England Under-21s: Lee Carsley looks for lasting legacy with Young Lions
England lifted successive trophies in 1982 and 1984 but then had to wait 39 years until Carsley’s men won in Georgia and Romania in 2023, beating Spain in the final.
Last summer’s extra-time victory over Germany in Bratislava sealed their title defence, thanks to Jonathan Rowe’s strike.
Winning the tournament three times in a row has only ever been done once before, by Italy in the 1990s, although never in the competition’s current guise of 16 teams.
Carsley is aware of the challenge ahead – but also the lasting impact more success could have.
“The older you get, you want to leave a legacy, don’t you?” He said, with England top of Group D and three points clear of Slovakia.
“There would have been an easy move, after the first win, to go and do club management and go and accept a few of the offers.
“But I enjoy the job I’m doing and I enjoy that I’m part of a bigger quest to win a major tournament. I want to be part of the FA when we do that.”
Carsley also says he welcomes the pressure of attempting to do something no Young Lions team has done before.
“I think we have to embrace that,” said the former Everton and Derby midfielder. “They come to play for the under-21s, you’re back-to-back champions. There’s a bullseye that goes with that. We have to be aware of that and go for it.
“The expectancy, we’ll just get through the group and then we’ll win the quarters, we’ll win the semis and then we’ll just win the final… it’s very difficult.
“My priority is definitely qualifying and then that’s something I’ll think about.”