The FA are reportedly considering Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to succeed Lee Carsley as manager of England’s U-21s, with the current head coach likely to leave his position in the summer.
According to the Mirror, the respective Liverpool and Chelsea legends are in contention to take the U-21s job should Carsley decide to leave the England set-up this summer, with the FA keen to replicate the success they’ve enjoyed under Gareth Southgate by appointing a manager for the youth side that could one day take on the senior job.
And as per the report, Gerrard and Lampard could be ideal fits for the role, as well as Scott Parker despite the trio all recently being sacked from top jobs in both the Premier League and in Europe, with the latter only being fired from Club Brugge as recently as last week.
With England set to bring through another golden generation, targeting a manager who has the potential to both succeed with the U-21s and then the Three Lions proper is key for the nation to end their trophy drought on the international stage, and targeting Gerrard or Lampard could be a smart move from the FA.
Indeed, whilst both coaches disappointed in their most recent managerial spells, the pair have both shown that they can impress when given time to do a job, especially when it comes to working alongside young players, with Lampard, in particular, proving to be a great coach for a younger generation.
The former Everton boss took Derby County to the Championship play-off finals with one of the youngest squads in the division that season whilst Lampard also finished in the top-four with Chelsea with a side made up of Cobham academy graduates.
Lampard could be a better fit for England’s U-21s than Gerrard
Lampard’s record with young players is a fairly impressive one, to say the least, with Mason Mount, Reece James and Anthony Gordon all developing well under the Chelsea legend, and because of this, the former Everton manager could be a better fit for the England U-21s role than Gerrard.
Whilst the Liverpool icon has enjoyed greater success in his managerial career based on his time with Rangers, England’s U-21s need a coach who can help the players take the next step and be as prepared as possible for the leap to the senior team, something Lampard has the tools to do in such a role.
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