Lee Carsley says England job can be 'lonely' - but he'd consider taking role again

Lee Carsley has described the England dugout as a "lonely place" but insists he never felt overwhelmed during his temporary tenure, a role he hasn't ruled out taking on again in the future. After reaching consecutive European Championship finals under Gareth Southgate, Thomas Tuchel was appointed last month to lead the team to World Cup glory in 2026.

Carsley views the former Chelsea manager as the perfect fit for the job, having led the team to promotion back to the Nations League top tier with five wins from six games and introducing eight new players. The ex-Republic of Ireland international will return to his position as England Under-21s boss when Tuchel takes over in the new year, encouraged by a 5-0 victory against the country he once represented as a player.

Despite a disappointing 2-1 home loss to Greece at Wembley last month, which still stings for Carsley, the experience has not been tarnished. "I spoke about it in the first camp and being in a comfort zone," the interim boss said after his final match in temporary charge.

READ MORE: Coventry City linked Lee Carsley makes big statement as England stint ends

READ MORE: Mark Robins set for Coventry return less than two weeks after being sacked by Sky Blues

"I definitely feel I’ve been out of my comfort zone but not beyond my capabilities. I have never felt at any point that I was drowning or struggling."

"I’ve taken the confidence with my staff that ‘we’re OK, we’ll be fine’."

"We’ve probably got stronger as the windows have gone, with September, October and finishing in November, which is probably our strongest and most competitive one. " "You always learn a lot about yourself when you are in a position you are not used to, and the most pleasing thing is the younger players coming through which now many have seen themselves in an England shirt."

"But one of the most pleasing things is the way that the senior players have reacted to a new coach, even though it was from a short-term point of view, the respect that myself and the rest of the staff have been shown."

"We’ve tried to change things. We’ve tried to change or adapt or move on the style, the way that we play, the control, the amount of possession we have, the amount of chances that we create."

"We’ve tried to do all these kind of things, and there’s been no resistance to that. " "If anything, they’ve taken on board what we’re trying to do but I think it helps that they’ve obviously watched and seen the Under-21s and the way that the 21s try and control and score goals."

"I think it’s important then that myself and the staff now spend a good couple of days thinking about the three camps and what we could have done better."

"I mean, I’m still gutted about the Greece game at home. Even though we’ve won five of the six, I straight away go to the game that I think we should have won at Wembley."

"It’s definitely a lonely place in that dugout when you’re not winning at Wembley. ".

"But yeah, we’ll keep improving and keep pushing the players and ourselves."

Carsley is known for his meticulous approach, so it's expected that his briefing to Tuchel will be thorough as he aims to support England's ambition to clinch the World Cup in North America. With Tuchel's contract set to conclude post-tournament, the Under-21s manager, who has had a largely successful tenure and made a strong impression on the squad, might find himself in contention for the senior role once more.

Carsley, who didn't dismiss the possibility of taking on the top job again, said: "I think the positive thing is that we’ve showed as a staff that we can do it," regarding the senior position. "It’s always a positive thing when you have coaches in the building that are capable."

He reflected on his experience, saying, "I’ve enjoyed it. I think we spoke a little bit about it yesterday (Saturday). " He also shared insights into the pressures of the role: "It is tough and I suppose you get used to that awkwardness and that bit of nerves, in terms of I’m sat in the house and I’m constantly thinking of the next camp and the next squad and who’s playing well."

His dedication to the job is evident as he admits, "Constantly watching Greece and Ireland, you know unhealthily watching the opposition. But that’s the way I am and that’s where the rest of the staff are."

Finally, he acknowledged the sense of achievement in gaining promotion, adding, "The relief of getting promotion is a big thing, so maybe in a couple of days I’ll look back at it and think it’s been quite enjoyable."