Lee Carsley appointed England interim manager while FA search for Gareth Southgate successor

Lee Carsley has officially been appointed as the new interim manager of England following Gareth Southgate’s exit.

The former Everton midfielder will step up from his role as the Three Lions’ current Under-21 head coach to take charge of the senior side for the beginning of their latest Uefa Nations League campaign next month.

Carsley will take the reins for England’s trip to face the Republic of Ireland - for whom he earned 40 senior international caps as a player - at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on September 7 to begin Group B2, and will also be in the dugout for the visit of Finland to Wembley four days later.

In announcing his promotion on Friday, the Football Association (FA) said that the 50-year-old had been appointed “with a view to remaining in the position throughout the autumn” while they carry out their search for a permanent successor to Southgate, who stepped down as England manager after eight years and 102 matches in charge last month just two days after the 2-1 defeat by Spain in the final of Euro 2024 in Berlin.

England host Greece in the Nations League in October, also travelling to meet Finland in Helsinki before playing Greece and the Republic of Ireland again in November following their first relegation from the top tier of the competition in 2022.

“It’s an honour to step up and lead this England squad on an interim basis,” Carsley said. “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.”

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham added: “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.”

The FA statement makes no mention of whether or not Carsley - whose appointment as interim boss this week had been expected - himself could be in the running for the permanent job, having impressed in his work with the U21s since being hired to succeed the long-serving Aidy Boothroyd in the summer of 2021 after previous coaching stints with Coventry, Sheffield United, Brentford, Birmingham and the England Under-20s since ending his playing career in 2011.

He guided the Young Lions to victory in the Under-21 European Championship for the first time in 39 years in Romania and Georgia last summer, while they have currently scored 32 goals in just seven matches as they bid to qualify for next summer’s Euros in Slovakia.

There are plenty who feel that Carsley, who made almost 500 career appearances as a defensive midfielder for Derby, Blackburn, Coventry, Everton and Birmingham, should be in contention for the full-time senior role, with his U21 side having been successful with an attacking, goal-laden style of football that many fans crave following a European Championship in which England reached the final despite fierce criticism of Southgate and his tactics that were deemed far too conservative given the talent available.

A whole host of other names have been linked with the England job so far since Southgate’s departure, including the likes of Eddie Howe, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel, Kieran McKenna and Ange Postecoglou, to name but a few.

In Carsley’s absence, Elite League Squad - formerly the U20s - head coach Ben Futcher will take interim charge of the U21s, with England facing Northern Ireland in their latest Euro qualifier next month before a home friendly against Austria.

The U21s also have further qualifiers coming up against both group leaders Ukraine and Azerbaijan in October.