The Premier League winning left-back will also continue his work with the Chelsea academy alongside assisting the ex-Everton midfielder
Ashley Cole has been named as second in command on Lee Carsley’s new England Under-21s coaching staff.
The former Premier League left-back, who starred at Arsenal and Chelsea, has been an academy coach with the Blues since 2019 and will continue to help out there as he takes on responsibilities with the Young Lions.
Carsley has been appointed to the top U-21 job after spending time as an assistant with the team.
What has been said?
“I will have a great team around me,” Carsley told England’s official website. “Ashley is a brilliant addition to the staff and we will also have Tim Dittmer as goalkeeping coach, with all of his experience of the game.
“I’ve been on courses with Ashley during lockdown and been impressed. He is committed to coaching and player development so a lot of our thoughts are aligned.
“We want to win matches. I don’t think you can have one without the other, these lads want to compete at the highest level and test themselves against the best. We have to acknowledge the work being done by the academies and I know how important it will be to have good relationships with the clubs.”
FA technical director John McDermott added on Cole: “I’m very happy to be able to confirm Lee’s appointment, and to be able to bring in someone of Ashley’s stature as his No 2, with thanks to Chelsea for their support.
“It was a very competitive recruitment process and the calibre of people that put themselves forward underlines the importance of the U21 set-up.”
Cole’s England commitment
“I’m really happy to get this opportunity to support Lee and work with the best youngsters in the country,” Cole said. “I loved playing for the national team and to now get the chance to work as an England coach is a special feeling.
“St. George’s Park is an amazing place and I can’t wait to get started. I want to do my best to help young players to develop, and also learn from some brilliant people at the same time.”
Replacing Boothroyd
Carsley’s staff comes in after the five-year tenure of Aidy Boothroyd ended in U21 European Championship failure this summer.
Despite some underwhelming tournament results, the U21 group has turned out many key senior members of England’s squad in recent years, including Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford.
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