Lee Carsley insists he will put his own stamp on the England squad after replacing Gareth Southgate for the Three Lions’ Nations League fixtures in September. The former Everton midfielder has taken the job while the Football Association searches for Southgate’s permanent successor.
Carsley, who is under consideration for the full-time role, is preparing for fixtures against Ireland and Finland on September 7 and 10, respectively. The 50-year-old suggested he could move away from Southgate’s blueprint and select players that will suit his own coaching style.
He told the FA’s in-house media channel: “It’s a very prestigious job following Gareth and [assistant manager] Steve [Holland] and the great job that they have done.
“First and foremost, it’s getting the squad together and picking the right players while trying to get a balance between making sure it’s fresh and competitive but understanding that there are games that we need to do well in and win, so that’s what I’ll be looking to do.
“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.”
Carsley, who was born in Birmingham but represented Ireland at international level, has coached many of England’s current stars as head coach of the Three Lions’ U21 side. The likes of Cole Palmer and Adam Wharton may benefit from his presence in the senior set-up.
England’s U21s lifted the European Championship under Carsley’s management last summer. He continued: “I’ve got a relationship with those players and have known them quite a few years.
“There’s players that I don’t know as well, but I’m very much aware of them and I think we’ve got some outstanding players in the senior team.
“In the pathway, the level of players over the years has really improved and you can see that by the way we’ve done in major tournaments. The next step is winning, and that’s got to be the objective.”
Southgate stepped down as England boss in July after nine years in charge. It came after the Three Lions suffered a defeat in the European Championship final for the second time in succession.
Carsley said of his predecessor: “It fascinates me around the impact it has back in England, with the amount of support that the team get and the expectancy that’s on their shoulders.
“It really does unite a country and it’s been good to see that and it’s testament to the staff that they’ve reached back-to-back finals, which isn’t easy. The last bit is going that extra mile and winning and I think we’ve got the players to do that.”
