What fans should know about Lee Carsley - including links with England stars Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon, and Cole Palmer

Fifty-year-old Lee Carsley has been in football for some time, but none of his jobs so far have brought as many eyes as the mantle of England head coach (even if only for now).

Carsley is the first new manager England have had in eight years since being named interim boss after Gareth Southgate’s resignation at the end of the European Championships - so what should supporters know about him?

Carsley will be a familiar face to long-time football fans after a 17-year playing career that spanned five clubs, most notably six years with Everton in the Premier League. Fans might remember him from his 2004/05 club Goal of the Season against Liverpool; he racked up 166 appearances for the club, playing as a midfielder.

Before his time at Goodison Park he had spells with Derby, Blackburn, and Coventry, and followed his spell on Merseyside with two years at Birmingham City before a final season at Coventry.

As a player, Carsley was already working on his next steps in the world of football and didn’t leave it long after hanging up his boots before picking up a clipboard. After releasing Carsley at the end of the 2010/11 season, Coventry quickly appointed him to manage their under-18 side; it was his first coaching job and saw the team finish second in their league.

He quickly worked his way up to senior football, taking charge as caretaker manager at the club before moving on to a first-team coaching role at Sheffield United. He showed less encouraging signs in that role, sacked along with manager David Weir after only a few months, but it allowed him to make a return to youth coaching.

This was where Carsley enjoyed his highest-profile successes. He dabbled in club football, taking Manchester City’s under-18 side to the 2017 FA Youth Cup final, and eventually, after various roles in the FA’s set-up, became head coach of the England men’s U21s in 2021. After only two years in the role, Carsley’s side became European Champions for the first time since the 1980s.

Take a look into the squad, and the calibre of players Carsley has helped develop becomes clear: Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon went on to feature in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the senior edition of the championships this summer. Jarrad Branthwaite, Harvey Elliot, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Noni Madueke might also ring a bell with Premier League fans. These aren’t the only familiar faces Carsley could name in his squad today - run an eye down his line-up for that 2017 cup final with Manchester City’s youngsters and a certain Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho jump out.

If those players’ feedback is anything to go by, Carsley will be a popular figure in the dressing room. Anthony Gordon described him as the best man-manager he has worked with, while Harvey Elliot credited him with giving him “freedom to enjoy my football” as an England youth player and called him “an unbelievable manager and an unbelievable guy.”

His knack for youth development and inspiring youngsters seems to extend to his family, too - son Callum is now a technical director at his dad’s old club, Birmingham City. Carsley has three children with his wife Louisa. His son Connor has Down’s Syndrome and he has spoken widely about the effects of the condition, as well as supporting various projects helping young people with learning difficulties to get involved in sport.

So what can fans expect to see from Carsley as he takes on English football’s biggest job? Fans were generally impressed by the bright, attacking football played by his U21s on their way to European glory, and he will have a chance to reunite with some of those players when he names his squad later this afternoon. The interim boss has been spotted watching players from the stands at various grounds before he makes his selections for the upcoming games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland in the Nations League.

Carsley said: "It's important that we put our own stamp on the squad and make some adjustments, but also to realise that a lot of the players have done really well in the past and we have to acknowledge that."

These will be England men’s first matches since a heartbreaking defeat to Spain in the Euros final. The man who masterminded their defeat, Luis de la Fuente, himself has a history in his national federation’s youth setup - could a similar approach see Carsley move from interim to permanent, as Gareth Southgate did? Other big names are being floated with the likes of Eddie Howe and even Pep Guardiola thrown around. However, the FA have said Carsley will remain in the position throughout autumn - so has a few months to make his case for a permanent role.

Carsley will name his squad at 2pm on August 29.