Lee Carsley signs contract extension to remain in charge of England Under-21s | OneFootball

Lee Carsley has signed a new contract with the FA through to the end of the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

The news comes as Carsley prepares to lead the Young Lions this month at the 2025 European Championships in Slovakia, having previously guided the MU21s to success at the 2023 finals.

England have been drawn against Czechia, Slovenia and Germany in the 16-nation tournament, with their first match coming on June 12.

Speaking following the announcement, Carsley said: “I’m delighted to extend my time with The FA. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to work with a young, talented group and help develop them on the international stage.

“While the future is exciting, our immediate priority is this summer’s UEFA U21 EURO in Slovakia as we attempt to emulate the achievement of Dave Sexton’s teams in 1982 and 1984.”

The 51-year-old former Republic of Ireland international has been in charge of the U21s since July 2021, and was given the opportunity to take interim charge of the senior squad last autumn following Gareth Southgate’s resignation after defeat in the EURO 2024 final to Spain.

He took three senior camps at the back end of 2024 whilst the FA looked for a permanent replacement for Southgate. During his tenure as interim head coach, Carsley gave senior England debuts to Noni Madueke; Tino Livramento, Curtis Jones, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs-White; Angel Gomes, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Lewis Hall.

Carsley helped the Three Lions secure promotion back to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League after finishing top of their four-team group, which included victories away to Republic of Ireland, Finland and Greece.

The former Everton midfielder returned to the U21s following the appointment of Thomas Tuchel to the senior side.

Qualifying for the 2027 UEFA MU21 EURO runs across the 2025-26 season with the final tournament due to be played in Albania.