Lee in the Sky Blue
Congratulations were in order on this day three years ago for our member, former CCFC player, coach and caretaker manager, Lee Carsley then (as now) head coach of the England U21 team. Just as in 2025 ‘Carso’ guided the Young Lions into the 2023 European U21 Championship Final. Lee’s team had already topped Group C in the competition with a 100% record recording three straight wins (all by 2-0) over the Czech Republic, Germany and Israel. Then they kept another clean sheet beating Portugal 1-0 the previous Sunday in the quarter final.
In Georgia in the Semi Final the previous Wednesdaythe England team eased past their Group runners up Israel by 3-0 with goals from Morgan Gibbs-White, Cole Palmer and Cameron Archer missing a penalty to boot! The win ensured that Lee’s charges were able to book their place in their first European Championship final since 2009 (when they lost to Germany)! The youngEnglish team faced Spain in Batumi in the final on this day last year and won by the only goal of the game scored in first half injury time by Curtis Jones. The young Spaniards had overcome Ukraine 5-1 in the semi-final. Much more info about the competition two years ago and match details can be found here.
You can watch the action from England’s semi-final win by clicking on the link or image below:-
Lee, who will be fifty three next February, joined the Association in October 2014 and has been a regular supporter of Sky Blues’ Legends XI games in the past and has often turned out again in the Sky Blue to assist various charities in games variously organised by CCFPA members Dave Busst and committee member Dave Bennett. He has been a CCFPA ‘special guest’ at Sky Blue home games in the past and has also supported our Golf Days, most recently in 2022. An Irish international with forty caps, Lee played 47 League games for CCFC from 2000-02 after spells with Derby County and Blackburn Rovers and put in another 25 appearances for the Sky Blues in 2010-11 after returning from a successful stint with Everton.
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Lee in Sky Blue Action
In 2011 he became our first team coach (and briefly caretaker manager in 2012). In October 2013 Lee had a short spell as assistant ‘gaffer’ at Sheffield United and since then, as well as doing a variety of media work, has been part of the management set up at Brentford including (including caretaker manager with fellow CCFPA member Paul Williams as assistant) and started his England coaching duties with the Under 19 squad under former Sky Blue gaffer Aidy Boothroyd in 2015.
Carso coaching a young James Maddison in England’s U18 squad. Now they are fellow CCFPA members!
In 2016 ‘Carso’ became U18 coach at the other sky blues Manchester City but then returned to near neighbours Birmingham City in 2017, he had also been successively U21 coach, caretaker ‘gaffer’ and then assistant manager at the Blues as well as doubling as the England U23 team’s part-time specialist national coach.
Lee left Brum (with Steve) in October 2018 and in September 2020, he rejoined the England international set up, becoming head coach of their Under 20 squad! Since July 2021 ‘Carso’ stepped up to becoming ‘gaffer’ of England’s U21 squad leading them to the Euro U21 Championships!
On 9 August 2024, Carsley was appointed interim head coach of England national football team after Gareth Southgate departed the role. England won 5 and lost 1 of the six games he was head coach for. As we all know now history repeated itself with Carso back as England U21 head coach again leading his changes to become 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Champs!
‘Carso’, come back and see us in Cov again soon!
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