The ex-Everton midfielder now manages England Under-21s – he meets FFT ahead of the Euros
Interview Sean Cole
INTERVIEW
What are you hoping to achieve at this summer’s European U21s Championship? Ultimately, we want to try to win it. But, more importantly, we want to go there and perform, which we haven’t done in the past. We’ve gone into tournaments with a lot of expectation and not been able to live up to it. Our past doesn’t point to success – we’ve not won this tournament since 1984 – but it’s about making our own history by removing the result and focusing on the performance.
How important do you think it is for young players to experience the unique pressures of tournament football? I see that as a big part of their development. You’re away from home for two or three weeks, playing games you need to win, and you have to perform. You need the mentality to deal with disappointments and recover.
You’ve managed England Under-21s for almost two years. How do you look at your reign so far, and the team’s development? I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m happy with where the squad is. It’s always evolving, because players are going up to the seniors and we’re taking players up from the Under-20s. I don’t think we’ve picked the same team for two matches on the trot, which is the nature of development football. Players have adapted well to what we’ve been asking them to do, and we’ve tried to play to their strengths and create an enjoyable environment.
Your predecessor, Aidy Boothroyd, said while in the role, “I know the senior men’s job has been called ‘the impossible job’ but the Under-21s is the utterly impossible job”. What do you make of that?
I don’t share that view. It is a job with a lot of responsibility. We have to tick a lot of boxes: producing players for the senior team; giving lads good international experience with the teams they face, the travel we do, and the countries we go to; ensuring we give a good account of ourselves on and off the pitch; representing England and the FA in the right way... and we also need to win, which is a big thing when it comes to tournament football.
In your role, how closely do you work with Gareth Southgate? Gareth and Steve Holland have both been involved in the U21s, so they understand the challenges. They understand the journey of a player and how that fits in. I get support from them, from [FA technical director] John McDermott and from the rest of the coaches. It’s a real team effort. I’ve got a really good relationship with Gareth, Steve and John.
What performance or result has given you the most satis
