The Football Association has officially announced that former England international Connor Coady and Paul Williams will join the England U21 coaching staff to assist head coach Lee Carsley. Both will serve as coaching staff members through the end of 2026.

Lee Carsley, head coach of the England U21 team, will receive support from Connor Coady and Paul Williams this autumn following Ashley Cole's departure. The former champions remain committed to reaching the final of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2027.

England U21 has three qualifying matches remaining for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2027, with the final tournament to be held in Albania and Serbia.

England U21's first match will be on 25 September when they face Kazakhstan at Molineux Stadium, home of Wolves. The team will then host Slovakia at Stoke City's home ground on 2 October before travelling to Cork to play the Republic of Ireland U21 on 6 October.

Following Ashley Cole's decision to step down after five years as England U21 assistant coach, a new vacancy has opened in the coaching staff. During Cole's tenure, England U21 won the European U21 Championship twice consecutively.

For the remainder of 2026, Carsley will work alongside Connor Coady, the former Wolves and England defender, and Paul Williams, an experienced FA senior coach developer. Williams previously worked primarily with England U15.

Tim Dittmer, FA head coach, will continue in his assistant coach role. He previously worked with Carsley and Cole and was instrumental in England U21's back-to-back European U21 Championship wins.

Carsley said: "First, I want to pay tribute to Ashley. He played a crucial role in us winning the European U21 Championship twice, and his tactical and technical knowledge has been invaluable throughout this qualifying campaign.

"Beyond being an important member of the coaching staff, his experience at the highest level has been hugely beneficial and inspiring to the players. I have no doubt that whatever path he chooses in the future, his coaching career will be even more successful.

"I'm looking forward to working with Connor Coady and Paul. They will bring fresh energy to our team and provide valuable support to players at important stages of their careers.

"Looking ahead, I can't wait to see the players again after the break. This will be our first experience with an extended international match window. While qualification remains our primary goal, the longer camp will also give us the opportunity to build important relationships both on and off the pitch.

"We're in a strong position in the group, but we cannot afford complacency."

Connor Coady was captain of England U17 and helped them win the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2010. He went on to earn 10 caps for England's senior team and participated in two major tournaments with the Three Lions: Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

This is not Coady's first involvement with England's youth development system. In March 2026, he joined Will Ant's England U19 coaching staff.

Connor Coady most recently played for Wrexham.

Williams began his playing career at Derby County and has extensive Premier League experience, having played for Coventry City and Southampton. He also represented England U21.

During his second spell with the FA, Williams has held several important coaching positions. Upon his return, he will continue as senior coach developer while contributing to England's youth player development across all levels.

England fans can now purchase tickets for England U21's two home matches against Kazakhstan and Slovakia.

Additionally, the FA has launched a new documentary, "Back to Back," which tells the story of England U21's success in defending the 2025 European U21 Championship.

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