching students at a local academy in the Midlands to help him trial new tactics for Harry Kane and Cole Palmer.
Carsley will be the temporary manager of The Three Lions for the first time on Saturday against Ireland. Last year he led the under-21 team to victory in the European Championship.
Despite the extra responsibilities, Carsley does not want to give up the weekly sessions he delivers every Friday morning to aspiring players aged 16 to 21 at the Strachan Academy in Warwick.
Carsley has six games in charge before the FA chooses a successor to Southgate and he believes his work on the pitch between matches helps him to get ideas across to the Premier League players when they arrive at training camp.
“I still find a way to coach that gives me the opportunity to practice what I’m going to do with the teams I work with,” he explains.
England interim coach Lee Carsley wants to continue his ‘other’ job as a student coach
He will use the coaching as an opportunity to help him try out new tactics for players like Harry Kane
Carsley will take over as interim captain of the Three Lions for the first time against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, having led the under-21s to European Championship glory last year
‘I could practice for two months for what I’m going to try, instead of one day when you have two games in an international period.
‘It gives me the chance to experiment and then hopefully present it when the (English) players are live.
‘I was there last Friday (Aug 23) in Warwick. I’ve been doing it for about three years now. It’s a kind of training and coaching centre.
‘The most important thing you notice when you first start working internationally is that you stop coaching. I was convinced that this would not happen to me.
“My greatest strength is coaching, so that was one of the things I didn’t want to stop doing.”
‘I also have other priorities within my job. I have to be creative and make sure I have a few hours every Friday morning to try things out and get it wrong!’
The academy is part of the Strachan Football Foundation, which was founded in 2011 by former Manchester United and Leeds star Gordon Strachan to bring education and football together for aspiring students and footballers.
The website lists Carsley among several coaches, including former Aston Villa manager Brian Little and current Coventry manager Mark Robins, who have conducted sessions.
He said, “My biggest strength is coaching, so that’s one of the things I didn’t want to stop doing.”
The academy is part of the Strachan Football Foundation, founded by former Manchester United and Leeds great Gordon Strachan
As a player, Carsley enjoyed his best years at Everton and is grateful to his former manager David Moyes for encouraging him to take coaching courses.
The 50-year-old now hopes to follow in the footsteps of under-21 managers who are promoted to senior level, as Spain did with Luis de la Fuente, whose team beat Southgate’s England in the Euro 2024 final.
He has included five of the Under-21 league winners in his first-team squad, including Chelsea’s Noni Madueke who scored a hat-trick at Wolves last week despite criticism from home fans for a rude message he posted on social media about Wolverhampton City.
“He definitely wasn’t picked in that one game!” laughs Carsley. “Noni is really explosive and attacking.
‘I think he brings energy and enthusiasm, which is exactly what the squad needs after the summer. And he is in form now.
“It’s not Noni, but the whole generation doesn’t seem to feel it (the pressure). I remember before the semi-final of the European Championship I expected them to be nervous.
‘You go into the dining room, the music is on, there are two or three of them dancing, there’s table tennis going on. I think, ‘Wait a minute, you’re not nervous are you?!’
“But a lot of those players have had that expectation their whole lives. And one thing I would say about all of them is their attitude and work rate is always what we look at first.”
The website lists Carsley among several coaches, including Coventry manager Mark Robins, who have given sessions
He has included five of the trophy’s under-21 winners in his first team, including Chelsea’s Noni Madueke
Birmingham-born Carsley played 40 caps for the Republic of Ireland through his grandmother and went to Cork in the summer for a big family reunion.
He also met Irish football bosses in 2023 when they were looking for a new manager. ‘It was quite an informal conversation. It wasn’t like I was offered the job or wanted the job or turned the job down or anything like that. It was far from that,’ he said.
‘It was after the Under-21 European Championships. Early in my career I was advised that if someone wants to meet you, go and show them respect. I was really aware during the conversation that I had a really good job (at the FA) and that I supported where I am now.’